Bella Maclean (born 14 November 1997) is a British actress. On television, she appeared in the fourth season of the Netflix series Sex Education (2023) and the Disney+ series Rivals (2024). She has also appeared on stage.
She was named a 2025 Screen International Star of Tomorrow.
Early life and education Bella Maclean was born on 14 November 1997 in New York City to British parents. She has two older sisters. She spent her early childhood in New York for her parents' work, before they returned to England and settled in East Sussex when she was 10.
In 2020, Maclean graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting.
Career Stage Maclean made her professional stage debut as Martha in the 2021 London revival of Spring Awakening at the Almeida Theatre. Her performance was described as "an eye-catching turn as Martha" by theatre critic Fiona Mountford. The production was directed by Rupert Goold, with Laurie Kynaston and Amara Okereke leading. A filmed performance of the production was screened at cinemas in the United Kingdom in November 2023.
She returned to the stage in 2024 as Bella Wilfer in the National Theatre's London Tide, a musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend. The production was directed by Ian Rickson, adapted by Ben Power, and music by Powers and PJ Harvey. While the play and score received mixed reviews, Maclean's performance was positively reviewed. The official cast recording was released in October.
Film and television In 2023, Maclean made her television debut in two episodes of the BBC One police procedural Silent Witness. She joined the cast of the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education for its fourth and final season as Jem. She has also appeared in the short films Dragged Up and La La Means I Love You.
In 2024, Maclean had her breakout role in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper's Rivals. She portrayed Agatha 'Taggie' O'Hara, the overlooked daughter of Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud (Victoria Smurfit) who struggles with dyslexia while trying to pursue culinary dreams. The show was met with widespread critical acclaim, while Maclean's scenes with love interest Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) were described as "engagingly complex". She reprised the role in the programme's second series, which premiered in May 2026; in a review, Den of Geek's Lucy Baugher described Maclean's Taggie as 'the quiet heart' of Rivals.
Maclean was cast as a lead role in Ray Panthaki's directorial debut film In Starland. The film follows a middle-aged man struggling to break free from the confines of his small town until he meets a group of bold young artists that transform his perspective. She is starring alongside Clarence Maclin, Marcus Scribner, and Maxwell Cunningham.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2018 La La Means I Love You Tallulah Short film 2023 Dragged Up Amy Short film Almeida on Screen: Spring Awakening Martha Filmed live performance TBA Filming Filming
Television Year Title Role Notes 2023 Silent Witness Sara Mendes 2 episodes 2023 Sex Education Jem 6 episodes (season 4) 2024–present Rivals Agatha "Taggie" O'Hara Main role
Stage Year Title RoleDirector VenueRef. 2021 Spring Awakening MarthaRupert Goold Almeida Theatre, London 2024 London Tide Bella WilferIan Rickson National Theatre, London
Discography
Cast recording
2024: London Tide (World Premiere Recording)
Awards and nominations
Maclean was a finalist in the Josephine Hart Poetry Prize in 2019, when a student at Guildhall. The prize is awarded for reading a poem.
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.2024iTalk Telly AwardsBest Breakthrough Rivals 2025 Edinburgh International Television Festival Breakthrough Performance Broadcasting Press Guild AwardsBPG Breakthrough
References
External links
Bella Maclean at Spotlight