KiKi Layne was ready to rock a braided wig over her locs for her latest project, The Old Guard 2.
In the first film, released in July 2020, the 33-year-old actor wore cornrows. Since then, however, she’s decided to loc her hair after hesitating on the decision for years, fearing it might limit her from getting work. However, the pandemic shifted her mindset, making her realize that life is too short not to do what she wants. After learning about the sequel, Layne told co-star Charlize Theron that she planned to cover up her locs during filming. Theron convinced her otherwise.
“She just looked at me like, ‘What? No, wear your hair like that. It’s gorgeous,’” Layne recalled during a Zoom interview. “I’m grateful to her for being an advocate for me in a moment where I didn’t even realize that I needed an advocate, that I didn’t even realize that I was trying to hide some part of myself. And I’m grateful to have been able to do that [in this film.]”
The Cincinnati native’s locs feel aligned with her character’s journey in this sequel. Six months after learning she’s immortal, Nile Freeman, played by Layne, steps up to lead and protect both her team and humanity. She fights alongside a team of fellow warriors, led by Andy (Theron), as they gain a deeper understanding of where exactly their special powers come from, while a larger threat looms with Discord (Uma Thurman).
In the sequel, which premiered on Netflix on July 2, Nile is more confident, badass, and daring. We see her doing more stunts — many of which Layne performed herself — and wielding swords this time around. On the surface, taking on a thrilling action role like this is really cool. But the significance of being an immortal Black woman in a film like this isn’t lost on Layne.
“When people see me and my films, I want them to feel my love of our community, and I hope that that love resonates in some way for them to love themselves more fully and to see their beauty.”
“I think it’s important for us to be able to watch any genre and see ourselves represented in ways that feel real and meaningful,” she said. “Yes, she’s a warrior, but there still is a vulnerability there. We see the strong Black woman [trope] in film and TV, but Nile is a bit more complex than that, even though she has this really special ability.”
Layne has been intentional about the roles she takes on. When your debut feature is starring in Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, being selective feels on par for the journey. Since then, Layne has starred in Don’t Worry Darling, Native Son and Dandelion. When Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020, Layne applauded his dedication to “representing us and opening doors for us to be seen in ways that this industry often ignores” in an Instagram tribute post.
She hopes to do the same. While filming Coming 2 America, Wesley Snipes asked Layne to name five Black female action stars. She couldn’t.
“He said, ‘You could be that. I see your skill. I see you can actually do this if you take it seriously,’” she recalled. The veteran’s words stuck with her.
“I knew that it was something more meaningful in terms of how I can represent for dark skinned Black women, [in] representing wearing my locs out. All of these things are super intentional for me,” she said. “I grew up watching these movies, and there were only so many types of stories and genres that we saw ourselves being represented consistently. [I get to] now have two films under my belt where I get to contribute to filling that gap a bit.”
That’s been her focal point in an industry where work can be inconsistent and rejections are plentiful. In turn, she’s had to be more selective. “How are Black women going to feel when they see this?” has become a sort of litmus test for her. After her first Oscars afterparty the year If Beale Street Could Talk was nominated, the then-newbee was over it and headed out the door when a young woman approached her. She tearfully expressed gratitude for seeing Layne, a woman with natural hair who looked like her, lead a film “filled with so much love and tenderness.”
“It was literally a moment where I’m looking around and I’m like, ‘I’m tired of this shit.’ And I was immediately reminded that it’s not about me,” she said. “When I show up fully, in my gifts, when I show up despite being tired, despite all of the things that’s telling me that there’s no space for me, when I still show up, it means something to so many people, because they get to see themselves.”
Layne used that to fuel Nile’s story in Old Guard 2. On their quest to save humanity, the immortals continually wrestle with the concept of purpose as they learn more about their gift, which allows them to live for centuries. They experience time in an unimaginable way as a result. Just as Layne has poured her own experiences into this character, Nile has offered lessons in return.
“I have to connect to the belief that this is bigger than me, for me to continue to do this. This is a crazy industry. There’s so many ups and downs. It breaks your heart more than it fills you with joy,” she said candidly. “It really is a tough time right now, and so that’s the thing that I have to hold on to is that it’s not about me, I perform, and obviously it feels good inside, but a performance is for an audience.”
“I knew that it was something more meaningful in terms of how I can represent for dark skinned Black women, [in] representing wearing my locs out. All of these things are super intentional for me.”
Layne isn’t stopping at making waves in the action genre. She desires to keep pushing her own boundaries in acting with “something that’s messier and darker.” And of course, she’s holding out hope for The Old Guard 3, reasonably so after the sequel’s cliffhanger.
“When people see me and my films, I want them to feel my love of our community,” she stated. “And I hope that that love resonates in some way for them to love themselves more fully and to see their beauty, to see their power, to see their vulnerability. We don’t have to run from these things.”
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