Why Bella Morrell From Landman Looks So Familiar

Since its debut in late 2024, "Landman" continues building a massive audience. With two seasons completed, the show's now on track for a third. Part of the show's appeal likely stems from its cast, which is made up a ton of familiar faces. Stars like Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm have been on since the beginning, while others, like Sam Elliot, joined later. Another newer arrival was Andy Garcia. After appearing in the season 1 finale, Garcia's character, Danny "Gallino" Morrell, became a pivotal part of season 2. To portray his wife, Bella Morrell, the production team turned to another recognizable actor: Stefania Spampinato.

Even if Spampinato's name doesn't ring a bell, her face is likely familiar, since she was Dr. Carina DeLuca on the final seven seasons of "Grey's Anatomy." Spampinato's breakout role came as an unexpected surprise. Initially, she was vying for a guest appearance that required knowledge of Italian. 

Born in Italy, Spampinato had that skill set, and she was fortunate that the job morphed into a recurring role. The experience on the long running medical drama catapulted Spampinato's acting career, making her famous like the rest of "Grey's Anatomy" cast. Dr. DeLuca was clearly a beloved character, and Spampinato also reprised the role starting in season 3 of "Station 19," just before she appeared on "Landman."

Before she even contemplated acting, Stefania Spampinato focused on her love of dancing. Her credits as a dancer include episodes of "Glee," and "The X Factor," and she worked as a choreographer on "The Voice U.K." Later, Spampinato decided to pivot in her career and concentrate on acting.

Stardom didn't come easy, and Spampinato felt self-conscious in the beginning. "I used to go to auditions and put so much pressure on myself," she explained to "Dream It Conventions" in January 2025. Sadly, it took a personal tragedy to change her approach to auditions. After Spampinato's mom died, she noted that "it shifted my perspective completely because I went into the room feeling like, 'what's the worst that can happen? I don't get a job. I don't care. I just lost my mom.'" Even though Spampinato's "Grey's Anatomy" tryout was years later, with her more relaxed mindset, Spampinato threw herself into the audition and aced it.

Spampinato and her mother were super close, and the actor was heartbroken that she wasn't able to share the news of her "Grey's Anatomy" success with her. From the beginning, her mom encouraged Spampinato's interest in dance and gave her crucial guidance. "She brought me down to earth when I was getting too cocky and she lifted me up when I was sinking," Spampinato informed Voyage LA in May 2018. "She will always be my idol and role model."

Throughout her life, Stefania Spampinato has kept an open mind about career plans. Early on, Spampinato considered a legal career before dancing won her heart. Later, her decision to pursue acting occurred after she sat in the audience of an acting class. Then, after all her time on set on programs like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Station 19," Spampinato was motivated to add directing to her skill set.

In 2022, Spampinato took inspiration from her own life when she made her directorial debut with "Zita Sempri." "This film is a little bit of a love story to Sicily, to my mom, to the relationship that we had," the "Grey's Anatomy" star explained to On The Red Carpet (via ABC7 News). This experience was also a prerequisite for Spampinato to direct an episode of "Station 19." She directed and acted in "Trouble Man," the fourth episode in the series' final season. These dual responsibilities required Spampinato to be super flexible. "We didn't have the luxury of time that day, so I just had to go with how it feels and trust the camera operators, go back and watch it, and then keep going," she recalled to Shondaland.

While her new role on "Landman" is likely keeping Spampinato busy as an actor, she's also got plans for future directing projects, although she's not ready to divulge any specifics. However, Spampinato's  exercising her creativity in many ways, including as a co-author of the photography book "From Rio to Sicily."