ReVamp:The Inner Screen’s lead writer, Shane Ramdhany, interviews Layla Crawford, whose positive energy and limitless creativity have her poised for an expansive career in modern cinema.

What was your experience like working alongside Will Smith as well as overall? 

Will Smith is the best and King Richard was amazing to work on.  We all really became family and we really advocated for each other on the set.  Will was great with ensuring that we all had what we needed.  Being able to watch Will immerse himself in the role of Richard Williams enabled me to take some key points away that allowed me to grow as an actress.

Shane:  That’s amazing, it sounds like you had a lot to take away from this film which fostered growth in your career. What made this film truly excellent was its depiction of family, which you all captured effortlessly.

What was the biggest challenge for you working on this film?

The biggest challenge for me was the fact that the real Lyndrea Price was on set working in the wardrobe department.  I wanted to make this role the most authentic portrayal of her. I wanted to make her proud.  It was nice though because I was able to talk with her regarding her interests such as singing and the fact that she liked to push her sisters’ buttons.  She didn’t always like to be on the tennis court but was always there for her family.  Her guidance helped me get through this challenge very easily.

Shane: In any role where you’re portraying a real person, there is this intense desire to get it right so it makes sense that authenticity was of the utmost importance to you. Each family member brought a unique energy to this set, which really transcended this film.

Who is your role model?

Definitely my mom. I am really close to her and she is such a self-less person. She helped me launch my career.  I feel that I can go to her about anything whether it be school or friends.  I hope that I can be half the person she can be.

What is your idea of the ideal role?

After being on King Richard, I want to continue to do stories that inspire people.  This is especially true with regard to portraying young black women who are powerful and provide examples of what we should be as well as our potential.  Aside from stories like that, I would like to do superheroes or coming of age stories.  I am pretty open as you can see! (laughs).  

Shane:  All of those types of roles are very relevant.  Coming of age stories are so important, especially for teens who are going through an identity confusion phase and are trying to figure out who they want to be and what they want to do.  Telling these stories can be very inspirational for them.

How do you like to spend your time when you aren’t in school/acting?

I don’t have a lot of spare time (laughs) but I like to spend time with friends and family. I like to write poems, journal, write short stories, work out and play with my dog.  Outside of acting, I like to just do normal things.

Shane: Your hobbies such as writing poems and short stories speak to your passion for acting and creativity.  Sometimes, just doing normal things is very necessary to be able to disengage from the rigorous career of acting.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

There are so many projects I am working on at the moment, not just in acting.  I can’t talk about them at the moment (laughs) but you are going to see a lot of announcements.  There is a lot of exciting stuff coming up so just follow me (@thereallaylac) on Instagram!