Saving the day, and taking over the show. Xochitl GomezShe is being hailed the breakout star of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but she almost didn’t even audition for the blockbuster.
“I did my first audition in February 2020, and then six months later, in August, I got my second audition, which was for a younger version of the character,” the Baby-Sitters Club16-year-old alum tells The Hollywood ReporterIn May 2022, America Chavez asked for help in reading for the role. The original character was written for someone in their teens. But Gomez, then 14, decided to take a chance on the role and send in an audition tape. After her second reading, they had made some changes to the role to allow it to be available to a wider variety of actresses.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I might have a shot at this!’” she recalled. “So I did some stunt training for a full month, every other day for a couple hours, and then I did the test. Two days later, it was my turn to be cast. It all went pretty quick!”
She has been acting since the age 5 Doctor StrangeGomez was part of the largest project she has ever been involved in. It took her some time to realize that she was playing a superhero. “My reaction was basically, ‘Oh, great, wow.’ Then of course, as I get off the call, I’m like, ‘Did that really just happen?’” she told Entertainment TonightIn June 2021. “Of course, it took me probably two or three days until it actually hit.”
The You’re the Worst actress continued: “That’s when I actually, I cried. I mean, my mom didn’t know. I don’t want her to know, but I definitely, at night I cried. It’s just crazy that I get to be a part of this crazy, huge thing. It’s so just insane.”
America Chavez was first introduced in September 2011 and joined the Young Avengers in January 2013. She is a tough and wise-cracking teenager with the ability travel through multiple dimensions. Her powers include superhuman strength and invulnerability and the ability, with one punch, to turn her enemies into star fragments. But, she is a charming and friendly character who fans will meet in Doctor Strange, she’s just discovering her powers and learning about the multiverse. “It was very important for me to keep that youthful, fake-it-till-you-make-it kind of vibe,” GomezEntertainment Weekly, May 2022: She spoke out about her approach to playing a 14 year-old American.
“In this movie, there’s a lot of heavy stuff going on. It’s not easy when you’re a teenager and you have all this pressure and crazy stuff going on around you,” she continued. “You have to remember that you are a kid. You’re allowed to make mistakes, and we’re all learning. … It was kind of fun taking the version from the comics and making her younger and less experienced.”
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