Layton Williams ‘proud’ to have been West End’s first Black Billy Elliot

Words: Attitude staff; Photography: Kit Dale

In partnership with Jaguar

Layton Williams has shared his pride in being first Black actor to portray Billy Elliot and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie‘s Jamie New on the West End stage.

The actor, singer and dancer, 27, reflects on his barrier-smashing journey to success, living his authentic self and the importance of representation in Attitude x Jaguar present: The Creators.

Attitude has partnered with Jaguar to amplify the stories of three queer creatives who live loudly and unapologetically in their creative fields.

Layton was joined on location in Palm Springs, California, by fashion designer Daniel w. Fletcher and actor and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco as the trio discussed their personal and professional journeys and making it as out and proud queer people in their respective industries.

Manchester-born Layton was just 12 years-old when he made his West End debut as Billy Elliot and went on to become the second-longest running performer of ‘Billy’ in the show’s history.

“Very early on, I was about eleven years old when I kind of stumbled into performing, and it was one of those things that kind of just crept up. Like, it wasn’t necessarily something were I woke up and was like ‘I want to be a star’,” the actor tells Attitude and Jaguar of his earliest forays into the entertainment industry.

“I went to this open audition for Billy Elliot in the West End and I remember the article said something like ‘We’re looking for young boys who can sing, dance and act of all ethnicities’, so I thought ‘Well, of course I can go’.

“But I rocked up and I literally was the only person of colour that I could see at one point and I turned to my mum and was like ‘Let’s go, like, obviously I’m not supposed to be here’. And she was like ‘Just get in’.

Layton Williams reflects on living loudly and authentically in Attitude x Jaguar present: The Creators (Photography: Kit Dale)

“They said ‘If you can’t do ballet, just pretend; if you can’t do tap, just pretend’, so I kind of shuffled my feet and they must have saw something, so yeah. A year later, my face was up in lights.

He adds with a giggle: “You know, one to be driven around in a Jaguar, living my best life.”

Layton used his success as Billy Elliot to propel him to even greater heights, with scene-stealing turns in TV series including Beautiful People and Bad Education and later landing the coveted role of Jamie New in the West End production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – a part he would later take to Los Angeles for the musical’s debut US run.

“I feel like I’ve always known that I was a little bit different, but when you grow up and you’re not really surrounded by people that are like you or you don’t have anything to compare it to, you just crack on,” muses Layton.

“As queer people, sometimes we have to – well, depending on how your life panned out – you have to work a little bit harder sometimes. Well, I feel I have.

“I feel really proud to have played some pretty iconic queer characters. Well, the first Black Billy Elliot and the first Black Jamie, and it paved the way.

Left-right: Layton Williams joins Daniel w. Fletcher and Nyle DiMarco in Attitude x Jaguar present: The Creators (Photography: Kit Dale)

“I don’t know what it is about queer people but they are very creative and artistic. I always find in artistic places, whether it’s fashion ot art or performing, there’s lots of us. So, I also wonder why sometimes. Maybe we’re just very expressive and very good at what we do.”

As an out and proud gay man leading some of the UK’s most acclaimed stage projects, Layton is a shining example of unapologetic authenticity sparking creative success.

“I would say, as soon as you possibly can, embrace one hundred per cent authentic you, because as soon as I lent into being exactly who I wanted to be, wearing what I wanted to wear, surrounding myself with the people I wanted to, I really started to thrive,” the actor declares.

“I had to put the work in to get to, like, where I am now. I would never in a million years have thought one day I would be performing at, like, The Royal Albert Hall, or headlining a show in Los Angeles, like, I didn’t think I would have the voice to do that. I would put boundaries up for myself and as soon as I started getting all that stuff out of my head, I started to thrive.

“So, yeah, sometimes you can be your own worst enemy and saboteur, so don’t do that, lift yourself up – be your own biggest fan.”

For more from Attitude x Jaguar click here.