Laysla De Oliveira

**Laysla De Oliveira** (born *January 11, 1992* in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian actress of Brazilian heritage who first stepped into the public eye as a teenage model at the age of fourteen. Growing up in a multicultural household, she embraced both her Canadian upbringing and Brazilian roots, which later informed her nuanced performances. She pursued formal training in drama and dance at the Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, a decision that marked the transition from runway to stage, and eventually led her to secure an acting agent during her college years. Early in her career she appeared in a series of television movies and direct‑to‑video projects, honing her craft and gaining valuable on‑set experience before landing her first noteworthy film role.

De Oliveira’s breakthrough arrived with the 2017 romantic drama *Acquainted*, where she portrayed Emma, a performance that caught the attention of both audiences and industry peers. She subsequently starred as Becky DeMuth in Vincenzo Natali’s Netflix horror adaptation *In the Tall Grass* (2019), a role that showcased her ability to convey terror and vulnerability in equal measure. In 2019 she was cast as Veronica in Atom Egoyan’s *Guest of Honour*, premiering at the Venice Film Festival, and later that year she secured the role of Dodge, a compelling antagonist, in the Netflix series *Locke & Key*. De Oliveira has spoken openly about the rarity of complex villainous parts for women, citing Angelina Jolie’s *Maleficent* as a source of inspiration for her portrayal. More recently she joined the Paramount+ spy series *Lioness* as Cruz Manuelos, further cementing her versatility across genres. Off‑screen, she met fellow actor Jonathan Keltz on the set of *Acquainted*, became engaged in 2021, and married in May 2025. While she has kept her personal life relatively private, she remains an influential figure for aspiring actors of mixed heritage, known for her dedication, dynamic range, and willingness to explore morally ambiguous characters.