Sydney Mikayla

Sydney Mikayla Shepherd[1] was born on February 1, 2003,[2] the daughter of Sonya Shepherd and Derek Shepherd.[1] Sonya is also an actress who has worked on Broadway and in television and film.[2] Sonya put her daughter in acting classes at the age of 5 and Mikayla stuck with it.[3] While Sonya did not push her daughter into acting, she supported her Mikayla's choice to pursue acting as a career.[2] Mikayla continued her training at the Amazing Grace Conservatory[4] under actress Wendy Raquel Robinson,[5] as well as Debbie Allen's Dance Academy.[4] In 2019, Mikayla began home-schooling to accommodate her work schedule. Though she is an only child, Mikayla has a dog called Champ.[2]

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.[2] 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.[4] In 2013, Mikayla was cast as a young Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime biopic, opposite Academy Award winner, Regina King.[6] Mikayla would win the Young Artist Award for her portrayal of Douglas in 2014.[2] 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.[4] 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.[2] In late 2018, Mikayla joined the cast of General Hospital in the recurring role of Trina.[7][8] She was offered a contract with the series a few months after her debut in February 2019.[2]

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.[4] In 2018, just before she booked General Hospital, Mikayla voiced the role of Wolf in the Netflix series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. The series would debut in January 2020.[9][10]

• Sydney Mikayla on IMDb