Meet Kaci Walfall, The CW's Newest Superteen

It's time to get familiar with Kaci Walfall. The 17-year-old actor is starring on The CW's new superhero series as the titular Naomi. Kaci's character is described as "a cool, confident, comic book–loving teenager," who is on a mission to uncover the truth about a supernatural event that shakes up her hometown of Port Oswego. Given that this is Kaci's first major lead role, you're probably wanting to know more about her and what she's all about, right? Well, for starters, she was handpicked by creator Ava DuVernay for The CW series, which is pretty major. Keep reading to get to know more about Kaci ahead of the show's Jan. 11 premiere.

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Kaci Walfall Got Serious About Acting When She Was 14

While speaking with Byrdie, Kaci revealed that her family is very into sports, specifically basketball. However, sports were just never her thing, which is how she ended up developing a passion for acting. "Once they realized sports weren't for me, my mom put me in an acting class at about seven. From there, I did a showcase, and I got an agent," Kaci explained. "Acting became my sport in my family. While my brother played basketball, I would go to an audition. I gained a strong passion for acting when I was about 14."

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Kaci Walfall's First Acting Role Was on Lifetime's Army Wives
Getty | CBS Photo Archive

Kaci Walfall's First Acting Role Was on Lifetime's Army Wives

Kaci's first major role was as Nyah on Lifetime's Army Wives in 2013. Since then, she's appeared on a handful of other shows like Power, The Equalizer, and Modern Love, but Naomi marks her biggest role to date.

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Kaci Walfall Was Handpicked by Ava DuVernay For Naomi
The CW

Kaci Walfall Was Handpicked by Ava DuVernay For Naomi

In an interview with The Talk, Ava revealed that she knew Kaci would be perfect for the role of Naomi because she is "an extraordinary human being." Ava described Kaci as "a person who is lovely and loyal and just filled with light."

"She's perfect to play this regular human girl who finds out she's got something a little special. She's actually a superhero and she's really that to all of us," Ava gushed about Kaci. "She's our hero on the set. We love her."

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Kaci Walfall Learned an Important Life Lesson Through Working With Ava DuVernay
The CW

Kaci Walfall Learned an Important Life Lesson Through Working With Ava DuVernay

"I've learned so much working with Miss Ava. I think just every time I'm in Miss Ava's presence, I learn something," Kaci said on The Talk. "She's a great reminder that I am enough and that I am great and that I'm valued . . . she's just such a great creative soul and great person."

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Kaci Walfall's Self-Care Practices Involve Naps, Mediation, and Ice Cream
Instagram | kaciwalfall

Kaci Walfall's Self-Care Practices Involve Naps, Mediation, and Ice Cream

The actor clearly knows the importance of self-care, so when she's not on set, she likes to disconnect by watching movies, eating ice cream, and taking naps. "I also like to read, which is partially why I'm an actor," she told Byrdie. "I like to call my friends, shop, do my makeup, or go to the gym."