Laya Lewis

Laya Lewis (born 14 May 1992 in London) is an English actress, best known for her role as Liv Malone in the fifth and sixth series of the hit British TV drama Skins.

Laya Lewis was born in South London, St George's Hospital. She moved to Bristol when she was 4 years old attending Millpond Primary School in Easton. She then went on to study at Fairfield Secondary School and then 6th Form at Cotham School.

Laya is currently studying Media and Cultural Studies at the University of the Arts London.

While in sixth form Lewis made her television debut in the fifth series of E4's teen drama Skins, which started on 27 January 2011. She gained the role of Liv Malone through open auditions in Bristol. Members of the shows production team visited some of the local schools and she was asked to attend and audition. At the age of 16 she auditioned for the second generation of Skins, however when she arrived she decided not to participate.

In April 2012, Lewis starred in Emeli Sandé's music video "My Kind of Love", directed by Dawn Shadforth. It recounts the story of the ambiguous relationship of two female characters, and how the younger girl, played by Lewis, lives with cancer. In 2013 she filmed The Line, a short movie written and directed by BAFTA nominated Faye Gilbert about a teenage girl and young boy running for their lives in a futuristic world. Next Lewis will play the lead role of Beverly in Beverley, a short film produced by Cass Pennant telling the true story of a mixed-race girl growing up in the city of Leicester in the 1980s.

Laya also provides the idents for BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show with Nick Grimshaw.

In 2014, she appeared as Potato Girl in Cuckoo.