A mom of two is going viral on TikTok after people noticed that she looks nearly identical to one of the beloved characters from Disney’s new movie Encanto.
Maribel Martinez saw the resemblance right away, and when she shared more of her own story, it became very clear why the movie is so popular and why the characters in the film matter so much.
‘Encanto’ is topping the movie and Billboard charts right now
The character is a beautiful representation of masculine and feminine
And for Maribel Martinez, Luisa was exactly what she needed to see in a movie. "I was surprised to see a masculine-yet-feminine-presented female [character],” Maribel told BuzzFeed. “I’ve always been told I look too 'masculine' to be feminine, but seeing Luisa just made me feel comfortable with loving myself even more."
Maribel first heard about the movie and her resemblance to Luisa from her TikTok followers, so she watched it with her kids. “People kept commenting that I looked like [Luisa], so I saw one of her songs on TikTok,” she told Today. She saw the connection right away — Luisa does look just like her.
“I was shocked because I was so glad to see that I could see myself in somebody else,” she said.
But for Maribel, the connection to the character goes deeper than appearances
"Growing up as a middle child, I felt so much pressure to take care of my siblings and handle adult responsibilities,” Maribel explained to BuzzFeed.
“I never really had the opportunity to be just a child. I was my mom's emotional support and a role model to my younger siblings. I felt like I had no choice but to take on so much weight."
Maribel said the movie helped her reflect on her own childhood, which wasn’t an easy one
"As a child, I endured a lot of abuse and trauma. With that being said, I also adopted my siblings once I got old enough. It did provide healing,” she explained. “I realized it was OK not to always be strong and allow myself to feel emotional without having to feel insecure with expressing myself."
Maribel has been getting her Luisa cosplay together and sharing their connection on TikTok. Fans — young and old — are eating it up.
"I was surprised and shocked that so many people could also relate to Luisa," Maribel said. "Honestly, I feel honored to be called the real-life Luisa."
