Breakthrough always seems to come right on time. For Kristen Maxwell, that moment arrived with Netflix’s His & Hers, where she plays Young Anna, the younger counterpart to Tessa Thompson’s lead character. It’s a role that feels almost prophetic, an emotionally charged performance by an actress who has been preparing for this exact moment for more than a decade.

“Sometimes all you need is one shot to show what you can do,” Maxwell shares in a TikTok video. “And I feel like I was finally given that.”

Kristen’s older sister, Candace Maxwell, is also a familiar face in Hollywood. Both women have been working industry professionals since youth.

Kristen has been acting for over ten years and has appeared on young adult cult shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. And like many working actors, her career has been marked by auditions and seasons of waiting for the right opportunity.

That opportunity came through a six‑week casting process for Netflix’s hit series His & Hers, at a time when Kristen happened to also be enrolled in culinary school.

The audition itself came thanks to her talent agency who she has been signed with for nearly eight years. She did the audition while away at school, and yes, she finished culinary school.

Kristen first announced her casting in October 2024.

For years, people told Kristen she looked like Tessa Thompson. “I’ve been told that I look like Tessa for so many years. I always used to say, ‘Well, I hope it pays off for me one day.’ And it did.”

Kristen describes working with Tessa as a positive experience, sharing that she even invited her to be involved in details like decorating Anna’s bedroom. Kristen wasn’t just filling a role, she was helping shape a character’s story.

His & Hers is now streaming on Netflix.