Laila Lockhart Kraner may only be 17, but she’s already become a beloved figure in households across the globe thanks to her starring role in Gabby’s Dollhouse. The Netflix children’s series, which launched in 2021, blends live-action and animation to transport viewers into a colorful, whimsical world where creativity, friendship, and a healthy dose of magic rule the day. Now, the hit show has been turned into a full-length feature film, Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, and it’s already making waves at the box office. For Kraner, the entire experience still feels surreal.
“It’s hard for me to wrap my brain around,” she says, reflecting on the franchise’s meteoric rise. When the series began, she knew it was something special, but didn’t anticipate the deep connection families—especially moms and their young daughters—would feel to the character she brings to life. “There was one time I did a meet-and-greet,” Kraner recalls, “and 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. I was like, ‘Whoa, this show is actually making an impact on kids.’”
It’s not hard to see why. Gabby is an endlessly curious, optimistic girl who shrinks down to explore her magical dollhouse filled with tiny talking cats, each representing a different personality and creative style. Through these adventures, Gabby teaches preschool-age viewers valuable life lessons—often with sparkles, crafts, and songs along the way. For Kraner, playing a character who is both whimsical and grounded in emotional honesty has been a formative experience.
The new film expands Gabby’s world significantly. It kicks off with a visit to the fictional city of Cat Francisco, where Gabby reunites with her Grandma Gigi, played by none other than Cuban icon Gloria Estefan. The visit is more than just a fun getaway—it’s the start of a bigger emotional journey. Gabby must help the comically conniving cat lady Vera, voiced by Kristen Wiig, reconnect with her inner child. At the same time, Gabby is forced to face some of her own fears about growing up. It’s a storyline that resonated deeply with Kraner.
“What’s scary about getting older for me is, ‘Oh no, now I’m going to have to apply to college!’” she says with a laugh. “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.”
Gabby’s interactions with Grandma Gigi also gave Kraner the opportunity to bring in some personal touches from her own life and heritage. She grew up in a Dominican-American household and was thrilled to work with Estefan, whose music had long been a fixture in her family. “I’ve been hearing the ‘Conga’ since forever,” she says. “The whole Dominican side of my family is a huge fan of hers.” When the two met, the connection was instant. “It really felt like I had another grandma. She’s so warm and inviting, and I learned so much just hearing all her stories.”
In one particularly memorable scene, Gabby receives a joyful greeting from her grandmother—a dance-like hug in which she rocks her from side to side. It’s a gesture straight from Kraner’s real life. “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,” Kraner explains. “I was like, ‘That’d be a fun thing to do.’”
Kraner’s path to becoming Gabby started long before the cameras rolled. She began acting at the tender age of five, cutting her teeth on musical theater productions and commercials. Even as a young girl, she was drawn to performing and storytelling. When the opportunity to audition for Gabby’s Dollhouse came along, she poured everything she had into it—including a bit of arts and crafts. “I gutted my panda stuffed animal so I could puppet it around and do a Pandy voice,” she remembers, referencing one of Gabby’s cuddly co-stars. “But it was a sacrifice that was worth it for the cause.” She even brought her real-life cat, Apollo, to the audition to help portray Gabby’s feline friend Floyd. That level of dedication paid off. “I learned I got the role of Gabby on my 11th birthday, which was a pretty cool birthday gift.”
Despite her fame among young viewers and their parents, Kraner insists that her life remains refreshingly normal. She still lives in a suburban town in Massachusetts, attends public school, and hangs out with friends just like any other teen. “When I’m not in character as Gabby, I’m just Laila and I don’t really get recognized,” she says. Her downtime includes playing guitar, drawing, going to the movies, and indulging in “retail therapy” with her mom and sister. For someone who has spent so much time alone on a soundstage—since Gabby’s Dollhouse is largely filmed solo with animated elements added later—just hanging out in a mall can feel like a luxury.
Working on the movie offered Kraner something she hadn’t experienced much of during her time on the series: real-time collaboration with other actors. “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,” she 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.”
Although she’s still very young, Kraner is already thinking about her future. She hopes to take on more varied roles—particularly in fantasy films or period pieces—and has a mental list of dream co-stars. “Zendaya and Meryl Streep,” she says without hesitation. After years of talking to puppets and imaginary cats, she’s eager to work in projects with other live actors, ideally with a cast closer to her own age.
Yet despite her dreams of branching out, Kraner isn’t quite ready to leave Gabby behind. There’s a scene near the end of Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie where Gabby finishes building a new dollhouse for her little sister—a character who has yet to appear on-screen. Fans have been buzzing about whether this moment hints at a new direction for the franchise. Could Gabby be passing the torch? Kraner plays coy. “I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” she says, offering a smile that suggests she might know more than she’s letting on.
Whatever the future holds for Gabby’s Dollhouse, it’s clear that the character—and the actress behind her—have already made a lasting impact. The series has helped normalize cultural diversity, encouraged kids to embrace their creativity, and empowered girls to be curious, compassionate, and confident. For Kraner, that’s the real reward. It’s not the press, the premieres, or even the box-office numbers that matter most—it’s the stories from real families about how Gabby has inspired their children to be themselves.
She still remembers the look on one mother’s face as she tearfully recounted how her daughter started talking more, smiling more, and loving her curly hair after watching Gabby. “That moment really stuck with me,” Kraner says. “I realized this isn’t just a show. It’s actually helping people.”
In an industry that often focuses on superficial markers of success, Laila Lockhart Kraner is grounded in something far more meaningful. She’s not just building dollhouses—she’s building bridges between cultures, generations, and imaginations. And for a 17-year-old actress from Massachusetts, that’s a pretty magical start.
