Laya DeLeon Hayes’ Parents Are There for Her All the Time, Even on the Set

Laya DeLeon Hayes was born to be a star. 

At the tender age of 6, she told her parents that she wanted to act, and right from the get-go, her parents were supportive. She landed her first gig when she was 8, which was a photoshoot for Chuck E. Cheese brochures, which stayed for five years. 

After that, she was booked to voice the title character in the popular animated series, Doc McStuffins. Her role in the award-winning series as the first Black animation character on Disney Jr earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination. 

Hayes' other television credits include Just Add Magic, Liv & Maddie, and Raven's Home. She also guest-starred in Cougar Town, Grey's Anatomy, Quantico, and appeared in the television film Santa Hunters and many commercial campaigns.

Her latest project is playing aloof Delilah on CBS's The Equalizer, opposite Queen Latifah, who plays her mother and aunt Lorraine Toussaint. The actress has achieved a lot in her budding career, and it's all thanks to her parents. 

Laya DeLeon Hayes' Parents

Hayes was born to an African American father and third-generation Filipino mother. 

As a kid, she would spend her summer holidays with her Filipino cousins and grandparents, cooking lumpia and longganisa. Then, for Christmas, she would spend time with both her mother and father's side of the family.

And despite all the fame, the actress shared that her parents kept her grounded. During her interview on the purple carpet at the 2nd annual "GR4CF" Fundraiser and Fashion Show held at CBS Radford Studios in August 2016. the host asked her how she stayed humble in the industry. 

She replied that she owed it to her parents. 

The main thing is just staying grounded and your parents making sure they keep you grounded and having a good time because it doesn’t matter when you are having a good time. It’s all good when you having a good time. 

And it looks like her parents are the biggest cheerleader too. Her parents, who are both on Instagram, have photos after photos of their daughter and her work and from their time on her set. 

Laya DeLeon Hayes' Relationship with Her Mom

In a different interview, Hayes also talked a little about her relationship with her mother. 

The actress appeared on GlitterMagazine on April 8, 2021, to talk about her role on The Equalizer. During the interview, she was asked if she could relate to her character, Delilah, or if she differed from her. She replied that there were both similar and different.

Hayes iterated that while she and Delilah were both teenagers, she was more laid back while Delilah was feisty. She added that their relationships with their mothers were also very different. Delilah and her mother were estranged, while she was very close to her mother. 

She shared that she could not relate to Delilah's relationship with her mother because she was with her mother every day.  

You can watch The Equalizer on CBS.