Xochitl Gomez: Her special moments on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and her next chapter

The Mexican-American star makes her mark on the silver screen and captivates the hearts of audiences with her undeniable talent

Senior WriterLos Angeles

DECEMBER 5, 2023 10:10 AM ESTDEC 5, 2023, 10:10 AM EST

Xochitl Gomez is taking over Hollywood as one of the rising stars among a new generation of multitalented performers. The 17-year-old Mexican-American actress has been sharing her talent with the world from a very young age, making her way from the small screen to the big screen, gaining major recognition for her fan-favorite character America Chavez in the 2022 Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Coming from a humble family in California, her parents recognized her talent early on and did everything they could to support her journey wholeheartedly. Introduced to theater by her mother at the age of 5, Xochitl took part in an impressive 22 musicals by age 12, shaping her acting foundation. And although she faced numerous challenges from daily auditions, Xochitl attributes her success to her mother, who eventually quit her job to support her daughter’s aspirations full time.

She has also previously mentioned her father’s meaningful support in helping her practice Spanish lines, underscoring the importance of her family’s support and sacrifices. The young star, whose name means ‘Flower’ in Nahuatl, an indigenous language of Mexico, acknowledges that without her parents’ efforts, her dream in Hollywood would not be a reality.

Xochitl Gomez Digital Cover HOLA! — Photo Credit: Aaron Idelson | Fashion Credit: Top: Miu Miu / Skirt: Vivienne Westwood / Shoes: Steve Madden

During a movie premiere, she said, “My mom’s tireless dedication to supporting my goals led me to this red carpet.” - Xochitl Gomez -

And while new stars come and go in the entertainment business, Xochitl has proved to have the star power to continue a successful career, achieving new milestones and entering new exciting projects, honoring her heritage and counting on the support of her mom every step of the way.

2023 has turned out to be an incredible year for Xochitl, who captivated the hearts of the viewers by showing her charisma each week, performing intricate dance routines, and giving her best throughout her time in Dancing With The Stars. The California native has used all of her skills and experience for her performances, including her martial arts training, musical theater, and her enthusiastic personality on the stage.

HOLA! had the opportunity to interview Xochitl directly at the Dancing with the Stars studio, where she shared some of her most meaningful and memorable moments, her appreciation for her dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy, and what she foresees in the near future when it comes to her acting career.

“I never thought I’d be this good of a dancer, so getting in the finale is fabulous... Being a 17-year-old and doing this show, I’ve gained a lot of respect for dancers.” - Xochitl Gomez -

Being the youngest contestant of season 32 of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ has been an incredible experience for Xochitl, proving that she has what it takes to succeed, as she continues her path to the finale and fights for a chance to win the coveted Mirror Ball trophy. But no matter the outcome, this young performer’s path to stardom is unstoppable.

On top of that, Xochitl was one of two Latinas in this season, alongside Lele Pons, collectively representing the vibrant Latin community and throughout the competition, both supported each other, fostering a bond that added an extra layer of unity to the show.

What’s going through your mind when you take the stage and get into the performance?

Funny enough, nothing goes through my mind when I’m going on stage. I try not to think about anything. Because anything will bug you, so I try to keep an open mind.

What has been your favorite performance so far in the competition?

I think my favorite performance so far is the Quickstep. That was really fun, It was cute you know. But it goes hand in hand with Paso. Paso doble was fire.

Do you have any rituals before getting on stage?

Yeah, a ritual that Val and I do before we go on stage is we do a little prayer and we’re just thankful for being able to perform and we hope to give it our best. So that’s kind of what we do. It’s also a good way to calm ourselves because sometimes the little nerves and just the excitement can get to you.

As part of this exclusive, HOLA! was granted first-hand access into the ballroom to witness a sneak peek at Xochitl and Val’s captivating performance of their Semi-Finals Samba dance. The duo took the stage to seamlessly move to the rhythm of Gloria Estefan’s hit song ‘Samba.’ This behind-the-scenes moment offered a unique glimpse into the elaborate choreography and the fun Xochitl and Val have dancing.

