Gail Mitchell, known professionally as Gail Bean, is an American actress. Bean co-starred in the series Paradise Lost and the film Unexpected. She has also acted in Insecure, Love in the Time of Corona, Atlanta, and Detroiters. She is best known for her portrayal of Wanda Bell on Snowfall (2018–2023). She is currently a main cast member on the Starz drama P-Valley.
Gail Bean | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gail Mitchell Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Valdosta State University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Snowfall |
Life and career
editBorn Gail Mitchell, she was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia.[1] She is the youngest of six and the only daughter amongst her parents' children.[2] She first became interested in acting in a drama class she took while she was a student at Stephenson High School. Bean received her bachelor's degree from Valdosta State University, where she joined the sorority Delta Sigma Theta.[3] She enrolled to study accounting but at the urging of one of her professors, she instead pursued acting.[4] Mitchell adopted the stage name Gail Bean due to the nickname "Bean" that she went by as a high school student.[3]
Bean received positive critical reception for her starring role in the 2015 film Unexpected, which debuted at Sundance Film Festival. In the film she plays a pregnant teen opposite Cobie Smulders. She was named one of 10 Sundance Breakout Stars by TheWrap for her performance.[5] Bean went on to appear in television series including Insecure, Love in the Time of Corona, Detroiters, Chicago P.D., Grey's Anatomy, and Paradise Lost.[6][7][8][9][5] She gained wider notoriety in 2018 as a main cast member on Snowfall, where she portrays Wanda Bell, a young woman who dates a drug dealer and later struggles with addiction.[10] As of 2022, she is also a cast member on P-Valley. Bean portrays Roulette, a rebellious new dancer at The Pynk.[10]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Diamonds Aren't Forever | Jessica Roberts | |
| 2012 | Herstory | Susie Screw | Short |
| 2013 | I Stand Alone | - | Short |
| The Special Project | Brittany | Short | |
| Love and War | Felicia | Short | |
| The Final Hour | Rebecca Lee | Short | |
| At Mamu's Feet | Amanda | ||
| 2014 | Good Wood | Juror 1 | |
| Duffle | Nikki Lamont | Short | |
| 2015 | Unexpected | Jasmine | |
| 2016 | The Belko Experiment | Leota Hynek | |
| 2018 | The Culprit | Shannon | Short |
| Jacks | Bertha | Short | |
| 2019 | Skin in the Game | Jasmine | |
| Test Pattern | Amber | ||
| 2020 | Outcast | Imara | Short |
| The Social Distance Activity | Rachel | ||
| 2024 | The Piano Lesson | Grace |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Estrogen | Monica | Main cast |
| 2014 | Sex Sent Me to the ER | Megan | Episode: "Clean Up on Aisle 4" |
| Sugar | Aja | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2016 | Insecure | Rasheeda | Episode: "Racist as Fuck" & "Thirsty as Fuck" |
| 2017 | Meta-Dimensional | Gaia | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Snap! | - | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| The Trustee | Delana | TV movie | |
| 2018 | Chicago P.D. | Sienna | Episode: "Confidential" |
| Atlanta | Nadine | Episode: "Champagne Papi" | |
| Detroiters | Megan | Episode: "Lois" & "Royals" | |
| Velvet | Demetra | Main cast | |
| 2018–23 | Snowfall | Wanda Bell | Recurring cast: season 2-5; main cast: season 6 |
| 2019 | Games People Play | Quanisha | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| 2020 | Grey's Anatomy | Caitlin Freeman | Episode: "Give a Little Bit" |
| Paradise Lost | Gynnifer Green | Recurring cast | |
| Love in the Time of Corona | Adeah | Recurring cast | |
| Cast Black Talent Virtual Reading Series | Toyia | Episode: "Hurt Village" | |
| 2022–present | P-Valley | Roulette | Recurring cast: season 2; main cast: season 3 |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Red Dead Redemption II | The Local Pedestrian Population (voice) |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress, Drama Series | Snowfall | Nominated | [11] |
References
edit- ^ Ruff, Rivea (8 March 2022). "Gail Bean Gives Voice To The Unheard On 'Snowfall' and 'P-Valley'". Essence. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Pruner, Aaron (25 July 2021). "'Snowfall' star Gail Bean on Marvel dreams, NSYNC, and super-flare jeans". Inverse. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ a b "All Hail Gail Bean". Bleu Mag. 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ Morgante, Megan (2021-05-22). "Women in Motion: Gail Bean". The Noemi Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (21 January 2015). "10 Sundance Breakout Stars Led by Melissa Rauch, Julia Garner and the 'Knock Knock' Girls". The Wrap. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Gail Bean". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ "From Wanda on 'Snowfall' to Her New Role on 'P-Valley,' Actress Gail Bean Does John Singleton Proud • EBONY". EBONY. 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ Bastien, Angelica Jade. "'Insecure' Season 1, episode 3: Code Switching". NYT. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (2 February 2022). "'P-Valley': Psalms Salazar & Gail Bean Join season 2 Cast, Creator Katori Hall Teases Upcoming Chapter". Deadline. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ a b Kebreau, Felicia (2022-04-19). "Gail Bean Dishes on the Snowfall Season Finale, What's Next for Wanda, & Intense Training for Upcoming P-Valley Role". MEFeater. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ^ "Plenty of "Love" in the Heart of the Country! – The Black Reel Awards". Black Reel Awards. 2021-06-28. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
External links
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