Inside the life of Bella Maclean including Netflix breakthrough and real age

Bella Maclean is making waves as one of the standout stars in the new Dame Jilly Cooper series Rivals, now available on Disney+.

The eight-part drama focuses on the fierce competition between two driven and charismatic men, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), filled with steamy scenes, romantic twists, and shocking behaviour.

Actress Bella Maclean plays Taggie, Declan and Maud's eldest daughter. Despite her young age of 20, Taggie often proves to be the most responsible member of the O'Hara family, harbouring dreams of launching her own catering business and finding her ideal love match.

Taggie enjoyed a deep relationship with Rupert Campbell-Black and viewers were left gripped by the will they/won't they dynamic.

This marks another significant role for Bella, who previously shone in a breakout drama and is now carving out an exciting acting career. Here's everything you need to know about Bella Maclean, her early life, career, and personal life.

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Early life and career of Bella Maclean

Bella Maclean spent her childhood in New York where her parents were employed.

When Bella was 10, her family relocated to East Sussex, and she later secured a spot at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Prior to her final year, Maclean landed a major role in the musical Spring Awakening at the Almeida.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the musical, but the cast and crew managed to stage the show during in-between lockdowns. She graduated from Guildhall in 2020.

What is Bella Maclean's biggest role so far?

The British-American actress has been making waves in the acting with her roles in short films like La La Means I Love You (2018) and Dragged Up (2021), during her studies.

Her most notable role to date is Jem in the final season of Netflix's hit show Sex Education, where she played a horse riding instructor at her father's farm and developed a blossoming relationship with Adam.

Before this, Bella had a role in Silent Witness as Sara Mendes in series 26, playing the sister of Fiona (Hannah Rae), who becomes a key suspect in the investigation into the death of businessman and former influencer Jay Prain (Lewis Griffiths).

The actress is set to make another big splash with her part in Rivals, further cementing her status as a rising star in British TV.

Earlier this year, Bella made her debut at the Royal National Theatre in 2024, appearing in London Tide as Bella Wilfer.

Bella Maclean's life outside of TV and her real age

Away from the screen, Bella currently resides in West London, having moved there for her acting career.

She recently clarified to the London Standard that she is actually 26, not 23 as some articles have claimed, causing confusion even among her cast mates.

She recalled: "I don’t know where anyone got that from, even people in the cast keep saying that after reading it online. I’m 26."

Bella largely keeps a quiet life with minimal updates on social media.