Career
In 2004, when Mya-Lecia Naylor was about two years old, she had her acting debut in a season five episode of the BBC sitcom ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, portraying the role of Jane. For the ensuing seven years, she did not appear in any films and TV projects. In 2011, she made her comeback in the CITV fantasy sitcom ‘Tati’s Hotel’. She was cast as the titular character, the owner of a magical hotel where her friends serve as the hotel staff. That year, she also portrayed the role of Little Red Riding Hood in the eponymous episode of ‘Cartoonito Tales.’
In 2012, she played Bethany in the television miniseries ‘The Last Weekend’. That year, she also got the chance to work with the likes of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Hugh Grant in the action fantasy mystery film ‘Cloud Atlas’. In an interview, she spoke about her experience of meeting Tom Hanks, who gave her and others a tour of the set on the first day she was there. She then appeared in the 2013 action horror science fiction film ‘Code Red’ as Miriam. Directed by Valeri Milev, the film revolves around a Special Forces soldier who goes to Bulgaria on an assignment and discovers that a WWII chemical agent has been found that can reanimate the dead. A year later, she worked with writer/director Lorenzo Sportiello in his film ‘Index Zero’.
She then bagged a role in the sitcom ‘Millie Inbetween.’ Created by Elaine Sperber, Gary Parker, Matthew Leys, and Will Ing, the CBBC sitcom is about the lives of 12-year-old Millie and her 15-year-old sister Lauren after their parents’ separation. Naylor was cast as Fran, one of the two children of Amber, the woman Millie’s father begins dating after the separation. The show aired from October 1, 2014, to December 12, 2018, and starred, besides Naylor, Millie Innes, Tallulah Greive, Hannah Jane Fox, James Bachman, Jeremy Edwards, Theo Stevenson, and Jaye Jacobs.
In 2019, she shared screen space with Emily Atack, Lilly Stanion, and Harry Still in the CBBC comedy-drama series ‘Almost Never’. She portrayed Mya and appeared in 11 out of 13 episodes of the show. Developed by Paul Rose and Jeremy Salsby, the series tells the story a boy band named The Wonderland, as the members of the group pursue fame and fortune while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in their private lives.
Naylor was slated to star in Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ series alongside Henry Cavill and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson and had filmed scenes for the pilot episode. On the day the news of her death was made public, reports came out stating that Netflix is looking to premiere ‘The Witcher’ in the fall of 2019.
As a singer, she was part of the group Angels N Bandits. Influenced by the likes of Drake, Whitney Houston, Chris Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Stormzy, and Little Mix, the group maintained a significant social media presence and posted covers of various popular songs on their YouTube channel. They had performed at several live events, and as of 2017, had been working on their original music.
Family & Personal Life
Born on November 6, 2002, in Warwickshire, England, Naylor was one of the three children of Martin and Zena Naylor. She had two brothers. Naylor was a student at Royal Russell School and Coloma Convent Girls' School.
On April 7, 2019, Naylor suddenly collapsed and died. At the time, she was 16 years old. The cause of her death is still being investigated by Croydon Coroner's Court. Following her death, there was an outpouring of condolences and support for her family. Her co-stars in various projects paid their tributes. Emily Atack, who worked with her in ‘Almost Never’, wrote in an Instagram post that Naylor was a “complete joy to be around”. Lilly Stanion wrote “My heart is broken and words can not describe how I’m feeling right now.” Harry Still posted “Rest in peace Mya. You were one of my best friends and I will miss you so much.” Her fans also took to social media to express their grief and offer their condolences to her family.
