Kayla Maisonet’s Hair Motto Is the Bigger, the Better
Kayla Maisonet is a New Jersey native who moved to LA to become a Disney star — and she admits to saying “orange” a little funny with her east coast accent.
At 17 years old, she’s on two hit Disney Channel shows “Stuck in the Middle” and “Dog With a Blog,” and has almost 1 million followers on IG. We asked Kayla about the challenges of looking young as a Disney kid, and why it’s important to bring natural hair to the mainstream.
Tracksuit: Juicy Couture
So, you’re 17 years old.
Yep! I’ll be 18 soon, so that’s exciting.
Are you a Gemini?
Yes. I check my horoscope every Monday.
Do you think you get typecast for younger roles? Does that bother you?
I think I do, I look younger. But I guess in acting that’s a good thing!
What is something you’ve learned to embrace about yourself?
Definitely my hair. When I was younger, all the other girls at had straight hair. I’m half Puerto Rican and I was always wanting to straighten my hair like them. New Jersey, where I grew up, was so cookie-cutter. When I moved to LA, I realized everyone looks different here and they’re being themselves. So I let my hair get big and crazy and curly. I’m lucky, since “Stuck in the Middle” is a Latino show they let me wear it natural. The bigger the better for me.
That’s super important to get natural hair in the mainstream! What would you tell younger girls that are going through the same thing?
I would say that you don’t have to be like everyone else. Looking back, I don’t even know why I straightened my hair so much. I would tell girls to be themselves and that you don’t have to focus on what everyone else does.
Have you encountered haters on social media?
Yeah, it’s always with my appearance — something about my outfit or hair. It took a while for me to build the strength to take it with a grain of salt. That’s what comes with putting yourself out there. You’re either doing too much or not doing enough, you can never do the right thing. You just have to blow it off.
That takes years for people to realize. How did you realize that?
I think from having powerful women to look up to that speak out against it. I love Gina Rodriguez and Amy Schumer.
Do you have any beauty tips as a natural hair goddess?
Yes! I use oils with a wide tooth comb in the shower. Macadamian nut is the best. I love it.
Switching gears to your career, tell us about your character in “Stuck in the Middle”.
It’s about a crazy big fun family of nine. I play the second eldest daughter, Georgie. She’s sporty, optimistic, and very enthusiastic.
Do find you’re similar to Georgie?
I think I do! She is super athletic and I like to work out a lot. I love her wardrobe cause all she wears is like Lululemon. She is super optimistic and has lots of energy which I have as well. She’s a little out there and in her own world a lot, though, which is unlike me.
What about your character on “Dog With a Blog”?
I play the lead’s best friend, Lindsey. She was super girly, which is different from my current character, Georgie. It was really fun playing her. She’s definitely the kind of friend I am. She is very loyal and would do anything for her best friend.
Make sure to catch Kayla on the Disney Channel!
