JAYLA CALHOUN is one of Hollywood's Brightest Young Stars

Jayla Calhoun’s profile page on the fan site YBR (Young Black Stars) mentions that she loves to say “BAM Baby!” after something good happens for her – and those kinds of moments and opportunities have been hitting seemingly non-stop for the young actress and multi-talented performer since moving to Los Angeles with her family several years ago.

Relocating with her family from North Carolina, Jayla began securing co-starring roles, national commercials (Wendy’s) and television promos (PBS). A successful guest spot on the TV One sitcom Love That Girl led the show’s creator, Bentley Kyle Evans, to cast her on his Bounce TV show Family Time as “Ebony Stallworth,” the daughter of middle class African American couple Anthony and Lisa Stallworth. The show premiered in 2012 and is currently in its third season.

“I really enjoy playing Ebony,” Jayla says, “and I find sometimes that I can relate to her almost exactly, especially in her relationship with her brother Devin (played by Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr.). I’m the same way with my own brothers Delano and Damarr, always competitive and trying to top them. Ebony is also fun to play because she participates in some cool activities that I don’t do in real life, like being part of the girl scouts. I enjoy being on the set and on camera, with the opportunity to say some funny and shocking things! I feel very blessed to have this opportunity.”

A talented clothing designer, Jayla made her fashion show debut in September 2014, with two of her outfits being worn by young female models. One was a pompadour shirt, green on the bottom, pink on the top, with a flair-out skirt; the other was a black jumper outfit. Jayla strips and cuts her own clothing as design, and also dazzles things up with crystals, including putting them on shoelaces. “I really enjoy finding different fabrics and picking out colors and materials for the designs,” she says. “I would love to see my designs in stores and have more people wearing them!”

That opportunity may happen soon with Boss Crew Kids, a company she created with with her mom and her brothers Delano and Damarr, who is a series regular on the Nickelodeon sitcom Instant Mom. Through the website of this exciting entrepreneurial venture, Boss Crew Kids will sell T-shirts, hats, backpacks and other specialty items designed by the Calhouns with the unique Boss Crew Kids logo on them. Some of the proceeds will go toward several non-profit organizations – including the Calhoun siblings’ own non-profit Young Hustle Hearts, a community outreach which gives back to help the homeless and less fortunate people living on skid row. Jayla will be doing all the designs for “Boss Girls,” Boss Crew Kids’ specialty line for young females.

Born in Colorado Springs, CO, Jayla’s dad was in the military, and being part of this kind of family gave her the opportunity to live in various cities and states – leading to her keen ability to adapt to any environment and prepare herself for a multitude of adventures. At an early age, her mother noticed her love for entertaining, mimicking commercials, cartoon characters and characters from her favorite TV shows. When Jayla was four, her family moved to North Carolina and she signed first agent there, leading to her early work modeling, winning showcase awards and co-starring in several independent films.
A high achiever in school as well, Jayla was invited to attend the Junior National Youth Conference in Washington, D.C. as a result of being awarded the Certificate of Merit for high academics and leadership skills. “I want to show girls my age that there’s nothing they can’t accomplish,” she says. “They can make things happen if they try and work really hard.”