For some people, the idea of fate is inconceivable, but for actress Bellamy Young, she has fate to thank for her unimaginable career. Through extensive hard work, determination and a little bit of coincidence, she has built a life filled with achievements. In a special interview with The Wessex Wire, Bellamy spoke at length about her experiences, from being a pageant girl turned science geek to an award-winning actress, artist and activist, and how she continues to share her infinite heart as well as talent with the world.
“I mean there is no greater joy for me in this life except getting to be of service to others who might need it,” Bellamy said.
Best known for her role as Mellie Grant in Shonda Rimes’s political TV drama “Scandal,” Bellamy’s career began because of what turned out to be false information. Bellamy, born Amy Maria Young, grew up in Asheville, N.C., after spending some time in foster care and then later being adopted by her adoptive parents. During her time as a young child in North Carolina, she spent days singing, dancing and participating in pageants. For Bellamy, she cherished these hobbies since they allowed an escape from the hostility of her household. She recalls always being dressed up and being a girly-girl. This sort of lifestyle spawned from what turned out to be faulty information. Bellamy’s adoptive parents worked hard to find information about her birth parents. Eventually, they found what they believed to be real stories about them and their interests. They had heard that her mother loved to sing which prompted them to put Bellamy on stage. It still amazes her that if her adoptive parents had never found those inaccurate stories, her life could have been so different.
In her high school years, she started to shy away from pageants and lean more into her interest in the sciences. But she continued her love for getting dressed up and, of course, singing. Around the time she was 15, her adoptive father passed away. She mentioned this time in her life being extremely trying on her mentality. She and her mother no longer had the money to afford the private school she was previously attending, so she switched to a public school. This was a huge transition for her, individually and socially. The academic side of school was never a big challenge for her as she had grown up with an English teacher for a mother who pushed her to excel in academics. Amidst all of the changes in her life, she took the time in school to focus on herself and learn more about who she was and who she was becoming.
“It was just a rough time, and I had a lot to figure out about myself, and I did that as best as I could, as we all do,” Bellamy said. “At least I knew I was good at school, being a teacher’s daughter, so I didn’t have academic pressure on top of it. That part I could sort of take in stride, but the emotional side of it was just really rough. Most of all, I just really wanted out of North Carolina.”
This idea of desperately wanting to get out of North Carolina also came with the guilt of leaving her mother.
“I wanted to achieve what I was able to so that I would set myself up well for college,” Bellamy said. “But also tethered to that, yoked to that, was the guilt of knowing that that would mean leaving my mom, and I was an only child, so it was just a fraught time.”
Bellamy decided to pursue her passions of working in science and attend Yale University with a major in physics. What drew her to Yale was not only their prestigious academics but also their acapella groups, where she could sing to her heart’s desire. Shortly into her time there, she realized that the course rigor was far more than she had anticipated and switched majors to English because she knew she would be more successful there.
Following her graduation from Yale, she continued on with her journey in English as well as theatre and went on a national tour with a musical. Shortly after this she had her Broadway debut. Bellamy starred in Broadway’s “The Life” in 1997. She recalls this time being an experience like no other and feeling an abundant amount of gratitude for the situation she was in.
“I would just like walk home from the Barrymore Theatre at night through Manhattan to 76th Street, just pinching myself that this was my life,” Bellamy said. “That I got to sing for a living and tell stories and then walk through Manhattan home. It was everything I ever dreamed of and more.”
For the next few years, Bellamy spent her time in New York City until around the age of 30 when she moved to Los Angeles. She worked as a guest star on some of the most well-known T.V. shows for a while, but nothing compared to what was coming up. She had gotten used to going in and out of casting calls, but she had never landed a main role. That all changed when she auditioned for “Scandal.”
“So Tuesday night, five of us get an audition for Wednesday, with just two lines, and we all go in and it’s, you know, you’re always seeing the same people,” Bellamy said. “…And we go in and it’s Shonda [Rhimes] and Betsy [Beers] and Linda Lowy, and we give our little line. One of the whole lines was ‘Liv’. I mean, that’s all I said, and then another line. And then they give you a little adjustment and then I was the lucky one. I could have been any of us. We were all talented humans and all experienced and would have been fine in the job and I feel so unbelievably lucky that the light came my direction”.
