# Maisy Stella

Maisy Stella (born December 13, 2003) is a Canadian singer and actress. She is known for her role as country music singer Daphne Conrad on the musical television series Nashville (2012–2018). In 2017, she released her debut solo song, "Riding Free", for the soundtrack of the animated series Spirit Riding Free. Returning to acting, Stella starred as the lead character in Megan Park's coming-of-age comedy My Old Ass (2024). For her performance in the latter, she won a Critics' Choice Movie Award and an Independent Spirit Award and received a nomination for the Gotham Award.

## Early life

Maisy was born on December 13, 2003, in Oshawa, Ontario. Her parents are MaryLynne and Brad Stella, who are members of the country duo the Stellas, and she has an older sister, Lennon Stella.

## Career
### 2012–2018: Nashville and Lennon & Maisy

Stella had her breakthrough role starring as Daphne Conrad on the ABC/CMT musical drama television series Nashville (2012–2018), where she starred alongside her sister Lennon Stella. The series premiered on October 10, 2012 and aired its final episode on July 26, 2018.
During her time on Nashville, she also performed alongside her older sister Lennon Stella as the country music duo Lennon & Maisy, performing mostly covers of songs.

### 2018–present: Solo work and return to acting

In 2016, Stella appeared on the YouTube web series We Are Savvy. The following year, Stella released her debut solo single, "Riding Free", for the soundtrack of the DreamWorks Animation series Spirit Riding Free.
In 2017, Stella also appeared as a guest judge in an episode of Top Chef Jr.
Stella returned to acting in 2024 with a lead role in Megan Park's coming-of-age comedy film My Old Ass, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews from critics. For her role in the film, Stella was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

## Stalking incident

In November 2018, Joshua Andrew Stephen Fox, age 41, was arrested by the Metro Nashville Police after having stalked Stella for over a year. According to police, the contact started when he reached out to the Stella family through its website, stating that he had relocated to Nashville from Miami to "be with the family".
On November 8, 2018, the FBI met with Fox at a Panera Bread café near Vanderbilt University after Fox allegedly sent Stella a "sexual invitation", ordering him to stop all contact with Stella and her family. After temporarily deactivating all his social media accounts, Fox reactivated them, and according to police, sent Stella 85 messages and videos, including ones of a sexual nature.
Within the next few days, Fox sent Stella a picture of a woman he had kidnapped and raped at gunpoint. The woman reported the incident the following day, and Fox was arrested in Asheville, North Carolina. He was then transferred to Smith County, Tennessee to face charges of rape and kidnapping. He was released from custody on an $80,000 bond.

## Filmography

Film appearances :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | My Old Ass | Elliott Labrant | Main role |
| 2026 | Flowervale Street † | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Poetic License † | TBA | Post-production |
Television appearances :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012–2018 | Nashville | Daphne Conrad | Recurring role (season 1); main role (Season 2–6) |
| 2016 | We Are Savvy | Herself | Web series |
| 2017 | Top Chef Jr | Herself | Guest judge |
| 2017–2018 | Spirit Riding Free | Voices | 3 episodes (2 uncredited) |

## Awards and nominations

| Organizations | Year | Category | Work | Result |
| Gotham Awards | 2024 | Breakthrough Performer | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Michigan Movie Critics Guild | 2024 | Breakthrough Award | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | 2024 | Best Youth Performance – Female (under 21) | My Old Ass | Won |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 2024 | Breakout of the Year | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 2025 | Best Breakthrough Performance | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Music City Film Critics Association | 2025 | Best Young Actress | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2025 | Best Young Actor or Actress | My Old Ass | Won |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 2025 | Breakthrough Performer | My Old Ass | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2025 | Best Breakthrough Performance | My Old Ass | Won |