Rachel Beltowski is a screenwriter and film critic, with a passion for character-driven stories and thought-provoking themes. From adventure to horror, Rachel enjoys stories which take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster and allow for personal expression that would otherwise go silent. Rachel was drawn to The Hollywood Insider’s dedication to individual perspectives and positive world impacts. The Hollywood Insiderhas provided a foundation for Rachel to share her insights and leap into the center of the entertainment industry. Rachel hopes to bring a fresh voice into the world of film and television, and share her love of stories with others.
Aug 5, 2022
Table of Contents
Video Version of this Article
Photo: Xochitl Gomez/Shutterstock/DFree
Sixteen-year-old actress Xochitl Gomez (pronounced So-Chee) has stolen everyone’s hearts in just a matter of months. Known for her break-out performance as America Chavez in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ Gomez has gone from a newcomer Marvel actress to a fashion icon since her rise to fame.
The actress first became a familiar face with her role as Dawn Schafer in the Netflix series, ‘The Baby-Sitters Club,’ (a role which had to be recast following Gomez’ immersion into the MCU). She won a Young Artist Award for her role in the 2019 film ‘Shadow Wolves,’ and has only continued to grow her talent. Gomez’ popularity has grown with her use of social media. Her Tik Tok account is full of lovable content, from funny videos with her friends and castmates, to montages of her gearing up for the next red carpet event. Xochitl Gomez is becoming the world’s next sweetheart, and we can’t wait to see where she goes next. How has this talented actress taken the world by storm?
Entering the Multiverse – Break-Out Performance
Marvel is one of the biggest players in the game when it comes to entertainment nowadays, and you don’t win a coveted role like America Chavez through plain luck. Gomez has faced unfortunate controversy and harassment following her casting as America due to her lighter skin and ethnicity not aligning with the character’s comic-book counterpart, however, Gomez has overcome everything with grace and has been praised for her superhero performance. The character’s age was also moved down to fit the actress and introduce the character as a younger, more vulnerable teenager.
It can’t be easy holding your own against the likes of MCU veterans Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, yet both actors have stated their fondness of working with Gomez and the sheer amount of talent she has. In return, Gomez has exclaimed how she has been able to learn from her more experienced scene partners and how they’ve helped her grow her craft. Having Oscar-nominee and pop culture icon Benedict Cumberbatch compliment you must be pretty great. Not only are those compliments true, but Gomez has been able to work alongside these powerhouses as colleagues despite their differences in experience.
Gomez filmed the role when she was only at the age of fourteen, and her ability to embody everything, from America’s emotions to her literal multidimensional superpowers proves the actress’ value in the MCU and in the greater entertainment industry. This role catapulted her into the public eye, and if fame is difficult for an adult, you can only imagine how difficult it is for a teenager. Nevertheless, America Chavez has given Gomez a place to express her talents, and it’ll be interesting what journey the character goes on next.
Not only can she act, but Xochitl Gomez knows far too well how to dress the part! It’s always awkward to dress as a teenager. Half the time you want to dress older and more mature because you want the world to take you seriously, the other half of the time you want to explore your personal style and be quirky, or dress younger because you can. It’s a confusing time when everyone is trying to find their form of self-expression through the clothes they wear. Gomez has struck gold with her red carpet attire, able to match the event she’s attending while looking stunning and age-appropriate at the same time. Some of her looks are more elegant while others are funkier, but the important thing is that they all feel true to Gomez’ personality – and they’re all iconic.
Recently, fans have noted that all of Gomez’ looks could have been worn to the Met Gala. The Met Gala is fashion’s biggest night in which celebrities and designers pull out all the stops with their outfits in order to match that year’s theme. To receive the recognition of every red carpet look being spectacular enough to attend the Met sounds like a pretty big deal for the fashion world. Gomez wore an elegant floor-length minty-green gown for the premiere of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ but she changed things up for the ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premier, where she took on an 80s-rock style with a bright red dress complete with striking shoulder pads. The actress was more playful in her look for the ‘Lightyear’ premier, where she sported white pants and a matching blouse, adding some edge with a plaid corset and space buns. I could go on and on talking about every single one of her looks because they all show so much effort and feel personal (props to her styling team for helping make these visions come to life). If you’re ever on the hunt for some fashion, just type Xochitl Gomez’ name into the search bar.
A New Role Model for a New Generation
There is so much going on in the world today, and not a lot of it is good. Kids are constantly forced to grow up fast and be expected to do and be so many things even though they’re just kids. Growing up is no easy task, and I know when I was younger, and even now as I’m no longer a teenager, I’m always looking for characters and actors I can look up to and see myself in. We’re all just searching for the comfort that there is someone like us or there is someone we want to try to be like.
Xochitl Gomez is easily becoming a new role model for upcoming generations, and though that’s a lot of responsibility for the young actress, her activism and presence in the world, as well as her charming personality and admirable work ethic make her a good example for kids trying to do their best in this world. All that being said, the hope for Gomez is that she can still experience “normal” stuff for girls her age, and that she can also have time to just be a kid. Whatever she does next, we want the best for her!
By Rachel Beltowski
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Rachel Beltowski is a screenwriter and film critic, with a passion for character-driven stories and thought-provoking themes. From adventure to horror, Rachel enjoys stories which take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster and allow for personal expression that would otherwise go silent. Rachel was drawn to The Hollywood Insider’s dedication to individual perspectives and positive world impacts. The Hollywood Insiderhas provided a foundation for Rachel to share her insights and leap into the center of the entertainment industry. Rachel hopes to bring a fresh voice into the world of film and television, and share her love of stories with others.
Rachel Beltowski is a screenwriter and film critic, with a passion for character-driven stories and thought-provoking themes. From adventure to horror, Rachel enjoys stories which take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster and allow for personal expression that would otherwise go silent. Rachel was drawn to The Hollywood Insider’s dedication to individual perspectives and positive world impacts. The Hollywood Insiderhas provided a foundation for Rachel to share her insights and leap into the center of the entertainment industry. Rachel hopes to bring a fresh voice into the world of film and television, and share her love of stories with others.
Rachel Beltowski is a screenwriter and film critic, with a passion for character-driven stories and thought-provoking themes. From adventure to horror, Rachel enjoys stories which take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster and allow for personal expression that would otherwise go silent. Rachel was drawn to The Hollywood Insider’s dedication to individual perspectives and positive world impacts. The Hollywood Insiderhas provided a foundation for Rachel to share her insights and leap into the center of the entertainment industry. Rachel hopes to bring a fresh voice into the world of film and television, and share her love of stories with others.
Limited Time Offer: Join for FREE today and get unlimited
The Hollywood Insider is against gossip and scandal, fully focused on substance & meaningful entertainment.
We choose quality over quantity, compassion over oppression, wisdom over intelligence.
Newsletter Subscription
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
