5 things to know about The Artful Dodger star Maia Mitchell, including her connection to Jennifer Lopez

On August 19, 1993, Maia was born to parents Alex and Jill in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. Her dad worked as a taxi driver while her mom worked in the education system. Maia has a younger brother, Charlie. When she was just 12-years-old, she started acting on an Australian children's show, Mortified.

At 18, Maia moved to Los Angeles and landed a role on the Disney Channel series, Jessie, alongside Debby Ryan and Skai Jackson, starring as Shaylee Michaels. A year later, Maia made her film debut in the Disney Channel Original movie, Teen Beach Movie. She reprised her role in Teen Beach 2.

Maia's most notable role thus far is as Callie Jacob on The Fosters. The show followed the lives of the Adams-Foster blended family and starred Teri Polo, Sherri Saum, and Jake T. Austin alongside Maia.

At the time, Maia spoke with Teen Vogue about Jennifer Lopez, who was an executive producer of the ABC Family show. She said: "She is hands-on, definitely. She comes to set when she can and makes a point of reading the scripts and giving the feedback—it's all been positive. She's really stoked with how things are going, and it's cool to hear someone with so much experience in the industry backing something you're a part of."

The Fosters wrapped after five seasons in 2018. That same year, it was announced that Maia and her co-star, Cierra Ramirez, were cast in a spinoff titled Good Trouble. Jennifer remained an executive producer of the show that followed Maia's character Callie Adams Foster as she moved out of her family home.

Maia left Good Trouble in 2022, nine years after first appearing as Callie. After leaving the show, she wrote to Instagram: "10 years ago, I auditioned for a little pilot called 'The Fosters.' I was 19 with no clue of the luck I had stumbled upon. Years later, I was able to continue my journey as Callie when we formed the 'Good Trouble' family. Two shows, 156 episodes, and a chosen family for life. Lucky me."

The actress cited that a huge reason she decided to leave Good Trouble was that she missed living in Australia. In 2022, she temporarily moved back to Lismore, Australia.

"I feel so grateful every time I get to go home," Maia told Harper's Bazaar Australia in December 2025. "I find that time there really healing. It allows me to have a bit of a church-and-state approach to my work and my life. I enjoy my work more and feel more creative and inspired. It's been the best thing I could have done for myself."