KiKi Layne

Biography

KiKi Layne was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her passion for acting ignited at a young age, inspired by watching The Lion King daily and creating stories with her toys. She pursued her interest in the performing arts by attending the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. Layne further honed her craft at DePaul University's Theatre School in Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 2014.

Career Highlights

Layne's acting career began with a role in the short film Veracity (2015) and a guest appearance on Chicago Med in 2016. Her breakout role came in 2018 when she starred as Tish Rivers in Barry Jenkins' critically acclaimed film If Beale Street Could Talk, an adaptation of James Baldwin's novel. Her performance garnered significant praise and established her as a rising talent in Hollywood.

Following this success, Layne appeared in several notable films:

Native Son (2019), an adaptation of Richard Wright's novel.

The Old Guard (2020), where she played Nile Freeman alongside Charlize Theron.

Coming 2 America (2021), portraying Meeka Joffer, the daughter of Eddie Murphy's character.

Don't Worry Darling (2022), in which she played Margaret.

In addition to her film work, Layne has lent her voice to projects like Max Richter's album Voices, inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

She is set to reprise her role as Nile Freeman in the upcoming sequel, The Old Guard 2, currently in post-production.

Personal Life

Layne is in a relationship with actor Ari'el Stachel, whom she met on the set of Don't Worry Darling in 2020.