Gail Bean Opens Up About Wanda’s Return in ‘The Drop: A Snowfall Saga’, John Singleton and Her Next Chapter

Gail Bean is stepping back into one of the most important roles of her career as Wanda Bell in FX’s The Drop: A Snowfall Saga. The actress says she was surprised that Wanda, a character who began as part of Snowfall, would eventually become the focus of her own story.

For Gail Bean, returning as Wanda Bell is more than another acting assignment. It represents the continuation of a character whose journey through addiction, recovery, resilience and reinvention resonated strongly with viewers of FX’s Snowfall.

Bean recently reflected on Wanda’s next chapter, her experience working with the late filmmaker John Singleton, her work on P-Valley, her theatre background and the mission behind her nonprofit Dream Above the Influence.

The Atlanta-raised actress spoke about the new series during the National Association of Black Journalists’ 2026 convention in Atlanta, where she attended a screening and panel for The Drop: A Snowfall Saga.

Gail Bean Says She Never Expected Wanda to Become the Lead

Bean first portrayed Wanda on Snowfall in 2018. Over the show’s six-season run, the character experienced addiction and eventually found a path toward recovery, becoming one of the series’ most memorable figures.

The idea of continuing Wanda’s story therefore came as a surprise to Bean.

She explained that when she initially heard about a possible Wanda and Leon spinoff, she assumed Isaiah John’s Leon would occupy the central position. Instead, the story evolved into a series led by Wanda.

Bean said she was “in awe” that the creators chose to focus on a female character and credited FX and the audience for embracing Wanda strongly enough to warrant another chapter.

For the actress, the opportunity is also a validation of the work she put into the character throughout Snowfall.

‘The Drop’ Explores a Different Side of Wanda

One of the aspects Bean is most excited about in The Drop is Wanda’s ambition.

Rather than simply revisiting the character’s past, the series allows Bean to explore Wanda as a woman with a vision for her future. Set against the social and economic realities of the 1990s, the story examines the obstacles she encounters in a world where women faced significant barriers.

Bean described Wanda as a visionary and a determined person who refuses to allow difficult circumstances to define her future.

The actress is also interested in the relationship between Wanda and Leon and how Black families and couples attempted to rebuild their lives after the devastation of the crack epidemic.

For Bean, Wanda’s story is ultimately about what happens after survival.

The character has already endured enormous hardship. The new chapter asks what life can look like when someone who survived one difficult era enters another and begins trying to build something different.

Gail Bean on Winning the NAACP Image Award

Bean’s performance as Wanda also earned her an NAACP Image Award, an achievement she remembers as an especially meaningful moment in her career.

She recalled receiving the news while sitting in a Black-owned restaurant in Brooklyn. She had missed a call before receiving a message informing her about the nomination.

The recognition was particularly significant because Snowfall had developed a passionate audience but did not always receive the awards attention Bean felt the series deserved.

For the actress, however, winning was never about defeating the other nominees.

She viewed the award as recognition not only for herself but also for John Singleton, FX, her fellow cast members and the viewers who supported the show.

Bean has consistently emphasized the importance of audience appreciation, making the NAACP recognition another meaningful milestone in her journey.

Gail Bean Remembers John Singleton

John Singleton had a major influence on Snowfall, and Bean says working with him left a lasting impression.

Singleton died in 2019 while the production was working on the third season of Snowfall. Bean recalled the heaviness surrounding the cast and crew after his death but said they remained committed to carrying his vision forward.

She described Singleton as energetic, passionate about storytelling and committed to creating opportunities for other people.

According to Bean, one of the filmmaker’s greatest qualities was the way he encouraged people to believe in their own abilities.

She remembered him as someone who remained enthusiastic about filmmaking even after achieving considerable success.

That enthusiasm was contagious, Bean said, because Singleton could make people around him feel as though they were capable of accomplishing anything.

His influence remains part of the legacy of Snowfall and, for Bean, part of what makes returning to Wanda’s story particularly meaningful.

Gail Bean on ‘P-Valley’ and Playing Different Sides of Herself

Bean has also gained attention for her role as Roulette on STARZ’s P-Valley.

Although Wanda and Roulette have very different personalities, Bean sees elements of herself in both characters.

She describes Wanda as bright, ambitious, resilient and determined to find a way forward. Roulette, meanwhile, has a harder exterior, carries trust issues and has a tougher edge while remaining deeply connected to her family.

For Bean, portraying women with contrasting personalities is an opportunity to show the complexity of Black female characters.

She believes women can simultaneously possess strength, vulnerability, ambition, humour and toughness. Her work across Snowfall, The Drop and P-Valley has allowed her to explore that range.

How Theatre Shaped Gail Bean’s Acting

Before establishing herself on television, Bean also developed a foundation in theatre.

She credits that experience with helping her become more flexible as an on-screen performer.

Theatre requires actors to respond to circumstances in real time, sometimes without elaborate sets, props or production resources. Bean believes that experience taught her how to use her body, voice, tone and imagination to make a scene feel authentic.

That approach has also influenced her work as Wanda.

She explained that not everything an actor brings to a character necessarily comes directly from the script. Performers have to find ways to add layers and make the character feel genuine.

Bean believes her theatre background helps her improvise and respond naturally to the actors around her.

Gail Bean’s Dream Above the Influence Nonprofit

Outside acting, Bean is also focused on giving back to the Atlanta community through her nonprofit, Dream Above the Influence.

The organisation reflects her own upbringing and the idea that people can develop individual dreams even when they come from families or communities with established expectations.

Bean grew up in a family where education and sports played major roles. Her mother was a teacher, while her father played and coached in the NFL. She also has five brothers who played sports.

Rather than following those same paths, Bean chose acting.

That personal experience helped shape the philosophy behind Dream Above the Influence: people can remain connected to their families and communities while still pursuing a different dream.

Dream Above the Influence Supports Atlanta Youth

The nonprofit operates several programmes designed to support young people in the Atlanta area.

One initiative, She Has a Dream, Too, focuses on girls between six and 12 years old and is connected to Women’s History Month.

Another programme, the All of My Love Scholarship, provides scholarships to graduating seniors in Metro Atlanta. Bean has connected the programme to her involvement with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, incorporating numbers significant to the organisation into the scholarship programme.

The nonprofit also runs Well Read, Well-Spoken, which encourages young people to strengthen reading and communication skills.

Its fourth programme, Project 404, provides winter essentials to Atlanta youth, including coats, shoes, hats, scarves, gloves and other clothing.

Bean says the programme was created with the financial pressures faced by families during the colder months in mind.

Why Atlanta Remains Important to Gail Bean

Bean’s connection to Atlanta runs throughout both her professional and philanthropic work.

Raised in Stone Mountain, she first became interested in performing while attending Stephenson High School. She later built an acting career that included Snowfall, P-Valley, Insecure and the Sundance film Unexpected.

Her decision to support young people in Metro Atlanta is therefore closely connected to her own experience growing up in the region.

For Bean, success carries a responsibility to help others.

Her philosophy is simple: the support a person receives can become something they eventually give back to someone else.

What Comes Next for Gail Bean?

With The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, Bean is entering a new stage of her career while returning to a character that helped establish her as a distinctive television performer.

Wanda Bell has already survived addiction and the difficult circumstances surrounding her earlier life. The new series gives Bean the chance to explore another question: what does a woman do with her life after surviving the circumstances that once threatened to destroy her?

For Bean, the answer lies in ambition, resilience and the refusal to accept limitations.

Her journey from Stone Mountain to Snowfall, P-Valley and now The Drop demonstrates the range she has developed as an actress. At the same time, her work through Dream Above the Influence shows that her ambitions extend beyond entertainment.

As Wanda begins her next chapter, Bean appears to be doing the same in her own career — using the lessons of her past while continuing to create new opportunities for herself and others.