Alaya High is better know by her performance name, Lay Lay. Those who are Nickelodeon fans recognize the 16-year-old as “That Girl” from her hit television series, That Girl Lay Lay. Still, even with a thriving career in entertainment and nearly two million social media followers, the young star does not feel like a superstar.
“I still don’t feel famous,” Alaya tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I would say I’m known,” she adds. “I’m popular. But famous? I’m not quite there,” the teen says. “It takes a bit longer to get there this way, and that’s OK.”
Lay Lay rose to fame after a video clip of her rapping went viral. She was 11 years old at the time and was recorded by her father during a car ride. What appeared to be a simple clip ultimately served as the key that unlocked Alaya’s future in show business. The young star leveraged her viral status to build an empire that afforded her the opportunity to pitch an ideo for a show to Nickelodeon.
“I’m not going to lie. I went in there and told that man I wanted my own TV show,” the teen says when speaking of how she petitioned Nickelodeon executives about making That Girl Lay Lay a reality.
“I grew up watching and loving Nickelodeon, but I didn’t see someone like me on TV, I didn’t see someone like me on Instagram,” Alaya says when speaking of what motivated her to build a strong brand. “So I decided to become it,” she adds.
Becoming a new type of child star has its perks and challenges. “This job comes with fame and money, but they don’t talk about what it takes from you, especially as a kid,” Lay shares with The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s a lot that I feel like I missed out on, and I feel like [the industry] should talk more about how it really is,” she admits.
“[Social media] shows the money side, and the jewelry side, but it doesn’t show you being up until 5 in the morning, or flying home from shows and having to go right to set.”
Photo: Chrisean Rose/Instagram
