Layton Lamell is Just Getting Started

Layton Lamell always shows up to the function looking clean.

Two NYC transplants who came to the city with a dream, we meet up at BEEPUBLIC in Dumbo for a cup of coffee and to chat about life and his journey into the spotlight thus far. 

If there’s one thing that Layton and I agree on, it’s that there’s endless possibility in this city. And we’re hungry for what it can mean for us, our aspirations, and our futures. 

Lamell has been busy since he got to the city. Primarily an actor, Lamell has also prioritized  making strategic moves in fashion since arriving in New York. Modeling for brands like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, and Jean Paul Gaultier, he’s expanded his portfolio and continues to make lasting connections. This past November, he starred in and produced his first production of Bobbie Clearly. 

As we caught up on the past few weeks since we last saw each other, I could feel the curiosity inside me raring to ask questions on how Lamell will get to that future version of himself, and how will he maintain who he is as he rockets to stardom? 

Layton Lamell and Obscura are at similar places. Both beginning from spaces of humble obscurity, Lamell from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Obscura beginning in a senior business class in Arizona, before both landing in New York City. Both parties are hoping that we’re moving towards something that looks like success with potential for fame. For Lamell, it’s working with directors like Luca Guadagnino, Greta Gerwig, and Steven Spielberg, and co-starring alongside Zendaya. Lamell never once felt like he couldn’t do anything, he just had to shed the boundaries that he previously held himself to in order to start soaring. 

It’s no surprise that Lamell has always loved the stage. He used to be out with his cousin for hours when he was little, making up plays and shows to perform for his family. Lamell pursued sports for years in high school, growing and honing his competitive edge. But it wasn’t until college that he felt brave enough to take the leap to pursue his art. Though there were certain moments that helped him prepare to make the move to fully commit to his craftsmanship.

The most significant of these occurred quite simply, on the way to a high school track meet with his mom. She looked at him and said simply, “Layton, you don’t have to be like anyone else”. 

“I had a track meet and we were going in the wrong direction. For like, 20 minutes. But going in the wrong direction for 20 minutes was the best misdirection that ever could have happened. We had this conversation where she took this kind of weight off of my back. She allowed me to spread my wings, taking away the expectation of what everyone else wanted me to be. And that was confirmation of like, yo, I can be anything I want to be”.

Lamell has come a long way from that conversation that snowballed into where he is now, having recently celebrated an important milestone with his mom by performing for her for the first time in Bobbie Clearly in New York City.

All of this is not to imply that Lamell has had everything handed to him on a platter. There’s been times where he’s been couch surfing, broke, down and out and wondering if he made a huge mistake in leaving university to pursue acting. Should he have stayed in his dorm room instead of transferring to acting school in NYC? He shares specific encounters with God that helped to stabilize him in moments of great uncertainty. 

I wonder about what pieces of humility we need to balance within ourselves as we seek fame. How do we stay true to our values and principles and not get lost in any temptations from fame, money, and success? There are countless examples and stories of people who lost their way while chasing a dream, and even more whose mental health suffered from the pressure. What keeps us grounded in well-being, authenticity, and humility?

“I want to share who I am for real, and I think there are things that happen if you really start paying attention to the omens that God gives you.”

Church and hymns were a huge influence on Layton’s childhood. He was inspired by his grandfather’s taking up space as pastors, and seeing the way the congregation responded to them on stage. From witnessing this, he also wanted to entertain audiences. From these fundamental experiences throughout childhood and adolescence, he knew he wanted to hold a mirror up to people, to inspire, to give hope and express possibility to others. 

Lamell has had some prophetic moments in his life. He’s been prayed over and had conversations that made him believe that the gift of kind words can change someone’s life. At some of the most difficult times of his life he’s had an experience from a stranger that felt like a blessing, after sharing words with him he’s gotten really great news for his career. A particularly impactful conversation happened last summer, and directly after he got a call that he had landed his first national commercial. 

“I felt like this person, it was almost as if this angel came and spoke to me and it was at a time where I needed it…it reminded me that you have to go through some type of struggle, a trial to get to the other side”.

