Back when she was in drama class, Naomi Ackie used to wonder what it might be like to go to the premiere of her first movie. In this scenario, the movie in question was something a bit smaller than, say, Sony Pictures’ Whitney Houston biopic.
Ackie is taking on the role of Whitney Houston in the new movie “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” about the rise to fame of the woman known as “the voice.” In the time that followed, she has shot Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut “Pussy Island,” and Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming film “Mickey 17.”During COVID-19, Ackie worked on an indie film and a musical and spent time in the English countryside, and was thankful simply to be working, she said.
Ackie, at 30 years old, was too young to remember the tabloid craze around Houston’s life and instead only knew of her music. After landing the role, she dove into researching the singer’s life and came away from the experience feeling a deep connection to Houston and what she went through at the center of so much attention.
Ackie, who grew up in East London, got her interest in singing from her dad, who worked for transport in London and was always singing around the house. They share a love for the musical “In the Heights” and frequently sing the soundtrack when together.
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