Bella Shepard

Bella Shepard (born 17 December 2001) is an American actor.

Life and career Bella Shepard was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, and grew up in Waterford, Flint, and Grand Blanc. She started her career as a child actress, debuting in a small speaking role in the 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful after her grandmother had submitted her photo for an open call. She later appeared in the television series My Haunted House in 2015, shortly after moving to Los Angeles. That same year, she had a role in Life in Pieces. She also appeared in Grace and Frankie.

From 2018 to 2019, the adult Shepard was part of the main cast of the series A Girl Named Jo, where she played Alice Hargrave, a role she described as evolving significantly over the show's three seasons. She noted that the series aimed to introduce themes related to the civil rights movement to a younger audience. Shepard appeared in the seventh season of Orange Is the New Black, portraying a younger version of Aleida Diaz. She prepared for the role by studying Elizabeth Rodriguez's performance and working on the character's dialect.

Shepard continued her career with additional episodic roles, including a 2022 appearance on iCarly. In 2023, she received a leading role in the eight‑episode television series Wolf Pack.

Since 2026, she has portrayed Genesis Lythe, an ambitious cadet at the titular Starfleet Academy, in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Her character belongs to the Dar‑Sha, a new species distinguished by facial ridges and the absence of eyebrows. Shepard has said that Star Trek feels nostalgic to her because her grandparents watched the original 1960s Star Trek series.

Filmography +Film Year Title Role Notes 2013 Oz the Great and Powerful 2016 Pop Music Short film 2018Anonymous 616 2019 Ring of Silence 2019 Enigma 2021 Witch Hunt 2021 Maxx Speed Short film 2024 The Merry Gentlemen 2026 Jump In production in Queensland

+Television Year Title Role Notes 2015 Homes of Horror Episode: "My Haunted House" 2015 Life in Pieces 2 episodes 2018 Grace and Frankie 1 episode 2018–2019 A Girl Named Jo Main cast 2019 On the Ropes Main cast 2019 Orange Is the New Black 1 episode 2019 The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders TV movie 2020 The Wilds 1 episode 2021 Two Sides Main cast (season 2) 2022 iCarly 1 episode 2023 Wolf Pack Main cast 2026–present Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Main cast