Dylan Gelula is an American actress famous for portraying Xanthippe in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and for her contributions to the independent film industry.
She burst onto the big screen as the main character in the romantic drama First Girl I Loved (2016) and has since appeared in other notable films such as Flower (2017), Support the Girls (2018), Her Smell (2018), Shithouse (2020), and Dream Scenario (2023).
Early Life & Education
Dylan Nicole Gelula was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 7, 1994. She grew up in a Reform Jewish household. Despite attending Lower Merion High School, she had a challenging experience and often felt isolated, although she was content being on her own.
Eventually, her frequent absences led her to decide to either repeat her senior year or leave school altogether. At the age of seventeen, she chose to leave and relocated to Los Angeles on her own.
Dylan Gelula’s Movies & TV Shows
At the age of ten, Dylan Gelula’s acting journey started when she appeared as an extra in the movie Lady in the Water by M. Night Shyamalan.
Surprisingly, she and her parents never actually watched the film. However, two years later during sixth grade, she came across a manager who would help guide her career.
Before relocating to Los Angeles, her representative in New York secured her an opportunity to audition for the character of Jean Fordham in an Arden Theatre Company rendition of August: Osage County, helmed by Terry Nolen.
Ultimately, she landed the lead role. She remembers initially considering rejecting the part, but eventually acknowledging her strong interest in it.
At 17 years old, she relocated to Los Angeles and began working as a waitress at a prestigious restaurant in Santa Monica. However, she was soon let go from her position. In addition, she worked as a buyer at Wasteland, a second-hand store.
She has made appearances on several TV shows, including NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Are We There Yet?, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Gelula has also portrayed Gretchen Doyle in Jennifer Falls, Ford in Chasing Life, and Xanthippe in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
In 2016, Dylan Gelula starred as the main actress in the romantic drama film First Girl I Loved, directed by Kerem Sanga. The movie was first shown at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and received the audience’s top prize for Best Of NEXT.
Critics were highly impressed with Dylan Gelula’s portrayal of Anne in the film, earning her widespread acclaim. In that same year, she landed recurring roles in both the teen sitcom Filthy Preppy Teens and Hulu’s comedy-drama Casual. She also made appearances in several independent films, such as Flower (2017), Support the Girls (2018), and Her Smell (2018).
Dylan and Broti Gupta collaborated in 2020 to launch a podcast named Lecture Hall, which featured guests like Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott.
Additionally, Dylan starred as the leading love interest in Cooper Raiff’s directorial debut Shithouse (2020), which received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the SXSW Festival.
In 2023, she took on a supporting role as Molly, an assistant to a talent agent, in Kristoffer Borgli’s psychological dark comedy Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage.
Net Worth
It is estimated that Dylan Gelula has a net worth ranging from $1 to $5 million, but there is currently no public knowledge about her salary or income.