As this season of the popular show is coming to an end, fans will have the opportunity to watch it live today, Tuesday December 5th, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones being able to cast their votes via text and support their favorite stars, including Xochitl, Jason Mraz, Ariana Madix, Charity Lawson and Alyson Hannigan.

“If I could switch lives with a person for one day, it would probably be my mom just to that I could be in her shoes for one moment.” - Xochitl Gomez -

How did it feel to have a Quinceañera moment on the show?

Oh yeah! Getting to have kind of a Quinceañera moment on the show was so special, especially getting to know that this is live TV. It is broadcast everywhere, it’s on Hulu, it’s on Disney+, it’s on all these platforms. To know that people who might have not known what a quinceañera is are being told what it is, and being able to show how special it is and how memorable it could be for someone.

And also, it was just a great way to have it and to celebrate it, and then most importantly there was a bunch of comments, a bunch of people I mean, young girls were constantly telling me, “I never had a Quince either and so watching you made me almost feel like I had that dance.” And I think that’s a hidden portion of this whole show is that getting to see people dance and living through it. So that was a really special week for me.

What’s it like to share this experience with your friends and family?

Getting to share this experience with my friends and family has been amazing. I think this is one of the true tests to see if they are my friends mainly because I’m here every single day you know. I’m dedicating my time here so it’s a lot on them to know that I’m still their friend. I’m not icing you guys out, like, trust me I love you but it’s like, I can’t, you know, if my time is not here I’m sleeping. So they’ve been really wonderful in just supporting me.

“I would tell my younger self to keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing amazing and don’t change a thing.” - Xochitl Gomez -

What would you tell to your younger self now that you’re at this point of your career?

I think I would tell my younger self to keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing amazing and don’t change a thing.

If you could switch live with person for a day, would be it be?

If I could switch lives with a person for one day, it would probably be my mom just to that I could be in her shoes for one moment.

What the best thing to happen this year?

The best thing to happen this year is probably meeting Val!

XOCHITL GOMEZ, VAL CHMERKOVSKY — Xochitl and Val’s dance, ‘La Vie en Rose’ by Lady Gaga, was an elegant, well choreographed and passionate performance. Xochitl’s dance moved the DWTS judges to tears.

Showing her unique charm and warm personality, Xochitl also shared with HOLA! some fun facts about herself, as well as some of her interests. The young actress named her top three favorite movies as ‘Honey Boy,’ ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Roma,’ talked about Miley Cyrus‘ “cool style,” and looked back at her performance of Miss Hannigan in Annie, revealing that ‘Little Girls‘ is her go-to karaoke song.

In a previous exclusive interview with HOLA! Xochitl, and Val opened up about the secret to being great dancing partners. They revealed that their strong bond is built on trust, communication, and a shared passion for dance. Their connection not only shines on the dance floor but also off it, making them a force to be reckoned with in the competition.

“I’m always excited to work with a young person of influence. You know, she has a lot of young minds, young people looking at her. She is a big responsibility and also relatively new, so to be able to instill some of the things that I’ve experienced in dance and life, we became not just student and teacher but now friends and someone that I care about.” - Val Chmerkovskiy -

What type of project are you manifesting after this?

Heading into my future career, I think some projects that I’d like to do are teen-based movies that are true teens, that are like three-dimensional characters that have true stories, that are funny and comical but real and humorous and raw. I think that’s beautiful and I think that’s missing in my generation and hopefully those come by. I’ll be there, I’ll be waiting.

Xochitl’s upcoming projects include ‘Ursa Major,’ a sci-fi thriller in which she will be starring alongside Jessica Biel (The Sinner). We can’t wait to see the film and witness this Mexican-American star’s journey as she rises in Hollywood and unfolds chapters of her success.

WATCH XOCHITL GOMEZ FULL INTERVIEW