A Salute to Rising Stars

It’s that time again to salute those actresses who are on the move, actresses who deserve a little extra attention for their latest work, those actresses who are rising stars. Landing that crucial role in a TV movie or guest appearance in a successful show or film makes all the difference for aspiring actors.

Let’s take a look at the next group of actresses who viewers should keep their eyes on:

Laya DeLeon Hayes

Laya was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2004 and raised in Texas where she participated in school plays and talent shows. She trained at Hart and Soul studio in Dallas before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

At the tender age of 9, she provided the voice for the titular character in the Disney Jr. animated series Doc McStuffins, which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination.

Since then she has appeared in episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Cougar Town, Chicago Fire, Liv and Maddie, The Thundermans, Quantico, Code Black, Raven’s Home and Just Add Magic before landing the role of Delilah, the daughter of Robin McCall (Queen Latifah) on the hit CBS drama The Equalizer, which debuted in February of this year.

She will appear in an upcoming dramatic thriller film called 40, playing a character named Hany alongside Imani Hakim (Everybody Hates Chris) and Graham Patrick Martin (Major Crimes). The movie is about an ex-slave family, who after receiving 40-acres, battles man and myth to uncover the truth behind their land.

Laya is an equal rights and social justice advocate, who utilizes her social media platforms to spread awareness and to help propel conversation forward. Also, she is passionate about women’s rights, body positivity and equality for all.

Laya resides in Los Angeles, CA with her family and loves singing, rollerblading, amusement parks, drawing and going to the beach.

She can be followed on Twitter and Instagram @layadeleonhayes.

The next new episode of The Equalizer will air on CBS on Sunday, October 17 at 8 PM.

Simone Recasner

Simone may be a fresh face to TV viewers, but the Los Angeles native has been acting since she was a young girl. In fact, she has been surrounded by people who share her interests in the entertainment industry from a young age; such as her dad Ron Recasner, who is a prominent actor, writer, producer and casting director. She has shared that “I was super-immersed in the world. Everybody was always in some way or another associated with the business. I did stuff as a kid, like my dad’s friends would let me be in the background at a nail salon or something.”

She is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts (located in New York). Her first production was a play called Ain’t No Mo’ held at The Public Theatre (also in New York). She shared, “I went to school around the corner, and every single time I passed the building, I’d always mutter under my breath, ‘I’m going to work inside you someday,’ and then somehow that was the first stage I got a job in New York. It was a literal dream come true.

She has appeared on stage in other productions and appeared in some short films, but it’s been her role of Gabby Lewis in this fall’s new FOX drama The Big Leap that has put her on the map with TV viewers. In fact, she shared that, “The Big Leap feels like (her) first job as well.”

You can follow Simone on Instagram here.

The next new episode of The Big Leap will air on FOX on Monday, October 18 at 8 PM.

HEADS UP: This weekend, Saturday, October 16 to be exact, the second annual DC Fandome will be held online. This FREE, global virtual fan event will feature live webcasts and activities, showcasing DC’s biggest movies, games, shows, comics and more. Fans can get up close and personal with the people behind the characters and worlds they love.

There will be exclusive reveals, behind the scenes looks, fan celebrations and can’t-miss moments that will cover characters such as The Flash, Black Adam, Shazam, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Superman, Krypto, Batman, Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Green Lantern and Aquaman.

The live stream video will be shown here.