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There's No Way Around It: The Actor Who Plays Birds of Prey's Batgirl Is Cooler Than You
Getty / Presley Ann
The new Harley Quinn movie Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), is stacked with A-list actors, but one of the biggest roles in the movie is actually played by a relatively unknown actress. 13-year-old Korean-Filipino actress Ella Jay Basco plays Cassandra Cain (aka Batgirl), who must be protected from the evil Black Mask by Harley Quinn and her new girl gang. Cassandra Cain definitely marks Ella’s biggest role to date, but the young actress has made several TV appearances before, and we have a feeling this major film role is just the start for her. Here’s everything you should know about the up-and-coming actress before Birds of Prey hits theatres on Feb. 7.
Related: The New Birds of Prey Trailer Has the Chaotic Girl Gang Energy We’ve Been Looking For
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She Started Her Career at 6 Months Old
According to her IMDb bio, Ella started her career at only six months old when she appeared in an Old Navy print ad. She then went on to appear in numerous commercials before breaking into TV roles.
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She's Made Several Appearances in Popular TV Shows
Ella’s first TV appearance was on a season nine episode of Grey’s Anatomy. She also appeared on episodes of Happyland, Superior Donuts, Veep, and Teachers before landing her breakout role in Birds of Prey.
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2 of Her Uncles Are Also Actors
Ella’s father is also one of four kids, and two of his brothers, Dion and Dante Basco, are actors as well. Dion Basco is best known for playing Alberto “Al” Ramos on the NBC sitcom City Guys, Flip in the 2003 film Biker Boyz, and Marco Quito in the 1996 film Race the Sun. Dante Basco is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 film Hook, as well as for his many voice acting roles, including Prince Zuko from Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender and Jake Long from the Disney Channel’s American Dragon: Jake Long.
Getty / Paul Archuleta
She Read a Ton of Comic Books to Prepare for Her Role
After she was cast as Cassandra Cain, her dad bought her a big stack of comic books so she could prepare for her role and so she “could really get the idea of a young girl who’s super vulnerable and independent,” as she explained during a Google Cameo Q&A.
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She Believes That Nothing Is More Important Than an Education
Though Ella admits that she’s a “bit of a nerd” when it comes to school, she still thinks that a great education is invaluable. When asked by A Book of Us what charity or organization she would contribute to if she had the chance, Ella stressed the importance of equal opportunity in public education. ” . . . I don’t know what I would do without an education,” she said. “No matter what circumstances a kid has, they should always have the chance to learn. We are the new generation, and if we aren’t provided with an education, what do you think will happen to the future of humanity?”