‘Dreamgirls’ actress soaks up South Africa’s delights
TONY Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose returned to South African soil this month for the Veuve Clicquot Masters in Val de Vie, Paarl.
Most people would know the singer and actress for staring in the Academy Awardwinning hit musical Dreamgirls.
In the film, Rose stars as Lorrell Robinson alongside multi-Grammy-winning superstar Beyoncé (Dina Jones), as well as Grammy and Academy Award-winning star Jennifer Hudson (Effie White) as the third member of the fictional girl group ‘The Dreams’ in 2006.
What prompted the singer to come back to South Africa this time was the polo but she also came to experience more of this beautiful country.
“I was invited, and any reason to come back South Africa is a good reason. I love the atmosphere, the people, the food. I’ve never been to a polo match before so it’s very exciting to be here with Veuve Clicquot,” she said.
The actress also voiced Princess Tiana in the movie The Princess and the Frog, who was the first black Disney princess, and spoke about why it is important for children.
“Any time a child gets to expand their thoughts on who they are or who they can be, then that is an important piece of something to show. And the easiest way to get through to children and talk to children is through their imagination.
“So what better than these fantasy pieces that say you can be so much more than the world tries to tell you you can be. That you are regal and you are strong. That you are magical and you are absolutely perfect just as you are. I think it’s phenomenal and extraordinarily important.”
With the recent success of the blockbuster film, Black Panther Rose shared her thoughts on the importance of representation.
“And what Black Panther has done with that $700 million (R8.3 billion) worldwide has made it undeniable that our faces sell when we have quality products. There’s no way anybody can look at that number and say: ‘Oh, we don’t sell overseas’. I mean, we (people of colour) knew it was a lie from the beginning. But now it’s irrefutable and if someone wants to deny that truth then they’re denying themselves money.”
The actress planned to take in as much of the local delights as she could during her short stay.
“I’m trying to go and see as much as I can in Cape Town. I want to see table mountain, get some malva pudding – it’s my favourite thing – and do just as much as I can. I wanna do the local things. I don’t wanna go somewhere and eat a version of American food.
“I wanna eat the food from right here. I wanna be as much a part of the culture as I can.”
Speaking on her up-and-coming projects, Rose said she has a movie coming up called
Assassination Nation which is set to be released sometime this year.
She did mention that it’s “amazing” and it’s a trippy wild action film that is very much of the moment.