You remember the hair. That perfectly coiffed, slightly-too-tall blonde mane that somehow stayed intact even under a football helmet. If you grew up watching Nickelodeon in the mid-2010s, Newt from Bella and the Bulldogs was probably your favorite "Bulldog," mostly because he was the only one who didn't seem to have a single aggressive bone in his body.
But there is a lot more to Newton "Newt" Van Der Rohe than just being the small kid on a big team.
Who exactly was Newt?
Honestly, Newt was the heart of the show. Played by Buddy Handleson, Newt wasn't your typical middle school linebacker. Most kids on the Silver City Bulldogs were there because they wanted to crush the competition. Newt? He was there because his dad basically forced him into it. It’s a classic trope, but Buddy played it with this specific blend of neurosis and charm that made it feel fresh.
He was tiny. He was sensitive. He had a literal "guacamole recipe" that he valued more than a touchdown. Basically, he was the anti-athlete in a show entirely centered around Texas football culture.
One of the funniest things about newt from bella and the bulldogs was his relationship with the rest of the guys. While Troy and Sawyer were out there trying to be alpha males, Newt was usually the one worrying about the thread count of his jersey or his "night-blooming jasmine" cologne. He called it Manther. "For when love is the prey... and you're the predator." Yeah, he actually said that.
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The Buddy Handleson Factor
You can't talk about the character without talking about the actor. Buddy Handleson was already a Nickelodeon veteran by the time he landed the role. He’d done Wendell & Vinnie and Shake It Up (where he played Henry Dillon).
Buddy brought a very specific comedic timing to the role. It’s hard to play the "weakest link" on a team without making the character annoying, but he made Newt lovable. He had this way of delivered lines that felt like he was constantly on the verge of a minor panic attack, which, let’s be real, is how most of us felt in middle school.
Interestingly, Buddy’s life off-screen has been just as impactful for fans. Back in 2017, about a year after the show wrapped its second and final season, Buddy came out as gay on Instagram. He posted a photo of himself in front of a pride flag with a caption about finally being proud of who he is. For a lot of kids who grew up watching him on Nick, seeing "Newt" live his truth was a pretty big deal.
The Weirdest Newt Moments
Remember the episode "Tex Fest"? Troy and Newt ended up joining a choir, and we got to see a total role reversal. Or the time Newt tried to get field time and Bella had to go to bat for him?
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The show didn't last forever—only two seasons—but Newt’s character arc was one of the few that felt consistent. He never magically became a 200-pound star athlete. He stayed Newt. He stayed the kid who was more interested in Sophie Delarosa than in getting a concussion.
His crush on Sophie was actually a huge part of the show's DNA. He spent half his time trying to impress her with "sultry eyes" and the other half getting friend-zoned into oblivion. She called him "munchkin," which he took as a pet name because he was an eternal optimist.
Why we still care in 2026
It’s been a decade since the show premiered in 2015. So why are people still searching for newt from bella and the bulldogs?
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, sure. But it’s also because Bella and the Bulldogs was one of the last "classic" multi-cam feeling sitcoms on Nickelodeon that actually dealt with gender roles in a way that wasn't totally cringey. Having a character like Newt—who was allowed to be "un-masculine" in a high-pressure sports environment—was actually kind of progressive for a kids' show.
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He wasn't the butt of every joke because he was small; he was part of the crew despite being small.
What happened to the cast?
Most people know Brec Bassinger (Bella) went on to be Stargirl. Lilimar (Sophie) is all over the voice-acting world now. But Buddy has kept a slightly lower profile in recent years. He’s done some smaller projects, like Sydney to the Max and a few shorts, but he seems to be living a pretty chill life away from the intense Nickelodeon spotlight.
If you're looking to revisit the glory days of the Bulldogs, the show is usually streaming on platforms like Paramount+ or available for purchase on Apple TV.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Re-watch Season 1, Episode 18 ("Root for Newt"): It’s the definitive Newt episode where he tries to find his actual place on the team.
- Check out Buddy Handleson’s more recent work: Look for his guest spot on Sydney to the Max to see how much "Newt" has grown up.
- Follow the OG cast on social: Brec and Buddy still occasionally interact, which is a nice hit of dopamine for anyone who misses the Silver City vibe.