Sydney Mikayla

Last updated
Sydney Mikayla
Born
Sydney Mikayla Shepherd

(2003-02-01) February 1, 2003 (age 21)
OccupationActress
Years active2011–present

Sydney Mikayla Shepherd (born February 1, 2003), known professionally as Sydney Mikayla, is an American actress. In 2014, Mikayla portrayed Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime biopic for which she won a Young Artist Award. From 2019 to 2022, Mikayla was a cast member in the ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital , in the role of Trina Robinson. She also voices the role of Wolf in the Netflix animated series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts .

Contents

Early life and education

Sydney Mikayla Shepherd [2] was born on February 1, 2003, [3] the daughter of Sonya Shepherd and Derek Shepherd. [2] Sonya is also an actress who has worked on Broadway, television, and film. [3] While Sonya did not push her daughter into acting, she supported her Mikayla's choice to pursue acting as a career. [3] Sonya enrolled Mikayla in acting classes at age 5 at the Amazing Grace Conservatory. [4] [5] There, she studied under veteran actress Wendy Raquel Robinson. [6] Mikayla also began dancing at Debbie Allen's Dance Academy. [7] Before she booked General Hospital, Mikayla attended a public performing arts high school. [4] In 2019, Mikayla began home-schooling to accommodate her work schedule. Though she is an only child, Mikayla has a dog called Champ. [3] Having been accepted to 14 different colleges and universities, Mikayla ultimately chose to attend college at the University of California, Los Angeles beginning in the fall of 2021. [4]

Career

Mikayla's earliest roles included an episode of her favorite childhood television show, Yo Gabba Gabba! and an episode of the daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives . [3] In 2011, Mikayla booked her first credited role in the television film, Little in Common, which was intended to serve as a series pilot. She would later go on to appear in episodes of Parenthood , Hawthorne , Community , Hot in Cleveland and Whitney . [7] In 2013, Mikayla was cast as a young Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime biopic, opposite Academy Award winner, Regina King. [8] Mikayla would win the Young Artist Award for her portrayal of Douglas in 2014. [3] Following the success and critical acclaim of The Gabby Douglas Story, Mikayla would go on to appear in episodes of Instant Mom , Teachers , Game Shakers and Fuller House . [7] Mikayla explained that there was a period of time where she had difficulty booking roles due to the fact that she was tall for her age. [3] In late 2018, Mikayla joined the cast of General Hospital in the recurring role of Trina Robinson. [9] [10] She was offered a contract with the series a few months after her debut in February 2019. [3] In October 2021, it was announced that Mikayla had opted to appear in a recurring capacity as she started college, and revealed the show agreed to work around her schedule. [11] On March 4, 2022, Soap Opera Digest announced she would vacate the role on March 17 and the character had been recast. Executive producer Frank Valentini and Mikayla informed the magazine of the actress' decision to focus on school full-time. [12]

Mikayla has also found success as a voice actor with having voiced characters in episodes of the animated series, The Loud House and We Bare Bears . [7] In 2018, just before she booked General Hospital, Mikayla voiced the role of Wolf in the Netflix series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts . [13] [14]

In 2024, she voiced Andy, the protagonist of Invincible Fight Girl . [15]

Filmography

Television and film roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Parenthood Theater Kid #4Episode: "Opening Night"
Hawthorne Young ChristinaEpisode: "Price of Admission"
Community Children's Choir MemberEpisode: "Regional Holiday Music"
Little in CommonNicole BurlesonTelevision film
2012 Hot in Cleveland Little GirlEpisode: "I'm with the Band"
A Beautiful Soul DaughterFilm
2013 Whitney MaggieEpisode: "Space Invaders"
2014The Gabby Douglas Story Gabby (7–12 years)Television film
Instant Mom GirlEpisode: "Popular Mechanics"
2015 Criminal Minds Maggie CrewsickEpisode: "Pariahville"
Boys in BlueZoeTelevision film
2016 Teachers JosieEpisode: "Pilot"
Game Shakers ShelbyEpisode: "Revenge @ Tech Fest"
The Loud House Joy (voice)Recurring role; 2 episodes
School of Rock OliveRecurring role; 7 episodes
2018 Speechless Track Team MemberEpisode: "D-I-- DIMEO A-C-- ACADEMY"
We Bare Bears Kit (voice)Episode: "Baby Bears Can't Jump"
Fuller House AshlynEpisode: "Ghosted"
2019–2022 General Hospital Trina Robinson Regular role
2019 Craig of the Creek Maya (voice)Recurring role; 13 episodes
2020 Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Wolf (voice)Main role
2021 The Barbarian and the Troll Olivia (voice)Episode: "Brendar the Barbarian"
2022 Transformers: EarthSpark Robby Malto (voice)Main role [16]
2023 Dew Drop Diaries Phoebe Rose (voice)Main role
Hailey's On It! Lucy (voice)Recurring role
Fright Krewe Soleil (voice)Main role [17] [18]
2024 Invincible Fight Girl Andy Smith (voice)Main role [15]

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyAwardWorkResultRef.
2015 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, Special or Pilot – Young Actress 11 and UnderThe Gabby Douglas StoryWon [19]
2016 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in Live TheaterPino, A Pinocchio StoryNominated [20]
2017 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV commercial – Young Actor/Actress Best Buy Nominated [21]
Best Performance in a TV series – Guest Starring Teen Actress Game Shakers Nominated [21]
Young Entertainer AwardsBest Guest Starring Young Actress 12 & Under - Television SeriesNominated [22]
2021 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated [23]
2022 Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Younger Performer in a Drama SeriesNominated [24]

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References

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