Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for voicing Tiana, Disney's first African-American princess, in The Princess and the Frog (2009). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011.
Anika Noni Rose
Rose starred as Lorrell Robinson in the Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls (2006). Her contribution to the film's soundtrack earned her a nomination for a Grammy Award.[1] She is also known for her performances in theatre, particularly for starring as Emmie Thibodeaux in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change (2004), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Beneatha Younger in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun (2014), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Early life and education[edit]
Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Claudia and John Rose, a corporate counsel.[2] She attended Bloomfield High School, appearing in a school production during her freshman year. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in theatre from Florida A&M University,[3] then studied drama at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Rose moved to New York without a job. After three months, she played the role of Rusty in Broadway's Footloose. She followed Footloose with numerous workshops and two musicals using pre-existing song catalogs, Eli's Comin' Off-Broadway[4] and Me and Mrs. Jones with Lou Rawls in Philadelphia. Both of the full-scale tuners[N 1] were rumored for transfers, but neither made it anywhere after their limited engagements ended. Rose's big Broadway break was getting cast as Emmie Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change. In 2004, she was awarded the Theatre World Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress, and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change.
After her film debut, King of the Bingo Game, she played the role of Kaya in From Justin to Kelly in 2003 and performed in Temptation in 2004, followed by Surviving Christmas as a singer in the choir. In 2006, Rose starred in Dreamgirls as Lorrell Robinson with Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy. Rose appeared in the films Just Add Water and Razor.
Rose also starred alongside Jill Scott in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency directed by Anthony Minghella.[6]
The Princess and the Frog[edit]
Rose is best known for her role in Disney's 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog as the voice of the lead character Tiana, the character is Disney's first African-American princess. Rose said at the time, "Not only is [Tiana] the first black princess, she's the first American princess. So, the scope and the significance is larger than people even realize."[7] Rose added that she hoped her role in the film would help affirm young brown-skinned children by seeing someone who looks like them in a Disney film. The film being released in 2009, the same year that Barack Obama and Michelle Obama entered the White House was completely coincidental, according to the creators. But several commentators noted how the coincidence reinforced the positive portrayal of African-Americans.[8][9]
Rose hosted a hometown screening of The Princess and the Frog for children from the Charter Oak Cultural Center, a non-profit multi-cultural arts center that provides free after-school programs in Hartford, Connecticut.[10] Rose's performance in the film garnered one nomination for an NAACP Image Award and three nominations for the Black Reel Awards. She won the Black Reel Award for Best Outstanding Voice Performance.[11]
Rose was named a Disney Legend on August 19, 2011.[12] Rose said, "I always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney movie, but even in those dreams, I never once dreamed of being a princess... I feel like what an honor that this is and how the dream comes true, bigger and stronger than I had even imagined it."[13]
Personal life[edit]
Rose married actor Jason Dirden in October 2022. The wedding, which was officiated by Colman Domingo, took place at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles. The couple kept their nuptials a secret before announcing they were married in Brides magazine on January 16, 2023.[36][37]