Xochitl Gomez

Xochitl Gomez ( ; born April 29, 2006) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, she began acting at age five, performing in local musical theater productions and student films. Gomez made her professional debut in 2018 in Raven's Home. She went on to star in Shadow Wolves (2019), for which she won a Young Artist Award, and Netflix's critically acclaimed The Baby-Sitters Club (2020). In 2022, she garnered further recognition and critical praise for her portrayal of America Chavez in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Early life Gomez was born on April 29, 2006, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother is a set decorator for films, while her father is a construction worker. Gomez is of Mexican descent; her father is from Mexico. She was raised in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and moved to Echo Park at age five. She grew up with "a lot of Mexican influences" since her friends and babysitter were Mexican, and her parents spoke Spanish at home. Gomez stated that she feels she has "lived in both worlds and that has shaped who [she is] as a person". She has attended public school her entire life. Gomez took her first musical theater class at age five and began acting in a local production of The Little Mermaid. Gomez continued with musical theater until she was 12 years old, performing in 22 full-length musicals. She also acted in student films. Gomez has cited musical theater as a reason she is passionate about acting. Jennifer Lawrence's performance as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games film series inspired her to pursue a professional acting career. Gomez attended auditions around Los Angeles every day after school for several hours. At times, she would attend four or five daily, an experience she found "crazy". Gomez secured her first parts in commercials at age ten. She found it difficult to book roles because "you would have to be the younger version of an actor or the kid of a famous actor", but she did not resemble any actors. However, Gomez felt her performances in student films helped people notice her talent. She began studying martial arts, including wushu, at the age of 11 to bolster her acting resume. Career Gomez made her onscreen debut in 2018 on the Disney Channel sitcom Raven's Home. She also starred in Shadow Wolves (2019), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Supporting Teen Artist. In March 2020, Gomez joined the cast of The Baby-Sitters Club, an adaptation of Ann M.