THE BIOGRAPHY OF XOCHITL GOMEZ
Xochitl Gomez
Xochitl Gomez commenced her acting career at the tender age of 5, following her mother’s decision to enroll her in a musical theater class. She subsequently starred in 22 full-length musicals. In addition to her acting portfolio, she has also appeared in commercials, films, and television shows. She portrayed the character of Dawn Schafer in a Netflix revival of The Baby-Sitters Club at the age of 12. Gomez was also cast as the Marvel character America Chavez for the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2020. Gomez, who is of Mexican heritage, has been delighted to contribute to the growth of onscreen diversity. Keep reading for more information about this teen actor.
Early Life of Xochitl Gomez
Xochitl Gomez was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 29, 2006. Gomez resided in Hollywood until the age of 5, after which she relocated to the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. The pronunciation of the name Xochitl is “Soh-chee.” Her parents are of Mexican heritage—her father hails from Morelos, Mexico, while her mother is from Los Angeles and conversed in Spanish within their household. During Gomez’s childhood, she interacted with peers who shared Mexican ancestry and was cared for by a Mexican babysitter.
Nevertheless, the information she devoured failed to accurately portray her own reality. In 2022, during an interview with Teen Vogue, she expressed that she hardly encountered female characters on-screen who resembled her or shared her cultural background.
Xochitl’s Start as an Actress
Xochitl Gomez embarked on her acting career at the tender age of 5, when her mother enrolled her in a musical theater class. Her debut was in the theatrical rendition of The Little Mermaid. Regarding the experience, she expressed her utmost adoration for being on stage. Gomez has participated in a total of 22 full-length musicals by the age of 12. At the age of 10, she commenced auditioning for advertisements. In addition, she has been involved in around 13 student films during her early career.
Xochitl Gomez noted that her mother, who provided significant encouragement for her acting career, would chauffeur her about Los Angeles for extended periods every day after school, transporting her to auditions. Occasionally, they would experience a frequency of four or five occurrences per day, which was really remarkable. Due to Gomez’s increasing workload, her mother resigned from her job in order to have more time to support her daughter.
In 2019, Xochitl Gomez secured the main role of Dawn Schafer in Netflix’s revival of The Baby-Sitters Club. She was thrilled by the decision to alter the character’s ethnicity in order to enhance the show’s diversity. In a 2020 interview, she revealed that Latina girls expressed their gratitude for finally seeing representation of someone who resembled them on television, emphasizing the significant impact it had on them.
An Analysis of Xochitl Gomez’s Professional Career
Becoming a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
In February 2020, Xochitl Gomez participated in an audition for an upcoming Marvel production. However, she harbored doubts about securing the role due to the character’s age requirement of 18, whereas she was only 13 at the time. During her second audition, which took place six months later, Gomez discovered that the character had been portrayed as younger. This revelation led her to feel that her chances of securing the role had improved. Gomez enhanced their preparation for the second audition by incorporating kickboxing and stunt training into their existing fitness routine, which already encompassed martial arts.
According to her interview with Entertainment Weekly, she explained that her intention was to impress potential casting directors with an outstanding audition performance. Gomez was officially selected to portray America Chavez, a well-known Latina American LGBTQ+ heroine from Marvel comics, after undergoing screen testing in London alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. In October 2020, it was announced that Gomez had been cast to represent Chavez in the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She achieved the distinction of becoming the first Mexican-American adolescent to portray a superhero in the Marvel film world.
Xochitl Gomez expressed her enthusiasm for portraying a character on “en Español” who was a strong, intelligent, charismatic, and lesbian Latina. She emphasized that her presence on the screen and her significance to the plot would provide a sense of visibility to people in a completely unprec
edented manner. She eagerly anticipated the day when this type of representation would become commonplace.
Gomez’s age during filming was 14, which coincided with the age of the character she portrayed. She demonstrated her ability to perform at the same level as renowned actors such as Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Benedict Wong. An unfortunate drawback of the job was that it prevented Gomez from participating in the second season of The Baby-Sitters Club. The series was concurrently produced in Canada while the movie was being filmed in England. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions prevented air travel between the two nations.
Films and television programs
Aside from her appearances in The Baby-Sitters Club and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Gomez also featured in the Netflix series Gentefied (2020). Furthermore, she has made appearances on the television series You’re the Worst (2014), the action picture Shadow Wolves(2019), and the love movie Roped (2020).
Aspirations for the Future
Gomez plans to persist in the entertainment sector. In 2020, she expressed her aspiration to excel in the fields of directing, writing, editing, and acting for cinema or television. Furthermore, she asserted her awareness of the necessity to commence immediately, crafting concise films and embarking on that endeavor. In 2022, she contemplated her objectives. She expressed her contemplation on emulating the career paths of other Marvel performers, including their involvement in independent films as well as major theatrical productions.
Nevertheless, she possesses a repertoire of concepts for music videos that she aspires to produce for musicians that she greatly admires, primarily due to the fact that many of her preferred filmmakers initially gained recognition through their work in music videos. Thus, it appears to be a favourable approach to commence. In addition, Gomez derives immense pleasure from directing her own dancing videos and montages through TikTok.
A Major Controversy Stoked By Xochitl Gomez
In the movie Multiverse of Madness, there is a scene where Chavez’s two mothers make an appearance. As a consequence, this content led to the prohibition of the film in nations such as Saudi Arabia and China. Gomez was pleased that the scene was not omitted. Nevertheless, her strong association with the content resulted in severe online hostility, leading to a temporary suspension of her TikTok account. Gomez clarified that she regained access to her TikTok account and then shared a video on the platform, recognizing the fact that she possesses a substantial and influential young fan base.
Consequently, she deemed it appropriate to share a TikTok video wherein she expressed her unwavering resilience and determination to persevere, emphasizing the significance of providing young adolescents with a positive role model.