Kiandra "KiKi" Layne (born December 10, 1991) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring roles in such films as the romantic drama ''

If Beale Street Could Talk ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' is a 1974 novel by American writer James Baldwin. His fifth novel (and 13th book overall), it is a love story set in Harlem in the early 1970s. The title is a reference to the 1916 W.C. Handy blues song "Beale S ...

'' (2018), the drama ''

Native Son ''Native Son'' (1940) is a novel written by the American author Richard Wright. It tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, a black youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s. While not apologizing f ...

'' (2019), the action superhero film '' The Old Guard'' (2020), and the romantic comedy '' Coming 2 America'' (2021).

Early life

Layne is from

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...

. She earned a BFA in acting from

The Theatre School at DePaul University The Theatre School at DePaul University, previously the Goodman School of Drama (also known as TTS and GSD, respectively) is the drama school of DePaul University. Founded with its first class conducted at the Art Institute of Chicago on January 5 ...

in 2014. In a 2018 interview with '' Vanity Fair'', Layne said that she was always acting growing up and that her favorite movie as a child was ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

''. She said, "I used to watch it every day and create these extravagant stories with my

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...

s and stuffed animals."

Career

Layne's first acting role was with

Lena Waithe Lena Waithe (born May 17, 1984) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Showtime drama series ''The Chi'' (2018–present) and the BET comedy series ''Boomerang'' (2019–20) and '' Twenties'' (2020–pres ...

in the pilot for the drama series ''

The Chi ''The Chi'' ( ) is an American drama television series created by Lena Waithe about life in a neighborhood on the South Side, Chicago, South Side of Chicago. The pilot was directed by Rick Famuyiwa. It premiered on Showtime (TV network), Showti ...

'', filmed in 2015. She has modeled for the fashion brand

Kate Spade New York Kate Spade New York is an American fashion house founded in January 1993 by Kate and Andy Spade. Kate Spade New York competes with Michael Kors. In 2017, the company was purchased by Tapestry, Inc., formerly known as Coach, Inc. Business hi ...

. Layne's breakout role was in

Barry Jenkins Barry Jenkins (born November 19, 1979) is an American filmmaker. After making his filmmaking debut with the short film ''My Josephine'' (2003), he directed his first feature film '' Medicine for Melancholy'' (2008) for which he received an Inde ...

' 2018 drama ''

''. She starred in the 2019 screen adaptation of Richard Wright’s 1940 novel ''

'', then alongside Charlize Theron in 2020's '' The Old Guard'', directed by

Gina Prince-Bythewood Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood (born June 10, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing the films '' Love & Basketball'' (2000), ''Disappearing Acts'' (2000), '' The Secret Life of Bees'' (2008), '' Beyond the L ...

. Layne was featured in composer Max Richter's '' Voices'', which was inspired by the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, ...

. The album contains readings of the Declaration by

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

and Layne, with a further 70 readings by people around the world. In 2021, Layne joined the cast alongside Eddie Murphy in the Amazon Prime sequel '' Coming 2 America''. Layne stars as Detective Ellie Steckler in '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''.

Personal life

Layne is currently in a relationship with Ari'el Stachel, whom she met on the set of '' Don't Worry Darling'' in the fall of 2020.KiKi Layne Says She’s “Still Thriving” Despite Scenes Being Cut From ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
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Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Layne, KiKi 1991 births Living people 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Cincinnati African-American actresses American film actresses 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people