Byrdie Bell is undoubtedly one of the brightest of the young things on the circuit now. A talented actress and accomplished fashionista, we know that she has her pick of becoming either Nicole Kidman or Nan Kempner. But knowing her, we think that we could safely say that she will just be Byrdie Bell, equal parts spunk and style, ready for both the red-carpet and the charity ball.

She was born Evelyn Byrd Bell to Evelyn Byrd Lorentzen and Ted Bell on March 13, 1985 in Chicago, Illinois. Byrdie is in a long line of Evelyn Byrds. She, and the generations before her, are namesakes of the first Evelyn Byrd, the eldest daughter of Colonel William Byrd II, the founder of Richmond, Virginia. When the first Evelyn was presented at Court, King George I remarked, “I have heard much of Virginia, but no one told me of its beautiful Byrds!” We’re certain that the monarch would react similarly to our Byrdie.

Evelyn Byrd, 1707-1737, by Charles Bridges

Byrdie’s mother, the Greenwich-based designer of the XoEB jewelry line, was born and raised in Norway. Evelyn’s uncle Erling Lorentzen is the husband of Princess Ragnhild of Norway, the eldest daughter of King Olav V of Norway and his consort Princess Martha of Sweden.

Her father Ted is a New York Times-bestselling author based in Palm Beach. He is the former president of Leo Burnett and the former vice chairman of Young & Rubicam and is a legend in the advertising world. Ted’s grandfather was the inspiration for the character of Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island.

Jennifer Loeb, Byrdie Bell, Alexandra Ebeling

Byrdie was raised in Chicago, Illinois until she was eight, and she attended the Latin School of Chicago there. When her father moved to London to take on Young & Rubicam, she attended the former Lady Eden’s School. She moved to Greenwich, Connecticut for middle school and graduated from the Greenwich Country Day School. Four years later, she graduated from the United Nations International School in New York with an International Baccalaureate diploma in philosophy and theatre arts.

Byrdie Bell and Christina Vignaud

At age 16, Byrdie began training in theatre at the Herbert Bergof Studio. At 17, she studied at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford. And at 18, she made her debut at the 68th Infirmary Ball at the Waldorf=Astoria. She studied philosophy at The New School for a brief time and completed her studies in the theatre conservatory program of the Stella Adler Studio in 2006. Byrdie’s theatrical debut was in “Uncommon Women,” a play by Wendy Wasserstein, and has since been in eight productions: three plays, four films, and one documentary, that documentary being “Rolling Stones” which was filmed in New York by Martin Scorsese.

Mike Furey of Dangerous Muse, Byrdie Bell, Liam McMullan

“Skipping Benjamin” was Byrdie’s introduction to film. During six days of production in New Jersey, Byrdie was with other actors who were also primarily trained for the theatre and not the camera (of course, Byrdie was made for the cameras of Patrick McMullan). This was the kind of atmosphere she enjoyed: lines, rehearsal, and being the clay of an obviously lucky director. From an early age, Byrdie has valued storytelling and learned so much of that craft from her father; her life is dedicated to it. While New York may not be the most supple place for those destined for the golden screen, Byrdie says that she would consider moving anywhere for the art of acting. Without it, she is simply unable.

Digital stills from “Skipping Benjamin” (2007)

She loves fashion. Her favorite designers are Rick Owens, Yigal Azrouël, Dries Van Noten, and Ann Demeulemeester. It is because of this that we consider her such an Alexandra von Furstenberg figure for this generation. They are both a bit eccentric and have similar styles. Byrdie, like Alexandra, would rather wear something daring and artistically challenging rather than just plain look pretty: she conveys a message in her appearance and presentation because she finds fashion, like her acting, is a just and valid form of expression. On a lighter note, Byrdie and Alexandra both have a fixation with Lil’ Kim. Alexandra has a portrait of the rapper in her California house while Byrdie has one in her apartment on the Upper East Side.

Louisa Gamon, Julia Collier, Byrdie Bell, Bingo Gubelmann

Byrdie’s closest friends are Julia Collier, Louisa Gamon, Serena Nikkhah, and Chessy Wilson, girls who we think will be the set to watch in years to come, and with Byrdie as their lead, we know that these very talented and beautiful women will usher an age, not of innocence, but of merriment. Byrdie is a witty party girl who loves to have fun. And we just love that.