You’ve probably seen her face popping up everywhere lately and wondered, "Wait, who is that?" Honestly, if you haven't been paying attention to X Mayo movies and tv shows, you are missing out on one of the most chaotic—in the best way possible—talents in Hollywood right now. She’s not just an actress. She is a writer, a producer, an Emmy nominee, and a professional scene-stealer who basically forces you to look at her even when she’s standing next to A-listers.
Most people first got a real taste of her during the two-season run of American Auto on NBC. She played Dori, the assistant who was deeply unbothered by corporate politics and mostly cared about her social media presence. It was the kind of performance that made you realize she isn't just delivering lines; she’s bringing a whole vibe.
The Roles That Put X Mayo on the Map
Before she was Dori, she was making waves in the writers' room. Did you know she was a staff writer for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah? She actually bagged an Emmy nomination for it back in 2020. That’s the secret sauce to her acting—she has the "writer brain" that knows exactly where the beat of a joke lives.
One of the big ones you’ve likely seen her in is The Blackening. It’s that horror-comedy that asks the genius question: "If a group of Black friends is trapped in a cabin, who dies first?" X Mayo plays Shanika. She is loud, she is fearless, and she is the person you want in your corner if a masked killer starts playing games. The movie was a hit because it felt like a real conversation between friends, and a lot of that came from the cast—including Mayo—improvising their heads off.
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Then there is The Farewell. It’s a complete 180 from her usual high-energy comedy. It’s an A24 darling starring Awkwafina, and Mayo plays Suze. It’s a smaller role, but it showed she could hang in a grounded, emotional indie drama just as well as a network sitcom.
A Quick Look at Her Filmography Highlights
- American Auto (2021-2023): Her breakout series regular role as Dori Otis.
- The Blackening (2022): The movie that proved she can lead a feature film ensemble.
- Swarm (2023): A guest spot as "Cheeks" in that wild Amazon Prime series that everyone was talking about.
- Abbott Elementary (2024): She showed up as Lisa in the "Dad Fight" episode, because of course she did.
- Freakier Friday (2025): She recently joined the sequel to the Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis classic as Principal Waldman.
What's Coming Next? (Marvel and Beyond)
If you think her current resume is impressive, the 2026 lineup is looking even bigger. She is officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now. She’s slated for a major role in the Wonder Man series. While Marvel is famously secretive about who is playing what, having her comedic timing in a superhero show is a move that makes way too much sense.
There is also the Scrubs revival. Yeah, that's actually happening, and she’s involved. It’s a lot of pressure to step into a legacy like that, but if anyone can handle the "fast-talking medical comedy" energy, it's her.
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What I find most interesting, though, is a project called Checkpoint. It’s a comedy series she’s writing and producing for CBS. It’s based on her real-life experience working as a TSA agent before she was famous. Imagine X Mayo dealing with people trying to sneak oversized shampoo bottles through security—it’s basically a goldmine for comedy.
Why X Mayo is Different From the Standard Comedy Actor
A lot of actors just wait for the phone to ring. X Mayo doesn't really do that. She created a sketch show called Who Made the Potato Salad? specifically to showcase comedians of color. She’s very vocal about the "Afro-Latina" experience and making sure people who look like her get more than just the "sassy best friend" roles.
She grew up in Inglewood, dropped out of college, worked as a makeup artist, and eventually found her way to the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in New York. That "scrappy" background is why she feels so authentic on screen. She isn't polished in that fake, Hollywood way. She feels like your cousin who just happens to be on TV.
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Misconceptions About Her Career
People often assume she just appeared out of nowhere with American Auto. Not true. She spent years in the "trenches" of the NY comedy scene. If you go back far enough, you’ll find her in the Facebook Live series Strangers or doing bits on Yearly Departed. She’s been working at this for a decade.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Creators
If you’re a fan or someone trying to break into the industry like she did, here is what you can take away from her trajectory:
- Watch "The Blackening" for her improv skills. If you want to see how to take a script and make it feel like a real conversation, that’s the masterclass. Pay attention to how she reacts when she's not the one talking.
- Follow her social media for the "real" industry side. She’s very transparent about the ups and downs.
- Check out her writing work. Don't just watch her act. Go back and look at her Daily Show segments to see how she structures a joke from the ground up.
- Look out for "Checkpoint" on CBS. Since it’s her own creation, this will be the purest version of her voice we’ve seen yet.
She is currently filming and developing projects that will likely keep her on our screens for the next ten years. Whether she’s a park ranger in The Treasure of Foggy Mountain or a principal in Freakier Friday, she brings an energy that’s impossible to ignore. Keep an eye on her—she's just getting started.