Young Julia Roberts Played By South OC Actress In Series 'Gaslit'

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A young south Orange County actress is carving out a name for herself on the small screen, after she played a young Julia Roberts in an episode of "Gaslit" on Starz.

Kayden Tokarski, 12, portrays a young Martha Mitchell in the American political thriller limited television series. The series stars Julia Roberts, who plays Martha, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham and Darby Camp.

"It's definitely the biggest honor of my life to play a young Julia Roberts in this amazing show," Tokarski told Patch. "I loved every second of it and am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity."

In the last two and-a-half years, Tokarski has starred in several independent films including "My Melancholy Baby" and Amazon Prime Video and the soon-to-be-released Moving Picture Institute original "Unloaded."

The young actress also hosted a popular kids' channel and is slotted to start filming a feature film directed by Rick Bakewell this summer.

Tokarski won two Best Young Actress Awards for her role in the 2021 independent film, "Message from the Mermaids." She also won an international Gold Best Young Actress award from the Independent Shorts Film Festival and a Best Young Actress award from the Venice Shorts Film Festival.

Last year, Tokarski was the keynote speaker for Mission Viejo's Walk Against Drugs, and she served as a "celebrity" spokesperson for a Red Cross LA fundraiser that also featured Mario Lopez.

Residents can support the young actress and stream "Gaslit" on Starz, where Tokarski is featured on the third episode titled "King George."