Everything's Gonna Be Okay Star Kayla Cromer on Autism Representation and Changing Hollywood

In Up Next, Teen Vogue talks to up-and-coming talent about their journey to fame and the influences that have informed their extraordinary work.

Name: Kayla Cromer

Hometown: Morgan Hill, California

Big break: Playing Matilda in Freeform's Everything's Gonna Be Okay

In the eighth grade, Kayla Cromer went hunting for ghosts at the infamously haunted Queen Mary. Traveling 400 miles south from her hometown for a school research assignment, Kayla descended a steep ladder to get to the very bottom of the ship and into the cargo hold. There, she started hearing a ruckus of pounding, her hair twisted into the air, and everyone's video equipment died. While most people would be terrified by the encounter, all Kayla wanted to do was return to catch the spirits on camera. This is the girl that got her first EMF detector as a Christmas present when she was 10.

Kayla might be a little older now, but she's dedicated as ever to the paranormal. She's also found other passions, including acting. When she first moved to Los Angeles in 2017, she had 31 roommates in a small house jam-packed with struggling artists sleeping in bunk beds and using common spaces to film self-tapes. She was working as a waitress and taking acting classes while trying to get signed to a talent agency. That's when she came across the casting call for Freeform's new series Everything's Gonna Be Okay.

"My heart stopped when I saw the role available and that they were specifically seeking an actress that was either autistic or on the spectrum," says Kayla, who's on the autism spectrum. "After reading the pilot script, I instantly fell in love with Matilda. Everything that she was about and how quirky the show seemed compared to other sitcoms and comedies that I've watched."

Created and starring Josh Thomas of cult hit Please Like Me, his new show hits the ground running with tragedy in the first episode. Twenty-something Nicholas (Josh) is visiting his dad and two half-sisters, Matilda and Genevieve (Maeve Press), when their father reveals he's dying. Cut to a scene later and he's gone — the siblings are getting ready for his funeral and dealing with the aftermath of his passing, including Nicholas taking on raising the teen siblings while balancing his love life with a new beau named Alex (Adam Faison). It's heavy and somber but full of dark comedy, much like Josh's past work. That's perhaps best encapsulated in the scene where Kayla's Matilda delivers a eulogy for her father.

"Hello, I will be doing Dad's eulogy," she says to a room full of people dressed in black. "I have autism. Dad used to get frustrated when I always made things about myself. But he's dead now. Surprise!"

Kayla loves how the show "doesn't fit the mold of storybook families." It's unafraid to discuss typically taboo topics like death, along with conversations about periods, buttholes, and consent while drinking. It almost reminded Kayla of "the family version of Degrassi" through its tackling of real issues. She sees that fearlessness as what will reel in audience members to get to know Nicholas, Matilda, and Gen a bit more. That family dynamic and warmth existed on set. Some of Kayla's favorite memories during filming are just when the cast was having lunch at craft services and laughing when things go wrong, such as Kayla's trouble pronouncing the French word boudoir.

To help bring Matilda alive, Kayla would reflect on her own life, getting to have some of her own quirks and experiences brought to the character because Josh and the writers wanted to reflect reality. One hilarious example Kayla offers up is based on her middle school years and skinny jeans. Back in the day, Kayla couldn't stand the texture of tight-fitting jeans but wanted to ditch the bell-bottoms and fit in. So her mom put a little bit of baby powder in the bottoms, however, Kayla was still itchy, so she put mounds of the drugstore staple into her pants. When she got to class and sat down hard and fast, the powder went poof and enveloped her in a white cloud. Fans can expect something similar in a future episode when Matilda wants to switch up her wardrobe choices.

"It was in a writer's meeting when they asked if I had any stories I wanted to tell. Coincidentally when we first got picked up, I had this whole book written out of ideas," Kayla says. "Actors who play autistic characters, they haven't walked in our shoes because they don't have it themselves. So by incorporating parts of myself into the role, it just makes it more authentic."

Last year, Kayla disclosed at the Freeform Summit that she's on the spectrum. She faced a tangle of fears, including how the admission might affect her acting career. She worried that she would be typecast and labeled, that the only roles she'd potentially nab in the future would be autistic when she knows she's capable of neurotypical roles.

"But then I realized those issues are small and what if I can really change the industry? It'll just open more doors because there are so many people trying with a disability to get into this business, but nobody wants to give us a chance," she says. "People stick to what's known and are afraid to think out of the box. But isn't the entertainment industry about being creative — different thinking styles and approaches? Each day employers choose to ignore us they are really missing out on so many talented artists."

So far, Kayla has loved interacting with fans of Everything's Gonna Be Okay and seeing their reactions. At a recent screening with the San Francisco Sketchfest, she was brought to tears after hearing the audience laugh during her eulogy scene. That sort of feedback makes Kayla feel fulfilled as a performer, that she's doing the role of Matilda justice. Through social media, she has also connected with people given hope by the show's embrace of neurodiversity.

"Hearing them tell their stories, how they're on the spectrum and giving them advice, it can be overwhelming at times, but it's just so rewarding," she adds. "So many people say, 'You are giving us a voice. I've waited so many years for an actor on the spectrum to be playing an on-the-spectrum role.'"

Growing up, Kayla loved Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, especially because of actors like Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom who have publicly talked about their struggles with dyslexia. That opened up the world to Kayla and helped spark her passion for acting. Beyond that, she's also been a huge fan of Law and Order: SVU for years and would love to appear on the crime procedural. Kayla hopes to nab roles with depth and work with directors that range from J. J. Abrams to Greta Gerwig.

All the while, she wants to continue using her platform to make a difference in the world. With Kayla out there pushing forward, everything's going to be more than just okay.

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

Credits:

Photographer: Emma Trim (@emmatrim)

Stylist: Sasha Clyde (@sachie________)

Makeup: Juan Antonio (@juanantoniomakeup)

Hair: Angela Calisti

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