LAYLA CRAWFORD

17-year old LAYLA CRAWFORD plays Lynn Price in the critically acclaimed film KING RICHARD. Price is Venus and Serena’s older step-sister in real life. In this interview, the young star spoke to us about her acting journey, her dreams, goals, and the challenges she faced in her career and how she overcame them.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Layla Crawford. I'm a 17-year-old high school senior, who co-starred in the critically acclaimed movie King Richard. Since its release on November 19th, it has been receiving a lot of love. When I'm not busy, not in school, filming on-set, or on the red carpet, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, going shopping, trying new restaurants, writing and reading poetry, and styling different outfits.

Tell us more about your character “Lynn Price” in King Richard. What drew you to this role?

“Lynn Price” is Venus and Serena’s older step-sister in real life. She is such a strong, beautiful, and successful woman. I fell in love with this role because, like myself, Ms. Price is very fun, witty, and sarcastic at times. She is very supportive of her family and sisters. Family is very important to her as it is to me.

How would you describe the movie?

King Richard is all about family and going after your dreams no matter the obstacles. I am grateful that I was able to be part of such an inspiring story that not only changed face sports, but impacted the world. Serena and Venus Williams are pioneers for all black athletes, especially black women. I feel blessed to be part of their inspiring story.

What’s the most challenging part of doing this role?

The most challenging part of playing this role is the fact that I was playing a real person. I was lucky enough to have Ms. Lynn on-set the entire time where she would tell me stories and experiences from her childhood that really helped me to get into her character. It has always been very important to me in making her proud, because I respect the woman that she is.

How did you rise above these challenges?

I was able to rise above the challenges of playing a real person by listening and taking directions well. I wasn’t afraid to ask her questions and speak to her about how she wanted her life to be portrayed. She was able to guide me, which helped me with my performance.

What’s the proudest moment of your career so far?

Being a part of King Richard is definitely the proudest moment of my career so far. I am so happy to see and hear about all of the positive feedback that the film has been getting. I know this is the start of an amazing journey for me in my career.

What inspires you?

My mom is my biggest inspiration. She inspires and motivates me every day to be a good human being. She is really selfless and has made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to pursue my dreams.

She’s such a strong and amazing woman. When I have kids, I hope to be half the mom that she is.

What scares you?

Birds scare me to death...insert the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. Watching that will give me nightmares for days! I'm not sure why, I just never liked birds for as long as I can remember.

Guilty pleasure?

My biggest guilty pleasure is buying shoes, Ice cream, and fried rice. I do not cheap out on any of those, because quality is everything to me.

Name your top 5 favorite films of all time

My top favorite films are Gemini Man, Edward Scissorhands, Planet of the Apes, Wreck-It Ralph, and Clueless.

Last song that got stuck in your head

Missing Me by Gunna. I'm obsessed with his whole album. My artist rotation right now is J Cole,

Young Thug, Future, Autumn, Mariah the Scientist, and Gunna.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I have ever received was, “Perfection doesn't exist but you can be excellent.” I'm a perfectionist, so this advice helped me calm down and just realize that all I can do is my best.

What’s your ultimate goal?

My ultimate goal is to maintain happiness and win an Emmy. I hope to have a number of successful businesses, whether it’s in fashion or in real estate. I’d also love to work behind the camera as a director and a writer. I hope to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams and achieve them no matter what.

What are your dream projects?

It’s important to me to do projects that are impactful and that inspire others, especially showing the important times in history so we can learn from the past and change the world for the better. I would also like to do coming-of-age stories, those are some of my favorite types of movies and I know many teenagers will be able to relate.