When “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” debuted in 2015, it was immediately clear (to us, at least) that Dylan Gelula, the Jewish actress behind Xanthippe Voorhees was a star. Since then, Dylan has made a name for herself as a solid comic performer and independent film actress.
Here are 18 things to know about Dylan Gelula.
1. Dylan Gelula was born on May 7, 1994 in Philadelphia to a Jewish family.
2. She’s a Taurus.
3. Per this tweet, she was raised Reform.
@weismanjake i'm reform so ppl who wear skorts can still be buried in jewish cemetaries
— dylan gelula (@DylanGelula) September 6, 2015
4. When Dylan was 10, she began her acting career as an extra in the M. Night Shyamalan movie “Lady in the Water.” However, neither she nor her parents have ever seen it!
5. She was an angsty tween:
6. She attended Lower Merion High School, but dropped out before graduating.
Dylan explained, “I hated high school, so I barely went. I was a truant — like, in the legal sense, I was almost charged with truancy. I don’t think there was an entire week in any of my educational experience that I attended every scheduled class.”
7. Instead, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting when she was 17! Listen to her talk about that experience below:
8. After sending in an audition tape, Dylan had an unusual experience getting cast as Xanthippe in “Kimmy Schmidt.”
“They were like, ‘We don’t know if it’s yours yet, but we’re starting the show and the table read is tomorrow. Could you come read Xan at the table read and we’ll see how it goes?‘,” Dylan told the Huffington Post.
9. Dylan was very nervous to work with “Kimmy Schmidt” co-creator Tina Fey.
“I feel horrible because it’s so dehumanizing to idolize someone, so I try to be relaxed around her like I would anyone else,” she said in an interview. “But as a human and a writer and a boss, she is so inspiring to be around.”
10. Please enjoy this clip of Xan being Xan:
11. She’s been in a bevy of independent films including “First Girl I Loved,” “Flower,” “Support the Girls” and Cooper Raif‘s “Shithouse.”
12. This Instagram post suggest that Dylan is no stranger to an Ashkenazi Jewish tummyache:
13. We humbly present to you Dylan’s audition to be the female Joker:
14. Dylan co-hosts a podcast with comedian Broti Gupta called “Lecture Hall.”
15. She’s also a writer! In 2019, she had a satirical essay published in McSweeneys Internet Tendency.
16. Dylan has been on the picket lines during the SAG-AFTRA strike, and is a big fan of the chief negotiator!
@etalkctv Dylan Gelula says SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is the most famous person in the world at the TIFF premiere of her film, ‘Dream Scenario’ with Nicholas Cage. 🎥 #TIFF #TIFF23 #DylanGelula #ActorsStrike #WritersStrike #DuncanCrabtreeIreland #redcarpet #entertainmentnews #SAGAFTRA #unbreakablekimmyschmidt
17. She has big plans for the future…
im gonna be the jewish johnny appleseed . Johnny Applestein
— dylan gelula (@DylanGelula) June 29, 2023
18. In “Dream Scenario,” she’s co-stars with Nic Cage! Check out the trailer:
