Bella Murphy stars in Netflix's 'Roommates'

NEED TO KNOW

• Bella Murphy stars in Netflix’s Roommates, her first feature film without her father Eddie Murphy
• She credits her dad’s advice, like “doing less is more,” for helping her performances feel more natural
• Bella says working on set taught her to embrace improvisation and approach scenes with flexibility and creativity

Growing up with an iconic comedian as your father means having a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips — and Bella Murphy isn't shy to ask for it.

The 24-year-old daughter of Eddie Murphy is now starring in Netflix's Roommates, an Adam Sandler-produced comedy featuring Sadie Sandler and Chloe East as Devon and Celeste, respectively, two college freshman roommates who loathe each other. Bella stars as Amber, their friend who lives down the hall.

The movie marks Bella's feature film debut without her father, with whom she costarred in 2021's Coming 2 America, but his words of wisdom stuck with her through her time on set.

"He's definitely given me lots of great tips over the years," she tells PEOPLE. "Some good ones that I really try to remember with my performances is to know that doing less is more."

She also adds that taking "my time more" has been a helpful note and "letting moments organically happen."

In addition to her dad's sage advice, Bella says she learned a lot from working on set itself, like "to not be so married to my work going in."

"They would throw out a line for you to say, or something for you to improv, and I love that stuff," the actress says. "It kind of felt like coming to work with a blank canvas, but with all your colors ready, and you're like, 'Okay, I can do what you need me to do.' "

Still, her dad is her go-to for a quick tip. "He's given me such great advice on so many things, it's hard to pin down one," she says.

It was Eddie who inspired Bella to pursue a career in acting in the first place, after she had accompanied him to sets as a child growing up. By the time she was 9, Bella knew that she "definitely" wanted to be an actress.

"My dad had a very big impact on me as a kid. Being able to go and visit him on sets, I just was always super interested in how films were made," she says. "And his job, I was like, 'It's the coolest job ever." I'm like, 'I want to do that.' "

Now, she's built her own confidence as an actress, from taking classes to "stretching myself in ways that I'm uncomfortable."

While she used to get nervous about auditioning, especially in person, Bella says she now views those moments as opportunities for growth.

"I think that helps keep me excited, and being like, 'Okay, there's something to learn from this,' and not to be so rigid with things, like to have fun and to be free," she adds. "So now I love them."

Even with her dad's help, Bella doesn't underestimate the work it takes to get to the top, reiterating that practicing and preparing for every audition as much as she can is the way she builds her own confidence.

Still, starring in Roommates has instilled a greater feeling of trust in herself and a reminder to remain in the moment, rather than stress about future work, she says.

"That was such  a fun experience just to be present in, and I soaked it [in]," Bella says. "It was one of the most fun memories of my life."

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Roommates is now streaming on Netflix.

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