*A life of fame and fortune may suit any entertainer, but Anika Noni Rose has expanded the concept as she finds herself in the midst of a fairy tale existence with her starring role in the new Walt Disney animated film, "The Princess and the Frog."
According to the actress, confirmation on playing Princess Tiana came as welcome news after giving her all to make a lasting impression on those considering her for the part.
“I wanted it so badly and it’s so scary when you want something that strongly. Particularly in this field, you know, because more often than not, no is what you hear. And when people see you in something, you may have had 20 other no’s before you get to that one good thing that somebody sees you in,” Rose told EUR’s Lee Bailey while confessing to calling her mother and yelling and crying after she received the official word she would be playing Tiana. “I was almost afraid to want it as much as I did. And so I felt like it was mine. So to have that verified and passed on to me on the phone, it was an amazing experience."
Rose’s excitement over her latest role goes deeper than just simple confirmation. "The Princess and the Frog" features Tiana as Disney’s first African-American princess. Loosely based on E.D. Baker's novel "The Frog Princess" and the Grimm brothers' "The Frog Prince," the musical comedy centers on a New Orleans waitress and aspiring chef as she embarks on an adventure when she meets a frog prince who wants to be human again.
Despite the pressure of competing with others for the role, Rose maintained her focus by relying on a proven method for focusing on her objective.
“…it doesn’t matter who you’re against. For me, I’m competing against me,” The "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" co-star stated. “When I’m in that booth and I’m trying to get a role, I’m not thinking about who else is trying to get the role. I can’t anticipate what they are gonna do or try to be better. I can only be me. And so I’m competing with me to do the best thing that I can do that day and to take it higher from the last time that I did it. That’s how I walk in to an audition.”
Rose’s strategy paid off with the latest achievement in her career since her co-starring stint in the film adaptation of the hit stage play "Dreamgirls." The actress’ journey to playing Tiana started with her first audition for "Princess," which took place amid the release of "Dreamgirls" in December 2006.
Overall, Rose’s work on the feature lasted about two and half years. During this time, the actress perfected Tiana’s voice without much of a struggle.
“I could hear the voice when I was reading it. I could hear, in my mind, what she was sounding like,” Rose said. “It was ... It’s a very esoteric thing, but while I was reading the script it was clear to me what she sounded like. That’s all I can tell you. It wasn’t like I was tried a bunch of different voices. It was just very clear to me what this young woman was sounding like.”
Tiana’s voice isn’t the only thing moviegoers should remember about her. Rose hopes the character's penchant for working hard to accomplish her goals leaves a lasting impression.
“With Tiana ... she is such a determined young woman. She is intelligent and she makes things happen in her world,” the actress explained. “I really would like for people to know that dreaming has a purpose. It’s not just what you do when you’re sleeping. But it doesn’t happen unless you put your best foot forward and that’s what she does. It’s just part of who she is. And I think that’s a really wonderful character trait for young people to have.
“You can’t sit back and decide ‘I wanna to be in the NBA.’ So you’re gonna do that from your room? [laughs],” Rose continued while stressing the importance of creating opportunities for success. “‘I wanna be, I wanna start up the next Google.’ Well then, you need to write a program or two. You can’t just think about it and say you want to do it and have it in the air. You have to find your way to it. And sometimes it’s little steps. And sometimes, it’s huge steps. Sometimes it takes forever and sometimes you’re like ‘Can you believe that it’s here?’ But it’s about you making it happen for yourself.”
Disney’s "The Princess and the Frog" will arrive in theaters in limited release today, Nov. 25 (in New York and Los Angeles), with a national roll-out scheduled for December 11.
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