‘To do something different means understanding you are the source’: Actress encourages SC State students

Award-winning actress Laya DeLeon Hayes shared insight on acting, confidence and persistence during the two-day “From Dream to Screen” master class at SC State’s I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — An award-winning actress urged South Carolina State University students to embrace their individuality and pursue their goals during a two-day master class focused on acting and the entertainment industry.

SC State hosted the latest session of its “From Dream to Screen: Industry Insiders Master Class” series March 24-25 at the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium, featuring actress Laya DeLeon Hayes.

Hayes, 21, said this was her first time conducting a master class and that it was both special and amazing. She said she hoped the sessions were educational and motivational for students.

“All of the students were just so committed and really gave their 110 percent, and they had fun, too. The aspect of play is almost lost in this industry just because of how serious it can get,” Hayes said.

“What I love about all the students was they were so willing to play. They didn’t overthink things. They put themselves out there, and I feel like that’s a very courageous thing to do,” she said.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and raised in Texas, Hayes has built an impressive and multifaceted career across television, film and voice acting. She is widely recognized for her role as Delilah in CBS’s “The Equalizer,” and as the voice of the title character in Disney Junior’s “Doc McStuffins,” a performance that earned her an NAACP Image Award.

Her recent film work includes a leading role in “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster,” and she received a BAFTA Game Award for her voice performance in “God of War: Ragnarök.  

Hayes said she left the master class feeling inspired and that she hoped students gained knowledge of how to become better actors, as well as techniques that go into, for example, scene work. 

“Any chance I get to share information, especially with young people, and show them that there are opportunities for them in the entertainment industry, that means a lot to me. I hope that they understand that to be something special or to do something different means understanding that they are the source,” she said.

Hayes said a huge part of her master class instruction was emphasizing the students’ intrinsic values.

“You don’t have to change who you are, you don’t have to people please, you don’t have to try and be something that you’re not. The thing that makes you special is you,” she said.

“There were 25 students in that class. They all did the same dialogue or the same line, and they all did it differently because them showing up is them bringing something special in their own way.

“I want them to know that … it’s about you and the foundation that you have for yourself. There are so many opportunities for them in our industry, and your dreams are not as far away as they may seem,” Hayes said. 

“All that’s missing is understanding that the opportunity is out there and being persistent and patient enough to take the steps to get there,” she said. 

Students ‘put themselves out there’ in master class experience

Kazarius “KZ” Adams, 23, a senior professional drama major from West Columbia, South Carolina, said he was thankful for the opportunity to attend the master class and appreciated Hayes’ visit to SC State.

“I really enjoyed the two days with Laya. It was a great experience. I learned a lot and stayed locked in, taking everything in,” Adams said.

Le’Asia Scott, a junior professional drama major from Hemingway, South Carolina, said, “I enjoyed the class very much. It was very informative, and I felt as if I could relate to her a lot more, being that we’re so close in age.”

Julius Floyd, 18, a freshman professional drama major from Conway, South Carolina, said, “I thought the class was very insightful and helpful. It definitely showed me that you can come from anywhere and still be an actor.” 

Redick Brown, 19, a freshman computer science major from West Palm Beach, Florida, said, “As someone who is still learning his way around the world of acting, the class opened my eyes to how acting is a process that takes time to understand and master.”

Hayes said much of what the students needed was belief in themselves.

“If you feel it within yourself, have a gut instinct that you’re supposed to be a creative and you’re supposed to be a part of this industry, I hope that they listen to that gut feeling and they know that there is space for them in whatever capacity of the industry they want to be a part of,” she said. 

Hayes said the class included a wide range of ages and that she could see confidence building among participants.

“That’s really all that matters to me. One, they’re having fun and, two, they can see and know that they can do something like this. There aren’t really any limits to what they can do,” she said.

‘The thing that makes you special is you.’

The goal of a master class is to deepen understanding, refine skills and provide guidance that is not typically available in standard courses.

Hayes, who has worked with veteran actresses such as Loretta Devine, Queen Latifah and Lorraine Toussaint, said there were some things that could not be taught in a classroom.

“Just learning kind of what set etiquette looks like. So many people have taken me under their wing when I was a kid and even now, like Lorraine Toussaint and Queen, and just kind of showed me how a set’s supposed to move, small things like how the camera is supposed to look or how you’re supposed to be looking at the camera,” she said.

“I learned things from every single person that I’ve worked with. How to speak up on set. How to advocate for yourself. It’s really hard to teach a class or write a book on things like that because every experience is different,” Hayes said. “So when you’re a young person coming up in the industry, you lean on people who have been through this industry longer than you have.”

The actress said she is thankful for having landed major roles at such a young age.

“It means everything to me. This has been my dream since I was a little kid, since I was probably 8 or 9 years old. My dream has been manifested into reality, and to not only get to work with great people but just learn so much from every single experience really means the world to me,” Hayes said.

She stressed the importance of having the strong support of her parents, who have provided a strong foundation throughout her career.

 “As a kid, I did not realize just how much they were sacrificing. When I hear that now, it’s almost unbelievable just how much belief they have and have had in me since the very beginning,” Hayes said. “It’s beyond almost my understanding just how willing they were to continuously nurture what they saw and support my passions from such a young age.”

The actress said she has learned many lessons along her professional journey.

“Pretty early I saw that the only way you could be successful in this industry and in this life is you’re just open and open to whatever comes and take some of those things lightly or with a grain of salt,” Hayes said.

 “This is one of the most spontaneous careers that you can have. Every job is temporary. The relationships that you have sometimes are very temporary. There are times when you are on a set, and you never see them after that show or movie has ended. 

“I think it just kind of showed me how nontraditional this type of life is and is going to be. I don’t think I was fully aware of other things that I learned later. You don’t really need anybody. It’s important to have close friendships and a close support system, but at the same time, you really just need to have a good foundation for yourself, and you’ll be OK,” she said.

Hayes said she had a love for TV and performing at a young age, having performed in her first dance recital at age 7.

“I remember when I was on that stage, and I came off and told my dad, ‘I want to go back up there. I want to do it. I got to go back up there.’ He was like, ‘Girl, you can’t go back up there.’

“I knew from that moment that just being on stage and seeing how much the crowd and the audience was feeling it and how fulfilling it was for me at the time that this was something that I want to do,” she said.

“I’ve kind of been chasing that feeling ever since I got started. There are little moments throughout my career where I feel that. It’s a really magical feeling. It’s like being so completely present in your art that everything just kind of aligns and flows. That’s how I felt when I was 7, and that’s kind of the high that I continue to chase throughout my career,” Hayes said.

She said rejection will come in the entertainment industry, but that it doesn’t have to mean the end of the world or a budding acting career.

“All of it just doesn’t have to do with you. I think a lot of the time we treat it like it’s something personal, and it really isn’t personal. It’s about having a really blind faith and trust that the right opportunities are going to find you,” Hayes said. 

Kevin Hayes, the actress’s father, is a 1997 SC State graduate. He and his wife, Gina Hayes, supported their daughter in hosting the master class at the university.

 At the end of her second master class session, Orangeburg Mayor Michael C. Butler presented Hayes with a resolution from the Orangeburg County Council designating March 25 as Laya DeLeon Hayes Day in the City of Orangeburg.

 SC State established the “From Dream to Screen” series as a premier learning experience connecting students with accomplished professionals in film and television. Previous master class speakers have included acclaimed producer and director Trey Haley, renowned actor and acting coach Richard Lawson, and actor and singer Jason Weaver.