Taya Miller

May 20

Taya Miller has reinvented the idea of the “superfan” in the digital world. The TikTok star has built a career off of her love for all things Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and other fictional media that she has adored all her life. Having been a mainstay in the massive community of TikTok nerds for quite a while now, Taya continues to be one most followed and adored personalities on the platform, with over 4.1 million followers. Her content revolves around cosplay — an impressive artistic medium in which anyone, regardless of their connection to the entertainment industry, can design and wear a costume from their favorite fictional franchise. Miller has donned outfits inspired by everyone from Wanda Maximoff to Ashoka Tano and more, serving as an amazing inspiration for young boys and girls who admire superheroes and now get to see one in real life on Miller’s account. We spoke to Taya about her life as a cosplay-Tok star, her love of superheroes, and her future projects! Read our full conversation below!

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a full-time content creator who enjoys bringing characters to life, whether it’s through cosplaying, make-up, acting, or writing. I’ve worked with some of the biggest studios and brands, including Disney Studios, Marvel Studios, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, HBO, Coach, Hot Topic, Team Liquid, and many more. Part of my passion also includes bringing joy to others, which has led me to partner with Make-A-Wish for multiple charity events. I have utilized my platform to raise over $22,000 USD in the past few months. I’ve lived in multiple places throughout my life, but I would say that “home” is in Iowa. Ironically enough, I’m actually moving out to Los Angeles here soon to pursue and fulfill my passion for acting.

How did you start making TikToks?

I had a few friends on the platform, and after a lot of convincing, I finally downloaded the app. This was around the time that I had gone to my first comic convention, Megacon Orlando in 2019, and I was just getting into cosplay. I enjoy the light-hearted aspects of characters, and so I started making videos where I portrayed these sides of them. It was after my first viral video that I realized that some people actually enjoyed my content.

Does your love of Marvel, Star Wars, and other sci-fi/fantasy franchises come from your childhood, or did you get a taste for it later in life?

My love for these franchises — Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and really just films in general — stems from my childhood. I really can’t explain how much some of them mean to me. My family and I would go to Friday night movie premieres together, have Star Wars trivia nights, wear matching Star Wars pajamas on Christmas Eve ... When I went away to college in Orlando, it was a hard adjustment for me, being such a family-oriented person. One of the things that I really latched onto was these franchises. As cheesy as it sounds, it helped me feel a little more at home. This was around the time that I went to my first convention, and I just kept falling more and more in love with them.

You’re one of the bigger names in the cosplaying scene on TikTok. What is that community like?

It still blows my mind that I’m one of the bigger names in the cosplay scene on TikTok ... I’m still so new to cosplaying and the community and I’m still learning so much every day, which I try to be transparent about on social media. From what I have learned from personal experience so far, the cosplay community on TikTok can be very welcoming and supportive. I’ve met some incredible individuals!

Being a woman in multiple fandoms that are typically predominantly male, have you experienced any hate since gaining a massive platform online?

Oh gosh, yes. I actually made a TikTok once about how my Rey videos do well, but only because of the engagement they get from people commenting that Rey is a terrible character and I’m “dumb” for liking her. I’ve learned to be dismissive of these comments and continue doing what brings me joy. One of the goals I’ve had since starting my platform was to normalize women loving these franchises. I personally wasn’t bullied when I was younger for liking them because I was never open about it, but I have friends that were. It breaks my heart to see how it has shaped them to become so defensive of it when they shouldn’t have to be. Creating a society that embraces “nerd” culture will always be a goal of mine because I don’t want to see anyone get bullied for it or feel like they need to hide it.

Do you feel a level of obligation to make certain kinds of content on a consistent basis, or do you decide when and what you post?

Being completely transparent, I reach points where I do feel obligated. This has actually been something that I’ve been experiencing lately. In short, I hate doing what people expect. I hate being comfortable. I want to keep growing as a creator and pushing my creative limits, but then I get comments such as “what happened to your old content?” I wish I could explain to people that it’s not that I don’t see that I’m changing, it’s that I’m embracing that I am. I don’t want to continue doing something that I feel keeps me stagnant. I never want this to feel like a job.

Who is your favorite fictional character of all time?

Peter Parker. He showed me at a young age that no matter what you’ve been through, you can still choose to be a good person. This character has impacted my life on a big level.

How did you learn to do this level of makeup art that you’ve displayed in your videos so often?

I’m actually self-taught! I think it’s funny, actually — I was talking with Becca Tobin yesterday about the acting scene and she mentioned how “imposter syndrome” is a thing. How you feel like an imposter because you feel out of place and like you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s me with make-up! I feel like such an imposter. But I think it really goes to show that you’re as capable as you allow yourself to be. The looks that I’ve done have taken anywhere from 3-8 hours because there was a lot of trial-and-error, but that was off-camera, so no one knew! At the end of the day, no one knows what they’re doing until they know what they’re doing. People are so capable, all it takes is believing that they are.

Which cosplay that you have done has been your favorite so far?

Costume-wise, I would say Himiko Toga from My Hero Academia. This was the first costume I ever made, and I had made it out of materials such as empty Clorox containers, ketchup bottles, and candy boxes. This was before learning that there were materials such as EVA foam that most other cosplayers used (oops). But I don’t know, something about being creative and reusing/recycling old materials is so much fun! Content-wise, I would say Wanda Maximoff. The style of WandaVision was so interesting to me and I fell in love with it, which (naturally) led to a lot of creative WandaVision content. Those videos are still my favorite to this day.

When did you first start becoming more popular and what was that like?

I would say around April 2020. It kind of blew my mind, and it still does. I question every day why over 4 million people follow me lol. I think the craziest part was getting recognized in public for the first time. I was with my family at Disney World, and I think we were in the France Pavilion when one of the cast members said “spider-girl?” — I had never run away from a situation so quickly. I still feel terrible haha.

Does the fact that cosplaying these characters is such a big part of your life make you enjoy the content from these franchises more?

100%. I find so much joy in being able to bring out my favorite aspects of these characters through myself.

Do you prefer making cosplay outfits or ordering them?

Definitely making. Making costumes is where I feel like my creativity comes out the most, and I love exercising it.

Who is a TikToker that you would like to collab with?

CoryNation. He is SUCH a creative and talented individual. He’s actually one of the first cosplayers that I watched before I began cosplaying on the app. He’s unapologetically himself and he’s such an inspiration to so many. Collabing with him would be a dream!

Outside of making TikToks, what are some of your passions, and interests?

As I mentioned before, acting, make-up, writing, and costume-making are huge passions of mine. Outside of that, I play the guitar, am painfully terrible at golf, cook, and spend a lot of time with family and friends. I love being a social bug on Fridays and Saturdays and have lazy days on Sundays.

This is a pretty great time to be a fan of Star Wars, Marvel, and DC, with recent releases like Bad Batch, Wandavision, and The Snyder Cut of Justice League. Which upcoming show, movie, or book are you most excited about?

Black Widow, hands down. It’s been pushed back so much and I seriously cannot wait to finally see it. I’m also super intrigued by Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. I’m a HUGE horror movie junkie, so this might end up being my favorite MCU film.

What’s next for Taya Miller?

This has been kept under wraps for a while, but being on the big screen. I’ve been working diligently behind the scenes to develop my acting skills and I’m ready to bring characters to life outside of social media.

Any advice for your fans?

At the end of the day, no one really knows what they’re doing. Be who you are, love what you love, and follow those passions that you never thought you’d get around to. You are so capable.

Kenneth Tse

Taya Miller

Elina Yael

Matt Taylor