From that moment on, she had played Mellie Grant, the complex, revolutionary character that is beloved by so many. Initially, Mellie was supposed to be a guest star in the first season, but Bellamy was able to portray her in such a way that the writers could not get enough. Mellie went on to star in all seven seasons and even become President of the United States in the final two. The actress took away so much from that role and even gained little bits and pieces of Mellie’s character along the way.
“I learned so many things from Mellie, but to pretend to be that decisive and empowered, two things that I am 100 percent not,” Bellamy said. “17 hours a day, five days a week. That pretending did really change me. It let me know that there are other ways to walk through this life and I just marvel at her.”
The show was revolutionary not only for her, but also for audiences all around the world. The show captivated audiences and left them tuning in for seven seasons of unpredictable, mind blowing episodes. Aside from the enrapturing storyline, the show allowed the cast to make real change and inspire movements.
“There’s nothing to say except that ‘Scandal’ is the defining turning point in my life and in my career,” Bellamy said. “It opened so many doors and in terms of other jobs, but also just in terms of getting to help — you know, you always want to leave this world maybe a little better than you found it, if you can.”
“Scandal” is also known for its star-studded cast who are bonded like no other. Fans know and love the tight knit connection that the cast members have. From 2012 to now, the cast has remained the best of friends and even consider each other family. This cohesiveness is rare, but something that Bellamy is eternally grateful for.
“I think they really are and continue to be the family I was always searching for,” Bellamy said. “They really represented me and really accepted me for who I was and held space for me to grow as we all did for each other. … I’ve had so many jobs, and this one was family”.
While on “Scandal,” Bellamy met some of her closest friends turned family as well as her husband, Pedro. Pedro is a Lisbon native, drummer and percussionist who travels the world with various artists. He was there supporting her throughout the craziness of “Scandal” and they continue to support each other to this day.
The whole journey changed her as a person and she continues to exhibit her gratitude to this day. She highlights her appreciation not only for the job but also for the lasting impact it had on her life.
“As much as I wouldn’t have the career that I have without having had ‘Scandal,’ I also don’t think I would be the human that I am without ‘Scandal,’ ” the actress said.
Prior to and shortly after the SAG Aftra Strikes and COVID-19 Pandemic, she starred in projects such as “Prodigal Son”, “Promised Land”, “The Night Stalker”, and “A Wrinkle in Time”. As of more recently, Bellamy decided to take a break from acting to focus on herself rather focusing on a character. Now, the actress explained that she has taken the time she needed and is ready to get back into acting.
“It’s not been a priority, but now it feels like the vacation that I want,” Bellamy said. “You know what I mean? I always loved getting to be someone else for a minute and I needed these few years to really do a deep dive on me and get some stuff clear inside myself and in my heart, to heal my heart. But now it sounds so fun just to go sit and pretend to be someone else and figure them out again”.
Not only has she been working on her upcoming acting projects, but she also started a podcast with the international humanitarian group CARE, which works to save lives and fight global poverty. Her podcast, “She Leads with CARE”, aims to amplify the voices of women all over the world who have created lasting change in their community. Bellamy says she uses the podcast as a venue to have conversations with these women and to hear their sides of the story. Her dream has become a reality, and she says her podcast has allowed her to pass the mic to the outstanding women who otherwise would go unheard.
“Just quiet tears of gratitude to be having these conversations. It’s so magical because I’m a 20th century human and to be able to see somebody’s face and ask them questions over Zoom about their life in Nepal or Honduras in real time is absolutely magical. Also all the work that CARE does and the way that all things are possible when we care about each other. Just a little bit. Real, lasting, and generational transformation is possible.”
From North Carolina to the Big Apple and Los Angeles, Bellamy has transformed into one of the most caring, grounded, all while tremendously talented actresses of her generation. Her past is unforgettable and her future is inevitably bright. Whether it really was fate or not, Bellamy presents herself as eternally grateful for the life she lives and her ability to share with the world.
