Kiki Layne has not had much acting experience. Indeed, she only had four IMDb credits to her name prior to landing the lead role in the red-hot Oscar contender “If Beale Street Could Talk.” She plays Tish Rivers, who fights to free her boyfriend Fonny (Stephan James) from prison after he’s falsely accused of a crime in 1970s New York City. Three-time Emmy winner Regina King plays Tish’s mother Sharon, who is just as determined to prove Fonny’s innocence.

The ingenue readily concedes that working with Oscar-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins on his follow-up to “Moonlight” was “the best learning experience you could possibly ask for.” As she explained, “a big part of that was because everyone was so patient and supportive. I definitely did have moments of worrying where I was like ‘I wonder if these more experienced people are going to get upset because I...