Why Noa Hamilton From The Baker And The Beauty Looks So Familiar
It's a tale as old as time. A man down on his luck after his girlfriend dumps him encounters someone new who's completely right for him. They go on various adventures as well as a few trials and tribulations, and sure enough, a romance begins to blossom. That's the story behind the 2020 ABC romantic-comedy The Baker and the Beauty, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Despite positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, the show only lasted for a single season, promptly getting canceled after its initial nine episodes (via Deadline). Still, season 1 manages to tell a fairly complete story on its own about a baker, Daniel Garcia (Victor Rasuk), who strikes up an unlikely romance with an international superstar, Noa Hamilton (Nathalie Kelley). In addition to culture clashes and run-ins with Daniel's ex, the two find a way to make it work in this wild and crazy world.
The show may be over (unless it gets picked up by another network or streaming service), but it provides an impressive showcase for Kelley as a model/entrepreneur trying to fit in within a more down-to-earth world. She's had plenty of experience around Hollywood, and here are some other roles you may recognize her from.
Nathalie Kelley got fast and furious in Tokyo Drift
Before the Fast and Furious franchise was all about family and high-octane stunts, it was just about some kids on the wrong side of the tracks trying to make life work. Then there was that one movie where the plot followed a completely different cast of characters, including Nathalie Kelley's Neela, in Tokyo.
Neela was Takashi's (Brian Tee) girlfriend initially, but she switches allegiances after he and Lucas Black (Sean Boswell) get into a race together. Lucas soon finds himself in the world of underground racing, and if he wants any hope of being successful in this new life, then he has to learn the art of the Tokyo Drift. As time goes on, he and Neela form a relationship with her confiding in him about her upbringing and the tragedy associated with it.
It's her only time being seen in the series (outside of some archival footage in Furious 7). However, considering Han (Sung Kang) is returning for Fast and Furious 9, it's possible more characters could gradually get back into the fold.
She had a song to die for in The Vampire Diaries
Nathalie Kelley can play a lot more than the sweet, innocent woman the main character's trying to be in a relationship with. She proved she can be downright dastardly as evidenced when she became the season 8 antagonist on The Vampire Diaries. She portrayed Sybil, a siren who's capable of feeding off the darkness present in an individual's soul before consuming their flesh. She's by far one of the most fearsome creatures the main characters have to contend with throughout the entirety of the series as evidenced by the fact she's killed and eaten literally hundreds of people throughout her immortal existence... that is until she's incinerated alongside her sister, Seline (Kristen Gutoskie).
Kelley spoke to Collider about what it was like to play a character so different from what she's done in the past. "I'm surprised at how much fun I'm having, playing this supremely evil person. I've never done a character like this. I'm really enjoying it!" she said. "I'm finding it comes quite naturally, which is frightening." It just goes to show what kind of range she can muster when the role calls for it.
She hid secrets well as Cristal Flores on Dynasty
Nathalie Kelley stuck around The CW even after her tenure on The Vampire Diaries ended with the nighttime soap — Dynasty. She portrayed Cristal Flores in the first season, who would become the stepmother to Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies). While she comes across as kindhearted and nurturing at first, Fallon soon discovers she's hiding secrets about her past from the family, which calls into question everyone on the show thought about her initially.
Cristal Flores has stuck around for a while on the series, but different actresses have come in to play her. Kelley left the show after the first season, and in an interview with TVInsider, she explained, "At the end of the day, it's up to the artist to make the most of the material that's given to them. I was challenged. I can say that as an artist I didn't dig as deep as I could have. I felt limited and I felt stuck. At the same time, the writing was boxing me in a little bit. And I think the best thing they felt they could do is start afresh."
Ultimately, it freed her up to star on The Baker and the Beauty, so it proved to be a fruitful trade-off.