The cast of Nickelodeon’s new show That Girl Lay Lay are already a family!

“I can’t wait for you all to see me interact with my other castmates,” the show’s star, rapper Lay Lay, whose real name is Alaya High, tells J-14 exclusively ahead of the premiere. “They’re so awesome, and without them, the show wouldn’t have worked because it takes a team. It takes a crew. It takes everybody to cooperate to make something work. So, I’m so glad that we all mesh very well and work very well together.”

The show, which stars the 14-year-old musician, follows the story of a high school student named Sadie (played by Gabrielle Nevaeh Green) who wishes upon a star and brings her virtual avatar to life.

“I’m an avatar from her phone and I give her positive affirmations, and I give her confidence. I’m just her only friend because in school she doesn’t have that many friends. She’s kind of the introvert,” Lay Lay shares. “So, I’m her only friend, and then, one day, she wishes on a star that I come to life and I do. I come out of the phone, and it’s just me and her in our high school life, and we’re just living life. Her parents don’t know that I came out of a phone. Everybody can see me. Everybody knows me. But they don’t know where I came from. I also have superpowers — I can turn invisible and I can freeze time.”

When it comes to the character she plays on screen, Lay Lay explains that it’s not just their name that they have in common! “My character is really just me,” she tells J-14. “To be honest, I don’t really see a difference.”

Gabrielle, for her part, teases that Sadie and Lay Lay “go on a bunch of hilarious adventures” together throughout the series.

“[Sadie] is an introvert. She likes to be behind the scenes. She gets really nervous talking in front of people. She’s having trouble making her mark in the world, so she has her positive affirmation app that’s played by That Girl Lay Lay. She gives her confidence. She gives her positive advice. She tries to get her to be out in the world and conquer it, but sometimes it doesn’t always work,” the actress explains. “I hope you guys enjoy watching Sadie’s growth with her family and her friends, and watch her become more confident.”

Gabrielle also shares that the biggest message viewers will take away from the series is that “it’s OK for you to be a little anxious.”

“You can still stand out, and you can still make your mark in the world,” she adds. “And it’s great to have a fantastic best friend that is going to get you out of your comfort zone and try new things.”

That Girl Lay Lay premieres on Nickelodeon on Thursday, September 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.

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