Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla “Dom” Soto.
Hi Kayla “Dom”, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I went to school for acting and during the pandemic, I started to lose my creative spark. It was around the time of the release of Marvel’s “Wandavision”. I downloaded a TikTok account and started making videos about Wandavision and even cosplayed Monica Rambeau and Wanda. From there, I started to build a small following and as the world started to open up again, I started making friends who loved geek culture as much as I do. Now, I have expanded my platform beyond just being a “Marvel stan” and make content surrounding other fandoms and elements of pop culture. Content creation has allowed me to stay creative as an artist and has given me so many beautiful opportunities and make lifelong friends who love what I love and understand me on a personal level.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although I am based in SoCal, being 1.5-2 hours from Los Angeles has definitely created some struggles. I feel like I live in my car with the amount I drove out here for work and events. However, I would say that the biggest struggle is being a Black woman in these spaces. Myself and so many other women and fem-presenting people who look like me find ourselves having to grovel and beg for opportunities that are given so easily to our white counterparts. And when we are given these opportunities, we are often invited very last minute or even the day of… Then when we arrive, we rarely see others who look like us at said event.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an actor and a content creator. My content is mainly centered around geek-related things (superheroes, sci-fi, and fantasy) but in 2023, I have been expanding to covering more elements of pop culture. I am mainly known for my work as a cosplayer and my comedic skits. I am most proud of cosplaying characters that do not look like me but then adding my natural Afro to incorporate more of myself into the character. Another thing I am incredibly proud of is being able to get myself so many amazing opportunities by personal pitching myself—without the help of a management team. What I truly believe sets me apart from others is my drive (some may call it delusion, haha). My greatest strength is that I do not believe that anything is off the table, I 100% truly believe that I can and will achieve anything/everything my heart desires. While others want it, I see it as though I already have it and it’s only a matter of time until it happens.
What’s next?
The overall biggest goal is to be an actor full-time and eventually act in a Marvel movie. Currently in 2023, my near future goals are to speak at a panel at SDCC, walk a red carpet premiere and move out of my parent’s house and be financially independent. Every day I find new goals I want to achieve but these are the main ones I have journaled about and am actively working towards.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kayladsoto?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kayladsoto?_t=8cBJx16g8Bq&_r=1
