Anika strikes the perfect balance
BIT OF BOTH: CALLS HERSELF EXTROVERTED INTROVERT
‘I’m able to fully be with a crowd, but I would much rather be with an intimate group than a large party.’
Kgosi Modisane
Holistically embodying what it means to be sensual, feminine and resilient, New England-born American actress and singer Anika Noni Rose is a woman proud to be alive and living her destiny. When asked to describe herself, the well-aspoken actress chooses to describeherself as an extroverted introvert. “I keep to myself. I am able to fully be with a crowd, but I would much rather be with an intimate group than a large party. But then again, I would prefer to perform for a stadium than a room of people. I am weird like that … I am a Virgo with extracts of a Leo.” Having discovered her talent and passion for music and drama while doing a solo in a musical at high-school, the actress/singer says it was the affirmation of her calling into the world of showbiz. “I did a musical in high school. I stood on stage and I found out at that moment that I could sing, like really sing. I knew I could hold a tune or sing along to the radio, but I was not really sure of how good I was. “Being in high school, kids are mean and they would let you know if you were bad. But, for me, it was the opposite. When I finished my song there was total silence in the auditorium, which was then followed by a loud roar of praise.” This pivotal moment was later followed by outstanding support from her family and Rose is grateful to them for allowing her to follow her dream. Radiating humility, contentment and intrigue, Rose went on to obtain a qualification in theatre which prepared her for the groundbreaking performance that ended up making her a recipient of a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical in 2004 with Caroline or Change.
When asked if the characters she plays pick her or if she picks them, the actress replied: “It’s a little bit of both. I can’t do something that I am not connected to and there have been times where I will do a role purely for the cause.
“However I have come to understand that every time I did that it was met with an unfulfilling feeling which I take as a message. I have often done things which do not pay as much money, but pay a lot of dividends to my spirit.”
Having accomplished a lot in her career, the actress keeps dear to her heart three roles she knew were for her from the moment she read the scripts.
“Those three roles – from The Princess and the Frog, Dreamgirls and The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – I knew were for me, simply because they spoke to my spirit.” Her most recent television role is DStv’s BET.
In it, she plays Dr Eva Fletcher, who has her hands full managing a historically black university.
It’s about juggling demanding responsibilities with a messy personal life. Following the role of Fletcher is one in an upcoming movie, Assassination Nation, an American thriller written and directed by Sam Levinson. The Quad on