Interview: Actor Laya DeLeon Hayes from CBS’s The Equalizer

MIXED ASIAN MEDIA - JUNE 9, 2021

By Stephanie Mieko Cohen

2021 comes with a promising, young star on the horizon. Seventeen-year-old Laya DeLeon Hayes plays the sassy Delilah, opposite Queen Latifah, on CBS’s The Equalizer. Growing up as a child actor myself, this interview was such a treat. I sat down with Laya to talk about her budding career.

What’s your ethnic background?

My dad is Black and my mom is third generation Filipino.

Do you have any favorite holidays or customs from either side of your family?

I was born in the Carolinas and then moved to Texas, until I was two. We would go back and visit, and I would hang out with all my Filipino cousins and my grandparents. We would cook lumpia and longganisa… and I’d stay and hang out with my family (just me) for about two months, like the whole summer. Then for Christmas time, I would usually visit both my Filipino side and my dad’s sides of the family, both in the Carolinas. We would visit them twice a year, every year, and we kinda carried that tradition throughout my life, which I’m very grateful for.

What got you into performing? What was your first professional gig?

After about six years in Texas, I told my parents I wanted to start acting, and they really supported me from the very beginning. I ended up taking acting lessons out in Texas, then we ended up moving to California to pursue it professionally, and I’ve been out [there] ever since. So, that’s been about… eight years out in California? Which is crazy. I’m very grateful for The Equalizer, and this opportunity coming up, because I get to live temporarily on the East coast in New York and New Jersey. My first gig I ever booked was this photo shoot for Chuck E. Cheese brochures, and it stayed in Chuck E. Cheese for five years! I was 8, it was my first introduction to being on a set, and all I had to do was play skee ball and air hockey, and all they did was take pictures. It was a great first gig!

Are you in school right now?

I’ve been homeschooled since fifth grade, and I also took a test last year [where] basically if you pass the test, you get an equivalent to a high school diploma. So I’m kinda done with school right now. I’m about to go into my senior year, so I still do some work, but it’s not as stressful as it was before the test. Homeschooling really works with my schedule, and it’s been great as an actor, because all the other actors your age are also homeschooled, so you can relate to a lot of the people that you meet on this journey.”

You play Delilah on the CBS drama The Equalizer starring the one and only Queen Latifah. What’s it like working with her?

I literally have to pinch myself every time. She’s truly amazing. She is an actual queen who definitely lives up to the name. She is one of the coolest people, and most humble as well. She’s been a trailblazer for so many people in the entertainment industry, so the fact that I get to learn from and bond with her on set, it really is a dream. I feel very grateful, very lucky.

You’ve done so much in such a short period of time. Between voiceover, film, and television, what’s your favorite medium, and why?

I really started with theatrical acting. I got all my training in doing live-action acting. So, when I first got out here, the dream was always a TV series and movies, then voiceover just kinda came along the way. I will say though, my favorite medium is definitely film and television because that’s what I started with. Also, I think the bonds you create on set that you can’t really get when you’re in a voiceover booth are so special. I love those bonds that you make with your cast mates on a set and how they can help the chemistry you share on screen. But they’re really different in different ways, and I give a lot of credit to voiceover work for my acting on screen as well.

Do you have any advice for young people in the arts trying to break into the industry?

If you love it and you know you love to do it not just for fame and recognition, then just go for it. I didn’t know what voiceover acting was when I first got out here, but when I got the audition, I just went for it, and look what happened! I ended up on a voiceover show for six years. So, I think just go for it and don’t limit yourself. I would say get training as well. If you’re bridging into the industry, get acting training. It always helps to have a good foundation.”

Last question: what do you love to do when you’re not acting?

I like to paint and draw. I’ve always liked drawing, since I was 10, and recently I’ve been painting again. It’s been really cathartic for me. It’s like therapy. I also love making cookies and baking stuff for my parents. I like running, biking, and working out as well.

Thank you, Laya!

Follow Laya @layadeleonhayes.