‘Days of Our Lives’: Kennedy Garcia Talks Her Groundbreaking Role as Felicity

Stephanie Sloane May 17, 2024, 12:30 pm

Comments

Kennedy Garcia has been tapped by Days of Our Lives to portray a new character named Felicity and will make her soap debut the week of May 20. The young actress, who began performing at the age of five, has appeared in a range of hit shows from This Is Us to 9-1-1 to Sesame Street. She was particularly thrilled to join the cast of Days.

“I got the audition for Felicity last year, and I was so excited!” she enthuses. “I have wanted to be on a soap opera for a long time, so for a role to come up for a teenager with Down syndrome was just amazing!”

Garcia was already quite familiar with daytime television — she’s a big fan of The Young and the Restless.

“My mom and I watch Young and the Restless every day, and have since I was born,” she reports. “In fact, a few years ago I did ‘twinning’ photos with many of the stars from the show on my Instagram. We had a lot of fun with it!” (She’s quickly become familiar with Days, however. “I learned fast! I am a good Salem resident now!”)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kennedy Garcia (@kennedyjean04)

While her resumé includes a host of credits, she admits she had some initial jitters. “I was so nervous on my first day,” Garcia recalls. “I was worried I would mess up or forget my lines, but everyone was so nice! They even let me choose my own wardrobe! I’m not nervous anymore!”

Fortunately, she had some star power to help guide her way. “My first day on set, Raven Bowens, who plays Chanel, really helped me out and showed me around,” Garcia shares. “She’s been amazing! And even before that, my friend Courtney Hope, who works on Young and the Restless [as Sally], prepared me for my audition and really cheered me on.”

Garcia, also a cancer survivor, is proud to be the first teen with Down syndrome to secure an ongoing role in the genre. “It’s really such a special thing,” she reflects. “I am so proud of Days of our Lives for taking this step and taking a chance on me. Inclusion in this industry is so important and I am proud to help move it forward.”

Daytime Emmys Snubs & Surprises: Melody Thomas Scott, 'The Talk' Hosts & More

She hopes to spread a positive message through her character: “Felicity is awesome,” Garcia raves. “She is sweet, funny and kind. She is also very smart and she never misses anything. Most of all, she loves her family more than anything else. I think that viewers will love her and see the beauty she brings to everyone in her life. I hope that everyone will love Felicity and see that even though she has Down syndrome, she is cherished by her family and friends, she is capable of great things, and she’s a hard worker. I’m pretty sure she bakes better than I do. She is also a typical teenager who has real feelings and fears that people will see as her story goes on. I hope no one underestimates Felicity as a character, or actors with disabilities like me. Representation is so important and I’m so thankful for this opportunity to become Felicity and let you all get to know her, and me!”

When she’s not in Salem, Garcia travels around and shares her inspiring story through public speaking. “I love speaking to all sorts of people, but going into schools is my favorite because I think when other teens can look past the Down syndrome and see that I am just like them — I love shopping and music, and movies and hanging out with my boyfriend and making TikToks — they see that maybe they can be friends with someone with a disability,” she relays. “I tell them to just go over and say ‘hello’; it could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Days of Our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock