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Noël Wells

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Noël Wells
Wells at Earwolf Studios in 2015
Born
Noël Kristi Wells

(1986-12-23) December 23, 1986 (age 37)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
EducationMemorial High School
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
Occupations
  • Actress
  • director
  • writer
  • ventriloquist
  • musician
  • comedian
  • photographer
Years active2010–present

Noël Kristi Wells (born December 23, 1986)[1][2] is an American actress, comedian, singer, writer, director and photographer. She is known for her television roles as Rachel Silva in the Netflix comedy-drama Master of None (2015–2017), as the voice of Kelsey Pokoly in the Cartoon Network animated television series Craig of the Creek (2018–present), as the voice of Ensign D'Vana Tendi in the Paramount+ animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–present), and her brief tenure as a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 39th season between 2013 and 2014. She also wrote, directed, and starred in the film Mr. Roosevelt (2017). She has also ventured into music; her debut album It's So Nice! was released in 2019.

Early life

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Wells was born in San Antonio, Texas.[3] Her father is a Tunisian immigrant, and her mother is of Mexican descent.[4][5][6] She says her parents named her Noël because she was born two days before Christmas.[7]

Wells attended Memorial High School in Victoria, Texas, where she was active in speech and debate and graduated as salutatorian.[8] She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010[9] with degrees in Plan II Honors and Radio-Television-Film.[10] While attending college, she was a cast member of Esther's Follies,[11] Austin's long-running musical satire show, where she performed in sketches and as a magician's assistant.[12] Before becoming an actress she worked as an editor and did motion graphics.

Career

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Wells performing in 2014

In 2010, Wells moved to Los Angeles and performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre with the sketch team "New Money".[13][14] She appeared in numerous Cracked.com and CollegeHumor videos,[15] and was known for her own sketch and parody videos, which have over 18 million views on YouTube.[16]

In 2013, Wells joined the cast of Saturday Night Live during its 39th season as a featured player along with fellow Upright Citizens Brigade performers John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, and Beck Bennett, as well as writer Mike O'Brien and stand-up comedian Brooks Wheelan.[17][18][19] On July 15, 2014, it was announced that Wells would not be returning for a second season.[20][21]

Saturday Night Live impressions

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Wells has made guest appearances on television programs such as The Aquabats! Super Show! and Comedy Bang! Bang!, as well as doing recurring voice work on Hulu's The Awesomes, Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder, and Cartoon Network's Craig of the Creek. In 2015, she co-starred on the critically acclaimed Netflix comedy Master of None, created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang. Wells played Rachel, the love-interest of Ansari's character. Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall said the "Dev/Rachel story is so smartly developed, with such strong chemistry between Ansari and Wells." Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair said her portrayal of Rachel was a "star-making...performance. It's subtle, but not minimalist or deadpan."[22][23][24] All 10 episodes premiered on November 6, 2015, and it won the 2016 Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy.[25][26]

In March 2017, Wells wrote, directed, and starred in the feature film Mr. Roosevelt, which premiered at the SXSW film festival in Narrative Spotlight. It won multiple awards including the Audience Award and Louis Black Lone Star Jury Award at SXSW, and Best US Narrative Feature at the Traverse City Film Festival.[27][28]

Wells released her debut album It's So Nice on August 30, 2019.[29][30] Written and recorded over a two-year period, it was her first foray as a musician and singer-songwriter.

As of September 2019, Wells had a television show in development for the streaming service Apple TV+.[31]

In 2020, Wells was cast as a voice actor in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks as Ensign Tendi, a new Orion crewmember (one of four main characters) aboard the USS Cerritos, working in the ship's medical bay.

Personal life

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Wells has lived in Los Angeles and New York City.[32][33]

Her photography has been featured in exhibitions and the literary magazine Oxford American.[34]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Forev Sophie
2016 Dreamland Joanna
2017 The Incredible Jessica James Tasha
2017 Infinity Baby Theresa
2017 Mr. Roosevelt Emily Martin Also producer, writer and director
2018 Happy Anniversary Mollie
2018 Social Animals Zoe
2023 Craig Before the Creek Kelsey Pokoly, Mortimer, Bug Battler, Serena's Friend Voice role

