Sydney Mikayla
Born
Sydney Mikayla Shepherd

(2003-02-01) February 1, 2003
Los Angeles, California[1]
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.

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]

Filmography

Television and film roles
Year Title Role Notes
2011ParenthoodTheater Kid #4Episode: "Opening Night"
HawthorneYoung ChristinaEpisode: "Price of Admission"
CommunityChildren's Choir MemberEpisode: "Regional Holiday Music"
Little in CommonNicole BurlesonTelevision film
2012Hot in ClevelandLittle GirlEpisode: "I'm with the Band"
A Beautiful SoulDaughterFilm
2013WhitneyMaggieEpisode: "Space Invaders"
2014The Gabby Douglas StoryGabby (7–12 years)Television film
Instant MomGirlEpisode: "Popular Mechanics"
2015Criminal MindsMaggie CrewsickEpisode: "Pariahville"
Boys in BlueZoeTelevision film
2016TeachersJosieEpisode: "Pilot"
Game ShakersShelbyEpisode: "Revenge @ Tech Fest"
The Loud HouseJoy (voice)Recurring role; 2 episodes
School of RockOliveRecurring role; 7 episodes
2018SpeechlessTrack Team MemberEpisode: "D-I-- DIMEO A-C-- ACADEMY"
We Bare BearsKit (voice)Episode: "Baby Bears Can't Jump"
Fuller HouseAshlynEpisode: "Ghosted"
2019–2022General HospitalTrina RobinsonRegular role
2019Craig of the CreekMaya (voice)Recurring role; 13 episodes
2020Kipo and the Age of WonderbeastsWolf (voice)Main role
2021The Barbarian and the TrollOlivia (voice)Episode: "Brendar the Barbarian"
2022Transformers: EarthSparkRobby Malto (voice)Main role[15]
2023Dew Drop DiariesPhoebe RoseMain role
2023Hailey's On It!LucyRecurring voice role

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Award Work Result Ref.
2015 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, Special or Pilot – Young Actress 11 and Under The Gabby Douglas Story Won [16]
2016 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in Live Theater Pino, A Pinocchio Story Nominated [17]
2017 Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV commercial – Young Actor/Actress Best Buy Nominated [18]
Best Performance in a TV series – Guest Starring Teen Actress Game Shakers Nominated [18]
Young Entertainer Awards Best Guest Starring Young Actress 12 & Under - Television Series Nominated [19]
2021 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series General Hospital Nominated [20]
2022 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series Nominated [21]

References

  1. ↑ Mikayla, Sydney (May 19, 2021). "How Embracing Her Blackness Helped Sydney Mikayla Land on 'General Hospital'". Backstage. United States. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Please Tune In" (PDF). The Progress. Progressive Union MB Church. 32 (12): 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Levinsky, Mara (March 16, 2020). "Winning Syd". Interviews. Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 45 (11): 42–45.
  4. 1 2 3 Rapp, Ilana (October 25, 2021). "General Hospital's Teenaged Sydney Mikayla On Balancing School And Work". NYCASTINGS.COM. NYCastings, LLC. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ "It's Christmas!". Star-Kidz.net. December 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Sydney Mikayla". The Gabby Douglas Story Cast. Lifetime. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "General Hospital's Sydney Mikayla Celebrated Her Birthday". Soap Hub. February 2, 2020. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 16, 2013). "Lifetime To Do Gabby Douglas Biopic; Regina King & S. Epatha Merkerson To Co-Star, Douglas To Make Appearance". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Who's Coming". Comings and Goings. Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 44 (8): 12. February 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Newcomer Roundup!". Ins & Outs. ABC Soaps In Depth. Bauer Media Group. 23 (10): 10. March 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ Lewis, Errol (October 19, 2021). "EXCLUSIVE: Sydney Mikayla On Recurring Status At 'General Hospital'". Soap Opera Network. United States. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ SOD (March 4, 2022). "Exclusive! Sydney Mikayla on GH Exit". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  13. ↑ Wilson, Lori (December 12, 2019). "Sydney Mikayla Shares Excitement Over Role in DreamWorks Series". Soaps.com. SheKnows Media. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  14. ↑ Trumbore, Dave (January 8, 2020). "New Trailer for 'Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts' Is Absolutely Insane". Collider. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  15. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2022). "'Transformers: EarthSpark': Paramount+ Series Sets Voice Cast, Teaser Trailer — Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ "36th Annual Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  17. ↑ "Nominations Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. March 13, 2016. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  18. 1 2 "Nominees – Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Young Entertainer Awards Submissions". Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  20. ↑ "The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations". New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  21. ↑ "The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
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