In this work, we designed cellulose-based actuators inspired by the plant cells reinforced by cellulose fibrils in the wall. For this purpose, we prepared cellulose cryogels with controlled pore size and shape so that the pores mimic the cells with the surrounding cellulose walls. Actuation was achieved by combining two layers showing different pore content, size, and orientation. The first layer (passive) was prepared by the conventional filtration technique, which resulted in a random distribution of cellulose nanofibers in a rather compact layer. The second layer (active) was obtained by taking advantage of the controlled pore size and alignment of ultra-porous materials (cryogels), which were pressed to obtain a thin layer. Our hypothesis is that actuation can be driven by the differences in orientation and dimensions of pores within the layers forming the film. The detailed analysis of the swelling behavior of the individual layers in water revealed several parameters that may dictate the actuation responses when the layers were assembled into bilayer films. This work demonstrates that bending was not only driven by the water uptake and layer expansion, but also by the pore morphology and orientation, which determined the extent of bending (curvature values) and the direction (on the short or on the long axis of the film). This study provides alternatives to design new biomimetic and bio-based actuators and gives more insight into the role of biopolymer structuration.