Mya-Lecia Naylor, 'Cloud Atlas' Actress, Dies at 16
British child star Mya-Lecia Naylor has died.
The 16-year-old actress, who was known for Millie Inbetween and Almost Never, two teen shows on CBBC, died on April 7 after collapsing, BBC News reports. No further details are known about her death at this time.
In addition to her work on the BBC Children's network, Naylor appeared in Cloud Atlas alongside Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in 2012, as well as Code Red in 2013 and Index Zero in 2014. She was set to star in the upcoming second season of Almost Never and to appear in the pilot episode of The Witcher, a new Netflix series starring Henry Cavill.
In a statement posted to their Instagram account, CBBC said they would miss Naylor "enormously." Almost Never, on which Naylor starred as Mya, the lead singer of a girl group who competes with a rival boy band, also posted to Instagram, offering their condolences to her family and friends.
"Mya-Lecia was a much loved part of the BBC Children’s family, and a hugely talented actress, singer and dancer," CBBC said, according to Almost Never's Instagram post. "We will miss her enormously and we are sure that you will want to join us in sending all our love to her family and friends."
A post shared by Almost Never (@almostnevershow) on Apr 17, 2019 at 8:01am PDT
Emily Atack, who co-starred with Naylor on Almost Never, took to Instagram to express her grief.
"So shocked and sad to hear about lovely Mya-Lecia Naylor. She was a beautiful and talented girl. A complete joy to be around on the set of Almost Never," she wrote. "Sending all my love to her family & friends. Rest in peace beautiful girl x"
A post shared by Emily Atack (@emilyatackofficial) on Apr 17, 2019 at 11:24am PDT
Her other Almost Never co-stars, including Harry Still, Tillie Thalia and Kimberly Wyatt, also posted Instagram tributes to the young actress.
A post shared by Harry Still (@officialharrystill) on Apr 17, 2019 at 9:17am PDT
A post shared by Tillie Amartey (@tillie_thalia) on Apr 17, 2019 at 2:34pm PDT
A post shared by Kimberly Wyatt (@kimberlywyatt) on Apr 18, 2019 at 1:05am PDT
Paul Rose, the creator of Almost Never, described the news as "heartbreaking."
Found out the heartbreaking news last week that Mya-Lecia Naylor has died. I'd been writing scripts for S2 of Almost Never since last year, all featuring Mya's character. Far too young, and a huge loss for all on the show. My heart goes out to her family. https://t.co/aThaojBOOU
— Paul Rose (@mrbiffo) April 17, 2019
Additionally, her Millie Inbetween co-star, Millie Innes, said she was "devastated for Mya."
"The pain of her passing has been awful. Mya and I grew up together over the past five years and had an extremely close relationship," she wrote of Naylor, who starred on the series about two sisters whose parents break up. "I will always cherish our friendship and the moments we spent together beautiful girl ❤️ I am devastated and heartbroken❤️ Thank you for all your kind support. It means a lot to me."
A post shared by MILLIE INNES (@millieinnes) on Apr 18, 2019 at 12:23am PDT
Alice Webb, director of BBC Children's, which includes CBBC, said news of Naylor's death had left her team "distraught and so terribly sad," according to BBC News.
"She has shone so brightly on our screens, both in Millie Inbetween and Almost Never, and it's unthinkable that she won't be part of our journey going forward," she said, describing Naylor as "a real role model for her young fans."
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