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Aquabats! Super Show! Rachel Moonbug Episode: "The Anti-Bats!"
2013–14 Saturday Night Live Featured player Season 39
2014 The Awesomes Cait Walker / Knight Light Voice role; 3 episodes
2014–16 Gentleman Lobsters Shell Voice role; 7 episodes
2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Aiden Tomasseto Episode: "Kid Cudi Wears a Denim Shirt and Red Sneakers"
2015 Semi-Charmed Life Alex Television film
2015–16 Wander Over Yonder Lord Dominator Voice; 13 episodes
2015, 2017 Master of None Rachel Silva Main Role
2016 The UCB Show Trish/Willow Episode: "Feel the Bern"
2016 Loosely Exactly Nicole Blix Episode: "Big Break"
2016 American Dad! Shannon/DreamSmith Entertainment Announcer Voice role; 2 episodes
2017 Elena of Avalor Marimonda Voice role; Episode: "Realm of the Jacquins"
2018–present Craig of the Creek Kelsey Pokoly (2nd voice) Voice role; Main role
2018 Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy Karen the Mermaid Minor role; 2 episodes
2020 Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Jibralta Voice role; Episode: "Benson and the Beast"
2020–present Star Trek: Lower Decks Ensign D'Vana Tendi Voice role; Main role
2020 Wild Help Jelly Voice role; Pilot
2021 DuckTales June Voice role; Episode: "The Last Adventure"
2023 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Ensign D'Vana Tendi Voice role; Episode: "Those Old Scientists"
2024 Jessica's Big Little World Kelsey Pokoly Voice role; 2 episodes

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes
2023 Star Trek: Very Short Treks Ensign D'Vana Tendi Voice role; 2 episodes

Discography

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Albums

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  • It's So Nice! (2019)

References

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  1. ^ "FamilySearch". FamilySearch.
  2. ^ "Noel Wells Bio | Featured Player | Saturday Night Live". NBC. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  3. ^ "Noel Wells". Notcommonpeople.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  4. ^ "Noël Wells Master of None Interview". Cosmopolitan.com. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Meet Melissa Villaseñor, 'SNL's' First Latina Cast Member". ColorLines. September 12, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "As 'Saturday Night Live' cast reboots, questions about diversity emerge" Paul Farhi, Washington Post, October 3, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  7. ^ "Noël Wells Rings In the Holidays With Saturday Night Live's Christmas Special". TV Guide. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  8. ^ "Local Girl Makes Big Time". Crossroadstoday.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  9. ^ Abromavitch, Seth (September 11, 2013). "How 'Saturday Night Live' Found 5 New Castmembers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "RTF Student Noël Wells Thanks Family for IFC Internship". Radio Television Film College of Communications.
  11. ^ Kiest, Jim. "UT grad may join 'SNL' cast". My San Antonio. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  12. ^ Tinkham, Chris. "Noël Wells – 2013 LA Film Fest Interview". Under the Radar Mag. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  13. ^ "Noel Wells". Upright Citizen Brigade Theater. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  14. ^ Seth Abramovitch, Seth (September 11, 2013). "Cheat Sheet: Get to Know the 5 New Faces of 'SNL'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ^ "Noel Wells". Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  16. ^ "Noël". YouTube. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  17. ^ Carter, Bill (September 15, 2013). "New Course for 'Update,' and All of 'SNL'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
  18. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Michael Patrick O'Brien, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, John Milhiser & Noël Wells Poised to Join Saturday Night Live Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  19. ^ Luippold, Ross (August 23, 2013). "'SNL' Cast Rumored To Add Noël Wells, Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Mike O'Brien (UPDATE)". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  20. ^ "Noël Wells & John Milhiser. Leaving 'Saturday Night Live'". Deadline. July 15, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  21. ^ O'Neal, Sean (July 14, 2014). "Noël Wells and John Milhiser Are Also Leaving Saturday Night Live". The A.V. Club.
  22. ^ "Watch: Aziz Ansari Navigates Romance in Netflix's 'Master of None' Trailer". Variety. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  23. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (November 3, 2015). "Review: Aziz Ansari is a 'Master of None' in fantastic new Netflix comedy". Uproxx. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 21, 2015). "Aziz Ansari Comedy Series A Go At Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  25. ^ "Master of None Trailer: Aziz Ansari Gets a Netflix Show". Slashfilm. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  26. ^ "Master of None". November 6, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2016 – via IMDb.
  27. ^ O'Neill, Tyler. "'Most Beautiful Island,' 'Mr. Roosevelt' Steal the Show at 2017 SXSW". Backstage.com.
  28. ^ Kelley, Seth. "SXSW Announces 2017 Audience Award Winners". Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  29. ^ "Noël Wells Breaks Down "It's So Nice!" Track by Track". FLOOD. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  30. ^ "Nöel Wells Wrote Her Way Through Her Saturn Return". NYLON. August 30, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  31. ^ "Nöel Wells Wrote Her Way Through Her Saturn Return". NYLON. August 30, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  32. ^ Tuck, Lauren (September 11, 2013). "5 Things You Need to Know About 'SNL' New Girl". Yahoo. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  33. ^ Isaac, Jessica. "Master of None's Noël Wells' Vibrant and Personal LA Rental". Apartment Therapy.
  34. ^ "Oxford American Best of the South". Flickr. Noel Wells. May 31, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
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