Why Mikaela Shaw From Mr. Mayor Looks So Familiar
"Mr. Mayor" is the latest NBC sitcom with a zany premise to take the network by storm. The sitcom follows Neil Bremer (Ted Danson), a former ad executive who stumbles his way into becoming Los Angeles mayor in a bid to earn his daughter's respect. He may not know the first thing about governance, but fortunately, he has some help in that department courtesy of deputy mayor Arpi Meskimen (Holly Hunter).
He also has some aides who occasionally know about as much as he does, and one of the highlights of the series is his social media expert Mikaela Shaw (Vella Lovell). She's often on the cutting-edge of what's trending and going on online, so even though Neil doesn't exactly understand how all these apps work, she's there to fill him in.
Vella Lovell brings plenty of comedy to the proceedings, an area she has ample experience in. She's starred in plenty of comedies over the years to the point where if you like to laugh, you've likely seen her before.
Vella Lovell broke out with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
After appearing in short films, Vella Lovell got the stellar role of Heather Davis in The CW's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." It gave her the opportunity to showcase both her acting and singing prowess, as she frequently got musical numbers throughout the show's run. But outside of catchy tunes, Heather is a detached, cynical bar worker who's initially aimless on the show but gradually grows to discover what she's meant to do.
Lovell loved the four seasons the show was on the air, and through it all, she learned the power television has on people. As she mentioned in an interview with Collider, "It is a living, breathing thing. It's not a movie that you shot in a bubble, and then gave it to the world, but you're removed from it when people experience it. It's like theater, but you're in a conversation with the audience and you're constantly being like, 'Oh, what did these people like?'"
Lovell may have been busy with "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" from 2015 to 2019, but she still managed to find the time to work on other projects, including one notable film ...
She starred in The Big Sick
During her time on "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," Lovell had a small but significant role in "The Big Sick." The film tells a fictionalized version of how comedian Kumail Nanjiani met his wife, Emily V. Gordon, played by Zoe Kazan in the movie. However, Kumail receives pushback from his family who want him to marry a Pakistani woman. One of the women they try to set him up with is Khadija, played by Lovell.
While she's not in the film for long, she makes the most of her time, and she didn't take the opportunity lightly. In an interview with Vulture, she spoke about getting the chance to work with such great comedic talent on set. She explained, "I feel really lucky to have been a part of a movie that's so personal to Kumail and Emily, who wrote it. It's their actual love story and they've been married for ten years, so it was a very special, personal movie. I'm a huge fan of Michael Showalter and he was the director. It was like, 'Oh my god I'm the luckiest person to be there a couple days.'"
Lovell could most recently be seen on As We See It
Lovell is such a talented actress that "Mr. Mayor" isn't the only television show she has going on right now. She could also be seen in the first season of Amazon's "As We See It," which premiered early in 2022. The show follows three autistic adults who navigate their various lives and the challenges that exist therein. Lovell plays Salena, Van's (Chris Pang) on-again, off-again girlfriend. She develops a kindred friendship with Van's sister, Violet (Sue Ann Pien), and while she cares deeply for Violet, her advice can sometimes get her in trouble.
The show earned rave reviews from critics when it first aired, such as these words of praise from Entertainment Weekly, "'As We See It' offers a sweet and funny window into the lives of a group of twenty-somethings living with neurodiversity. Heartstrings are tugged and tears are jerked, but the immense likability of the cast keeps the show from descending into mawkishness."
As of this writing, the show hasn't been renewed for a second season yet, but hopefully, it's not the last time we see Lovell's Salena.