The casting of Nathalie Kelley in the role of Samantha in the new Prime Video series,Motorheads, serves as the perfect follow-up to her role in aFast & Furiousmovie released almost two decades ago. Created by John A. Norris,Motorheadsrevolves around a group of misfit teenagers living in the town of Rust Belt, a once bustling community in Pennsylvania that is now losing its luster. As the series progresses, the teens form a bond over their love of cars. Thecast ofMotorheadsalso includes Ryan Phillippe, Michael Cimino, and Uriah Shelton.
Motorheadshas now joinedPrime Video’s impressive growing television catalogof epic thrillers, crime dramas, and historical series, and the show’s combination of high school drama and motor vehicles shows that it will offer a unique plot and an ensemble of relatable characters for its viewers. The series has already proven popular with viewers, receiving a score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 7.1 on IMdb. With its inclusion of Kelley in the cast,Motorheadshas allowed her the perfect chance to follow up on her similar role in a divisive action movie from 2006.
Motorheads Finally Gives Nathalie Kelley Another Street Racing Role After The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift
Nathalie Kelley Played Neela In Tokyo Drift
InMotorheads,Nathalie Kelley plays the role of Samantha, a former ER nurse who moves from New York Citywith her two teenage children, twins Zac and Caitlyn, to her hometown of Ironwood. The family has been struggling to cope with the disappearance of Christian Maddox, Samantha’s husband and the father of her children, who vanished 17 years prior to their move to Ironwood. ThroughoutMotorheads,as they begin to settle into their new home andthe twins become involved in street racing, Samantha learns more about her husband’s past and questions the circumstances that led to his mysterious disappearance.
Kelley’s new role as Samantha inMotorheadsmarks herfirst time working in a street racing role since her appearance in the action movie,The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The third installment in theFast&Furiousfranchise,Tokyo Drift,depicts street racing enthusiast Sean Boswell being forced to move to Tokyo with his estranged father after getting into trouble during a race with his classmate. Boswell soon finds himself tangled with Takashi (Brian Tee), known in Tokyo as “Drift King”, who is an expert drift racer. Kelley portrays Neela, Takashi’s girlfriend, who secretly wishes to end their relationship.
Throughout the movie, Neela acts as a confidante and friend to Sean as he adjusts to Tokyo and, gradually, the two fall in love, which causes problems with Takashi. Upon release,Tokyo Driftreceived a mixed response from critics and viewersdue to its storyline, characters, and performances from the cast and is thelowest-grossing entry in theFast&Furiousfranchise. However, in recent years, it has been regarded as the mostrewatchableFast&Furiousmovie.
Why Nathalie Kelley’s Neela Never Returned In The Fast & Furious Franchise
The Franchise Took A Different Turn After Tokyo Drift
Although Nathalie Kelley’s character, Neela, played a critical part in the story ofTokyo Drift,she has not returned in any of theFast & Furioussequels; the character’s brief appearance inFurious 7was used from archival footage. After the critical failure ofTokyo Drift,theFast&Furiousrefocused on Dominic Torettoand his group of racers. This shift in the franchise’s storyline in its later movies meant thatNeela became one of several forgottenFast&Furiouscharactersfrom throughout the series.
In the years following her appearance inTokyo Drift,Kelley has focused her attention on other projects as seen through her work in TV shows, includingThe Vampire Diaries(2016-2017) andDynasty(2017-2018). It is possible that Neela could return in the upcomingFast X: Part 2,the final installment in the main franchise. Whiledetails about FastX:Part2 haven’t yet been confirmed, Nathalie Kelley’s role inMotorheadsgives her the perfect follow-up to her character’s arc inTokyo Drift.
Motorheads
Motorheads follows siblings Caitlyn and Zac Torres as they navigate Ironwood’s vibrant street racing scene. Grappling with their father’s troubled history, they team up with loner Curtis and outcast Marcel to restore his renowned car, in a world where high school prestige hinges on automotive prowess. Released in 2025.
