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Moms love “Gabby’s Dollhouse.”
Take it from Laila Lockhart Kraner, 17, who has played the creative, cat-loving Gabby since 2021, when the hit children’s series premiered on Netflix. She’s now the star of her own big-screen outing, “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” (in theaters now), which like the show, blends animation with live action as Gabby shrinks down and has adventures with her cuddly, magical pals. The film is already a box-office success, although Kraner says it’s still “hard for me to wrap my brain around” the sparkle-filled phenomenon.
“There was one time I did a meet-and-greet, where moms kept coming up to me and sharing stories of how Gabby inspired their little girls to be more talkative or love their curly hair,” Kraner recalls. “I was like, ‘Whoa, this show is actually making an impact on kids.’”
Get to know your children’s favorite new star:
Laila Lockhart Kraner relates to ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie’
In the film, Gabby helps the conniving cat lady Vera (Kristen Wiig) reconnect with her inner child, all while confronting her own worries about growing up. It’s a storyline that's “definitely relatable” to Kraner.
Over the past five years, “it was really good that I could have Gabby there as a reminder to stay playful and believe in magic,” the actress says. “What’s scary about getting older for me is, ‘Oh, no, now I’m going to have to apply to college!’” But the movie tells audiences “that you can have those fears and work through them with the people you love. That’s a really important message and it helped me a lot, too.”
Gloria Estefan felt like ‘another grandma’ to the 'Gabby's Dollhouse' star
At the start of the movie, Gabby travels to Cat Francisco for a visit with her doting Grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan), who gifted her the magic dollhouse of miniature cats. Although she’s young, Kraner says she’s been a lifelong fan of Cuban singer and actress Estefan.
“I’ve been hearing the ‘Conga’ since forever,” Kraner says. “The whole Dominican side of my family is a huge fan of hers.” When they met: “It really felt like I had another grandma. She’s so warm and inviting, and I learned so much just hearing all her stories.”
The film also gave Kraner the chance to “integrate a little bit of my own culture,” she says. “There’s a scene with Gloria that’s inspired by my own Dominican grandma, who every time I see her, she comes up and does this big dance hug where she rocks you from side to side. I was like, ‘That’d be a fun thing to do.’”
She got cast as Gabby on her 11th birthday
Kraner started acting at age 5, doing musical theater and commercials before she was cast in “Gabby’s Dollhouse” as a preteen. She remembers bringing her own pet cat, Apollo, to play Gabby’s feline friend Floyd in the audition.
“I gutted my panda stuffed animal so I could puppet it around and do a Pandy voice,” Kraner says. “But it was a sacrifice that was worth it for the cause, and then the rest was history. I learned I got the role of Gabby on my 11th birthday, which was a pretty cool birthday gift.”
Laila Lockhart Kraner doesn’t feel the pressures of child stardom
Although she’s beloved by kids worldwide, Kraner insists that she has “a pretty normal life.” She loves going shopping with her mom and sister as “retail therapy,” as well as playing guitar, drawing and seeing movies with her friends.
“I go to public school and I live in a suburban town in Massachusetts, where it's not really a big deal,” Kraner says. “When I'm not in character as Gabby, I'm just Laila and I don't really get recognized.”
She really wants to work with Zendaya and Meryl Streep
Just before the credits roll (spoiler alert!), Gabby finishes making a dog dollhouse that she says her yet-to-be-introduced little sister will love. Could that mean that Gabby’s sibling will soon take over the franchise? “I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” Kraner says coyly.
Regardless of when she passes the torch, Kraner is ready to branch out into Hollywood. She would love to make a fantasy film or period piece, and her dream costars are Zendaya and Meryl Streep. She filmed the “Gabby’s Dollhouse” series on a soundstage by herself, so most of all, she just wants to work with a cast.
“After being alone in a room for five years, it was really fun when I was in this movie and got to have someone physically there to talk to,” Kraner says. “It’d be cool to be in an ensemble of kids my age, but we’ll see. I’m excited to explore and see what else is out there.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Gabby's Dollhouse' star Laila Lockhart Kraner won the role with a hilarious 'sacrifice'
Reporting by Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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