When pondering the trajectory into fame, it’s natural to reflect on the journey, and what changes have occurred. While Lamell hasn’t booked a huge feature film yet (heavy on yet), the differences between himself before pursuing acting and now being in the game, is Lamell’s evolution of style and his hair. He never thought he would be showing off his afro proudly, mainly keeping his hair short or in braids for the majority of his life. While outwardly he’s changed, what’s consistent is his determination, curiosity, faith, and ability to see what’s possible for himself and others. 

Lamell’s fashion has changed largely by exposure. Living in the city and seeing unique ways to express himself and the permission to experiment, leaning into how the city can be a runway, compared to other cities with less fashion-focus. Lamell shares he likes to put himself in uncomfortable situations in a fashion - way. He shares that snakeskin loafers were one of the first conscious ‘pushing the boundary’ fashion decisions he made in New York. He wants others to take a step modeling how he’s taken a step into uncomfortability. Lamell attended the Armani Men’s show in Italy in June of 2025, a big moment for a small town American boy.

“I was in awe, basically, of the craftsmanship. And just being in a room where people really cared about it too. Armani is legendary and I got to see it happen in real time.”

With creating art comes potential for too much attention and inevitable spotlight. Outside influences and pressures can lead to unplanned change within oneself - like of all the celebrities that have once lost their way from the pressures of fame, or publications selling out for cash and advertisements. When asking Lamell how he will maintain authenticity and individuality as he pursues fame – he said that he knows that his own fingerprint cannot be duplicated. 

“Pray, prepare, play.”

Lamell operates under his own slogan and has consistent check-ins with himself to make sure he’s on track. He keeps himself inspired by the art around him, with reverence to art, architecture, and nature. He doesn’t worry about how the spotlight will change him, he’s still thinking about how to get more solidly into it.

How does fame impact personhood? Are people able to truly stay loyal to who they are? Is transformation inevitable, and something that should be wholeheartedly embraced? When discussing the impact on himself, Lamell shares that boundaries are extremely important. 

“Once a door is opened, you pretty much can’t close it, because someone knows you. Being an actor, I think it’s really important to have that space between you and the audience members because if you’ve given them too much, your illusion is broken.”

The parasocial aspect of having an online platform is common in current culture, and he ponders this often. While he hasn’t experienced anything overly odd yet, he expects it as he climbs and achieves different goals through his career.

A significant piece to Lamell’s passion for his art, is to create space in the industry for more people that look like him. He wants to tell stories that people haven’t heard from a young Black actor, and wants to represent possibility - someone who can defy the odds. He views his mission as one to trailblaze and give others hope. 

With ambition like Lamell’s, there isn’t a cap to who he aspires to work with. If the story is right, he wants to work with every great director, cinematographer, producer, costume designer there is. Layton says earnestly that he wants to be the greatest at what he does, the Michael Jordan of what he gets to do. Candidly, he shares that there are a lot of white actors that are getting to tell every kind of story. He believes in the possibility of more Black actors getting opportunities, and it has to start with recognizing the lack of accessibility to the space.

When looking to the future, Obscura aspires to a lot. We hope to be in print, on podcasts, on YouTube, and have built our following of people looking for the aberrant views on fashion. When Layton looks to the future, it’s simple. Big films with a beautiful family. In 20 years he hopes to be healthy, telling stories at the highest level, on stage or on screen. He hopes to be giving back in some type of way. He’s competitive and he hopes to still be making movies until he’s 100 years old, like Tom Cruise said. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Layton Lamell, a beautiful future, having fun, and spreading love.

I had to ask Lamell, would you be okay if you stayed in obscurity for the rest of your life? Was creating the art still worth it if no one was paying attention? Lamell answered wholeheartedly, yes. You can change a few people’s lives who interact with your art. 

“If one person, five people saw it, you got to be okay with that, you know? Of course, you want excellence, you want to enrich as many people as possible…but I think that’s where you can feel good about what you created. If you gave it everything you had you can be okay with that at the end of the day. You left it out there on the stage, you know?’.

Credits:

Creative Direction: @yeseniafollingstad

Photographer: @dillon_puswald

Model: @laytonlamell

Styling: @aint.ramaine

MUA: @jenniesegeden

Production Assistant: @aaalexia23