dilan gwyn Words by NICOLE MOOREFIELD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
It was a long climb to the top for Beyond actress Dilan Gwyn, who has overcome discrimination and hardship to become an overnight success as Willa Frost in the Freeform original series. But for the 23-year-old star, the opportunity to bring such a strong character to life is well worth the difficult journey. Born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Dilan’s unique childhood shaped who she is today. Her parents were political refugees from Turkey, where 18
they were persecuted for being an ethnic minority. With her older sisters, they fled to Sweden before Dilan was born. Dilan’s father, a journalist and activist for Kurdish rights, died when she was only 11, upsetting her entire world. “My whole teenage years were spent trying to find a way back to normalcy and happiness,” Dilan says. Dilan found refuge in acting when she was around 17-years-old. Three years later, Dilan was accepted into both the Stockholm Film School and
the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. “I had to make a crossroads decision — should I be behind the camera or in front?” she reflects. Eventually, she decided to accept the once-in-alifetime opportunity to attend drama school in the United States, leaving everyone she knew behind for California. The stark contrast between Stockholm and Los Angeles came as a shock to Dilan, whose only knowledge of the area came from a quick Google search.
