On-screen, Maia Mitchell plays the classic all-American teenager in the hit show The Fosters, but in real life, she’s a bubbly millennial who holds true to her roots from Down Under.
The budding actress got her start acting in school plays and local theater productions in Australia, starring in several local shows, such as the children’s series Mortified, Trapped, and Castaway before catching the attention of Disney Channel producers. She’s since risen to prominence through her role as “Mack” in Disney’s Teen Beach Movie franchise. Relocating to the U.S. hasn’t appeared to make Mitchell’s swoon-worthy accent falter though. And one of her greatest feats has been her ability to rapidly bury it to become flawlessly American. The rising star jokes, however, that she promised her “mum” that her efforts to be convincingly American won’t impair her from speaking off-screen in her native tongue. “She’d kill me if I had American accent,” she admits with a smirk.
Mitchell is portraying “Callie Jacob” on ABC Family’s series The Fosters, a show that Mitchell is extremely grateful to be a part of. The role has opened her up to a new realm of acting, tackling issues such as growing up in an abusive home, being fostered by a bi-racial lesbian couple, and exploring feelings for adopted brother Brandon (David Lambert).“I’m super proud and lucky to be on a show that is pushing some barriers and maybe opening people up to things they haven’t seen or types of families they haven’t seen before,” says the budding actress. “It’s super cool.” And after three seasons on the show, a blossoming fandom, and the success of the Teen Beach franchise, it’s clear that Mitchell’s career is just getting started.
“Maia is the most talented younger actor that I've ever had the pleasure working with,” says The Fosters creator Bradley Bredeweg. “When we first started, she had such an honest and pure way in, wide-eyed and excited about the process and the show that we were putting out into the world. She always plays each moment straight from the heart. To watch her grow and become the incredible young woman that she is today, now three seasons later, has been one of the most cherished experiences of my career. I'm a lucky man to have Maia around!”
