Cecily Gambrell’s relationship with performance began long before she entered the professional entertainment world. The great-niece of legendary performers Gypsy Rose Lee and June Havoc, Cecily was introduced to the stage at age six through her grandmother’s theater program at Carmel’s historic Forest Theater. From those early performances, it became clear, acting was more than an insatiable interest, it was and is an innate love and devotion to the craft of performance, storytelling, and connection.

 

A Monterey Peninsula native, Cecily grew up surrounded by the creative spirit of theater. Her early training and performance experience extended beyond acting alone; she developed a technical understanding of the highly collaborative nature and process of stage production and live theater performance. Before the age of twelve Cecily was a regular cast member of the Traveling Troupe, which brought performance art to schools with limited access, and also performed in adult classic and contemporary productions.

​​

At age 18 Cecily moved to Los Angels to pursue a career in entertainment wherein she gained extensive production experience within the film industry as she continued to pursue performance through formal training and development of her craft. She trained extensively with teacher Laura Gardner, including a period of study at Howard Fine Acting Studio in Los Angeles, learning Uta Hagen techniques which  emphasize authenticity, emotional truth, and fully realized character development. Through her tandem experience of production work and performance training, Cecily gained an unparalleled understanding of the technical rigors involved with on camera performance and storytelling. Her dexterity on both sides of the camera has strengthened her capacities as a collaborative contributor.

 

A longtime member of SAG-AFTRA, Cecily has built a diverse body of work across film, television, comedy, hosting, and commercial performance. Her acting career has included independent films, documentary  projects, and television roles, including ABC’s Desperate Housewives, among others.

 

Cecily’s passion for comedy led to years of higher level improvisational training at some of Los Angeles’ most respected comedy institutions, including Second City Los Angeles, The Groundlings and Improv Olympic. Her comedy training expanded her range as a performer and informed her work as a writer and creator.

 

Cecily has written, directed, and performed in comedic shorts and sketch comedy projects, including BOY MEETS GIRL with Danny Trejo and ODD BIRDS (HELLO MY NAME IS:) a sketch pilot, as well as dramatic projects which include the multiple award winning short film DREAMING IN BLACK AND WHITE, which she wrote, produced and co-stars in opposite Malik Yoba, VICTOR AND EDDIE opposite Freddy Rodriguez and Sean Michael Howard, and the feature film comedy HIGH HOPES (Lionsgate Films), for which she delivered a page one rewrite and then went on to star in an ensemble cast along with  Jason Mewes, David Faustino, Corin Nemec, Lacey Chabert, Edward Furlong, Danny Trejo, Andy Dick, Robert Rodriguez, Michael DeLorenzo, and Emmy Award winner Jennifer Finnigan and others.

 

Her ability to move between dramatic and comedic work reflects her versatility and continued curiosity as a performer. Cecily has remained committed to performance as both an art form and a means of human connection. Her experience as a writer and filmmaker has further informed her work as an actor, giving her a deeper appreciation for story, character, and the technical process of performance. Cecily is currently directing and appears in the documentary series Big Chips. Upon completion of the project she plans to make full return to scripted performance in 2027. With a heart rooted in performance and entertainment, Cecily continues to pursue the craft that began at age six.