Kyla-Drew Simmons: The Teen Actress Making Waves on Netflix

If you are a fan of family-friendly TV shows, odds are you have seen Kyla-Drew put her infectious energy to good use on Nickelodeon. However, since then, the young actress has jumped into a brand-new world. She traded her Nickelodeon stripes for a leading role alongside Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! Let’s take a look at Kyla-Drew’s journey from Nickelodeon to Netflix.

Kyla Drew Simmons started in show business by working her way onto the famed Nickelodeon TV network. Perhaps you have watched her before in shows like Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn or Game Shakers, where she still stood out even among a sea of quirky characters who have traditionally made Nickelodeon famous.

Kyla-Drew soon became a favorite with Nickelodeon fans. Her natural charm and some charming performances helped her find a place for herself in the hearts of viewers.

Think how exciting it must have been for her to move from Nickelodeon and join forces with Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Kyla-Drew landed a plum role on the Netflix sitcom Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! in 2021. The series got canceled after only one season, but Kyla-Drew did well playing opposite big-name, veteran actors.

In the series, Jamie Foxx plays Brian Dixon – a bachelor and successful business owner who is suddenly turned into a father when his teenage daughter Sasha (Kyla-Drew) shows up at his door drenched from head to toe. It is a balance of hysterical and warm moments seen from Brian's point of view, as he struggles to deal with the issues endemic to fatherhood and Sasha suffers all manner of upheaval, due to simply being a young person.

To the surprise of many, Kyla-Drew brought new life to the show with her sheer believability in playing Sasha. Even at a very young age, her character had wit and sass that most would find immediately relatable. The chemistry between Kyla-Drew and Jamie Foxx was electric. “This is kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to learn from not only one comedic legend, but two. I learned a great deal, and it was a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for the world,” she told PopSugar. “We really made some magic."

No doubt Kyla-Drew stumbled over some challenges when moving from the world of Nickelodeon into a Netflix original. Young talents are no longer limited to the roles that first catapulted them into fame and fortune — just look at Disney Channel star Zendaya today. Kyla-Drew has shown that the transition from the colorful, light-hearted world of Nickelodeon to putting out nuanced and varied storytelling on platforms like Netflix is within her abilities.

The shift from Nickelodeon to Netflix shows that Kyla-Drew has talent and can play different characters. And with her rich passion and sincere performances, she seems set to enthrall audiences for many years into the future.