Stella Maeve

Born as Stella Maeve Johnston on November 14, 1989, in the village of Nyack, USA, she spent her formative years in New York. Little is known about her early years, parents, or siblings. While most sources identify her as American, Stella Maeve has claimed her heritage from the Cherokee and Blackfoot tribes. She completed her education in New York.

Pictures of Stella’s mother can be found online. On November 13, 2021, a day before her 32nd birthday, the actress shared a throwback picture of herself as a toddler in a cute red jumpsuit. In the photo, she appears to be around 2 years old. She is being held by a woman in a white sweater, who bears a striking resemblance to the grown-up Stella, except for her light-colored hair, while Stella is a brunette with brown eyes.

Stella Maeve’s acting journey began in 2005 with her role as Kat in the short film “Liminality”. This drama narrates the story of two girls’ transition to adulthood and their relationships. Her co-stars on the set were Stephen Baldwin and Valentina de Angelis. That same year, she was featured in the much-talked-about comedy-adventure film “Transamerica”, directed by Duncan Tucker.

Despite a modest budget of 1 million dollars, the film grossed over 15 million and garnered numerous accolades. The narrative, which revolves around a transgender individual saving their son, was warmly received by audiences and critics alike. The primary accolades were awarded to the lead actors – Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, and first-time director Tucker. This film’s resounding success significantly boosted Stella’s nascent acting career.

That same year, Stella was cast in two episodes of popular TV series: “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”. The following year, she returned to short films. She co-starred with Jack Mulcahy and Alison Bartlett in the comedy horror film “Euthanasia”. However, she was often cast in single-episode roles in long-term projects.

She made appearances in TV series like “The Bronx is Burning” (2007), “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2009), “Rizzoli & Isles” (2014), and “Grey’s Anatomy” (2012). In “Gossip Girl”, Maeve was seen in two episodes (2008-2009) as Emma Boardman. In 2010, she joined the cast of the popular project “Bones”, portraying the character of Amber Flaire. That same year, she was listed among the 55 future actors by the American Nylon Magazine.

From this point, her career transitioned from episodic appearances to main, leading, and recurring roles. In 2013, the crime drama TV series “Golden Boy” by Nicholas Wootton was released. Stella landed the lead role in it, playing Agnes Clark, Walter’s younger sister. The series chronicles the meteoric career rise of an ambitious cop who becomes the youngest police commissioner in New York.

In the police TV series “Chicago P.D.”, Maeve was featured in 2014-2015. She portrayed the recurring character of Nadia Decotis in 18 episodes. At 25, Stella played an 18-year-old escort and drug addict. As per the storyline, her character undergoes a radical transformation – she recovers from harmful addictions and even trains to become a police officer. Interestingly, Nadia reappears in the project a year later.

Stella was part of 3 episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” – the first spin-off of “Chicago P.D.”. Here, her character Nadia’s storyline continues. But one of Maeve’s most significant roles in TV projects is Julia Wicker in the fantasy detective “The Magicians”. Stella’s character is a friend of the protagonist Quentin, who is not accepted at Brakebills. Instead, she becomes a protege of self-taught magicians.

The plot revolves around students in contemporary New York who discover that the magical world they read about in children’s books is not only real but also decidedly dangerous. The TV film was broadcast for 5 years – from 2015 to 2020. The film received 4 “Saturn” awards as the “Best Fantasy Series”. However, the UBCP/ACTRA Awards for the best female role was awarded to Keegan Connor Tracy (Professor Lipson).

Stella Maeve made her debut in 2005, but her first brush with fame came in 2010 – after the biopic “The Runaways” directed by Floria Sigismondi. The film narrates the story of the rock band “The Runaways” and its famous members: Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, and Marie Currie, who idolized David Bowie. Stella’s character is drummer Sandy. The film was well-received by audiences.

Viewers particularly appreciated Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, and the depiction of the wild 1970s with its harshness, liberation, alcohol-fueled parties, style, and the sound of creaking leather jackets and pants throughout the film. Despite a budget of 10 million dollars, the film grossed just over 4 million in distribution, but this did not diminish its quality.

Stella Maeve is presently married to Benjamin Wadsworth. The couple met in 2018 at the San Diego Comic-Con International festival. They starred in series on the same channel and inevitably crossed paths: Stella was the star of “The Magicians,” and Benjamin was in “Deadly Class.” The actor recalls being mesmerized by the actress’s gaze.

Here’s how the actor reminisced about their meeting: “I was waiting for my turn, and my manager was talking to her and told me, ‘Ben, come here and meet Stella.’ She kept looking into my eyes, so I decided to go and talk.” After that, the actors were inseparable. They dated, shared joint photos on social media, but fans doubted the seriousness of their feelings.

The fact is that Stella was 29 years old at the time, and Ben was only 19. Soon she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Jo Jezebel Wadsworth, in January 2020. After that, the actress posted a photo showing a beautiful engagement ring. Ben reciprocates, captioning pictures with his wife: “I love her so much. She is so beautiful and full of energy. I’m crazy about you!”

Stella Maeve continues to act in films and series. In 2017, she starred in the dark comedy “Take the 10” by Chester Tam. Two friends, Chester and Chris, find themselves in a dire situation. A strange entity approaches them, ordering them to do something incomprehensible. The main roles were played by Josh Peck and Tony Revolori. Maeve played the role of Brooke. In 2022, she joined the cast of the crime series “Mayans M.C.”, where she played the roles of Kody and Katie McNeil.