Before Laysla De Oliveira was playing an action star in Special Ops: Lioness, she was playing the role of staff at Toronto’s Terroni restaurant. And while she’s come a long way since those days, the Canadian actress hasn’t forgotten the push her former boss gave her to pursue her acting dream. “I’m obsessed with Terroni,” De Oliveira told Narcity's Ashna Bharkhada during a recent sit-down interview for the series, which is out now on Paramount+ Canada.
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00:00 I used to work at Tarot. That was my last job before I moved to LA and I still have a note from my manager that said "follow your dreams"
00:07 and I did. The first day I met her and she hugged me and said "I can't wait to work with you" I couldn't let go of the hug.
00:16 So people will recognize you as Dodge from Lock and Key and there's a lot of supernatural action there
00:22 but with Lioness it gets really nitty gritty. What was it like venturing into that action hero territory?
00:29 It was such a dream come true to explore something in the Taylor Sheridan world. He's such a prolific writer.
00:37 He wrote Cruise. He gave her so much range. She's somebody who's so tough but also so incredibly sensitive
00:46 and you'll find that as the show moves along you'll see how vulnerable she is and it was a dream exploring that
00:52 and exploring that with my heroes. That was awesome.
00:56 Well of course. I mean you're playing alongside with Zoe Saldana, one of the best actresses around right now
01:04 in Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy. What was it like being on set with her?
01:08 The first day I met her and she hugged me and said "I can't wait to work with you" I couldn't let go of the hug.
01:15 I just love her so much. I've admired her my entire career and now that we've worked together I admire her even more.
01:24 She's just so kind and generous. She just texted me and she was like "You're doing great."
01:29 She's just like my biggest supporter ever and that's not that I didn't think she was going to be mean
01:36 but I was just like "Oh I just want to be in her shadow and soak up as much as I can."
01:41 But she, you know, she helped me find my path. She empowers me and I think that's such a beautiful thing
01:49 and I take that and I hold it in my heart and I hope that I can repay that one day with someone else.
01:56 Did she give you any tips when you were on set?
01:58 Yeah she gave me acting tips. You know, there are things on the day to day that you talk or you kind of see what they're doing
02:04 and you learn but like I said most of all I was just like to really like the kindness aspect for me
02:11 which is the thing that most inspired me and just how down to earth and genuine and chill she is.
02:18 Oh that's amazing. And I mean what a cast. Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman.
02:23 So I love Morgan Freeman's voice. I mean there's so many videos that I've watched and he's narrated them.
02:31 What's his voice like in real life?
02:33 It was wild. When I met him he was like "You, Blake Cruz?" and I was like "Ahh!"
02:39 And he's a jokester which is really fun. He's a big fan of Yellowstone so we were talking about that
02:47 and it was my birthday while we were shooting and I saw him at the breakfast buffet and he sang "Happy Birthday" to me
02:54 and I was like "Not the Morgan Freeman voice." And so that is just a memory that I'll, it's a core memory.
03:01 Yeah I can imagine. It's like just say anything to me.
03:05 Yeah you can hear him speak for days for sure.
03:08 You must have had some serious training going into this show.
03:12 I know with Lock and Key there was a lot of green screens involved. What kind of training did you do for this movie?
03:18 A lot of physical training, three hours a day, stunt training, weapons training and strength training.
03:26 That was obviously really important. Jerry Chaw, incredible human being.
03:32 He was a Navy SEAL for nine years. He trained me and he was there with me the entire time like cheering me on
03:38 and I feel really lucky to have had him and he was a great source for any military questions I had as well.
03:44 Which was awesome.
03:46 So do you know how to hold a gun now?
03:48 Yes, I do.
03:50 Okay so I brought my gun.
03:54 Oh but that's a pistol. Girl I'm doing the M4's. Yeah.
03:58 Did I bring the wrong gun? I was hoping that you could show me a couple of, you know like if I want to look like a badass on screen.
04:05 First of all you brought the wrong gun, let's start there. And second of all you gotta ask Jared. We should call Jared right now.
04:10 We should FaceTime Jared. We're like Jared how do I hold this?
04:14 You know the smaller ones are actually, Nicole was talking to this about me because she also has a lot of experience with guns
04:20 and the pistols, they're actually can be more challenging than the big ones.
04:25 Once you have the big one like you know how everything works.
04:29 Obviously it's heavy and there's a challenge in holding that and like holding it up.
04:32 But those smaller ones because you have to have so much more like control.
04:37 Yeah. So you're not gonna put it in your pocket. Maybe next season.
04:41 It's so funny when I was coming in I saw a cop roll beside me and I was like pew pew.
04:45 I don't know if I should be, should I be holding this?
04:48 Um okay so you are from, I'm gonna put this away actually.
04:53 So you are from Toronto, welcome home. We're in Toronto right now.
04:58 What does your perfect day in Toronto look like?
05:01 My perfect day in Toronto I, you know I was saying earlier I'm like I'm a low-key girl
05:06 but then I also realize I'm in a sparkly suit so maybe I'm not as low-key as I think.
05:10 But in terms of like everyday stuff that I like to do, I just love going to my favorite coffee shop.
05:15 I love Jamie's Coffee. I like French Made because I usually stay around this area when I'm shooting.
05:19 It's close to the studio when I've shot here in Toronto.
05:22 I like going to Trinity Bellwoods. I like just having a picnic there and like sitting there all day with my friends.
05:28 I like going to 416 Snack Bar that's like the usual place that I go to and just enjoying my time with friends and family.
05:35 I don't really mind where we are just as long as I'm with them because I miss them so much.
05:40 So when I'm back I try to hone into that.
05:42 And I did read that you love coming to Toronee when you're in.
05:46 Yes I'm obsessed with Toronee. I eat at Toronee almost. I used to work at Toronee.
05:51 That was my last job before I moved to LA and I still have a note from my manager that said follow your dreams.
05:57 And I did and the pasta because I eat this so much.
06:00 And so in LA, yeah, I eat there quite a bit.
06:05 I know that's why if they ask me where to take Saoirse Nicole I'm like Toronee but they've probably been everyone goes to Toronee.
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