Mya-Lecia Naylor’s cause of death remains unknown after the child actress passed away at just 16 years old on April 7, which her agents A&J Management announced 10 days later. The agents reported that the death happened after Mya-Lecia “collapsed,” according to BBC. The actress, singer and model was most famously known as a star in television programs on Children’s BBC, and the network also confirmed the tragic death in an Instagram tribute post on April 17. “Mya-Lecia was a much loved part of the BBC Children’s family, and a hugely talented actress, singer and dancer. 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,” the statement read on the CBBC’s Almost Never Instagram account — you can view the full message below. Here’s the legacy that Mya-Lecia left behind.
1. Mya-Lecia starred on the Children’s BBC shows Millie Inbetween and Almost Never. The young actress played the role of Fran in the sitcom Millie Inbetween from 2014 to 2018. She went on to star in Almost Never, a comedy-drama about the teenage boy band The Wonderland and its rival band, Girls Here First. The show just premiered in 2019.
2. Mya-Lecia had a role in Cloud Atlas. Mya played Miro in the 2012 blockbuster, which starred big names like Halle Berry and Hugh Grant. Mya-Lecia was the child at the end of the film who asked Tom Hanks’ character, “Do you still love grammy?”
It is with the deepest sorrow we have to announce that on Sunday 7th April Mya-Lecia Naylor, very sadly, died. Mya-Lecia was hugely talented and a big part of A&J, we will miss her greatly. Our love and thoughts are with all her family and friends at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/YhnR7WJSPc
— A&J Artists (@aj_artists) April 17, 2019
3. Mya-Lecia made her acting debut as a toddler. Her first acting credit was in a 2004 episode of Absolutely Famous, a British sitcom.
4. Mya-Lecia’s Instagram posts have been removed. Her management team posted a photo of the actress to her Instagram Story on April 17 and wrote, “We have deleted all posts of Mya to show respect for her privacy.” The management team is also “donating all profits” generated from a swipe up link for TikTok, which it provided in another Instagram Story update.
5. Mya-Lecia’s death is being mourned by her co-stars. Mya’s Almost Never castmates, including Harry Still, Nathaniel Dass, Oakley Orchard, Tillie Amartey and Emily Atack, have all posted tributes after news of their loss surfaced. “She was a true inspiration and I have loved watching her over the years❤️ my thoughts are with her family and friends and hope that she will be happy in her new life as she deserves it ❤️,” Harry posted on Instagram, while Tillie wrote, “My Mya !! The ultimate Queenie 👑 you will light up our sky’s as you did our lives⭐️…Thank you for all your kind wishes and support – it means so much to me. I won’t be able to reply to all of them, but if you’d like to post a message about Mya, please go to the CBBC website where there is an online book of condolence.”