There's No Way Around It: The Actor Who Plays Birds of Prey's Batgirl Is Cooler Than You

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.

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.

Ella was born in LA to a Korean mother and Filipino father, and she is the second oldest of four kids. She grew up close to her extended family as well, and she's often surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins. "I come from a family where 20 people is considered small and where a party is something we do every day," she explained to A Book of Us.

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.

Ella isn't just an actress. She's also a talented musician who plays multiple instruments. "My first instrument was really piano, and then ukulele, and then guitar," she explained to her uncle and godfather, Dante, during an interview on his YouTube channel.

Ella and her older brother, Derek, often collaborate to create music together. She even considers Billie Eilish one of her favorite artists because Billie makes music alongside her older brother as well. Her brother helped her produce the music video for her original song, "Grow Up Kid," as well as the music video for her original song, "String," which she wrote for her celebrity crush, Tom Holland.

Ella plays Cassandra Cain (aka Batgirl) in Birds of Prey, who takes on the evil crime lord, Black Mask, alongside superheroes Black Canary and Huntress, and police detective Renee Montoya. When asked by A Book of Us how she felt about the emergence of female superheroes in film and TV, Ella said it should have happened a long time ago, but she is thrilled to see it happening now. "Little girls should look up to strong women and see that they can be a superhero, too," she said. "I'm so grateful and happy to be a part of this movement. It was super cool to see my other female castmates in their superhero gear kicking butt."

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.

When she's acting, Ella draws from strong, assertive female actresses for inspiration, including Natalie Portman and Jodie Foster. "When preparing for the role of Cassandra Cain, I actually used them as inspiration, especially Natalie in The Professional and Jodi in Taxi Driver," she explained to A Book of Us. Her greatest idol, however, is fellow Asian-American actress Sandra Oh. "I really want to represent the Asian community," she added. "That alone inspires me to act, because representation and diversity in the industry is super important to me."

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?"