Anika Noni Rose
Encyclopedia
Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award
winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change
and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls
and The Princess and the Frog.
. In her freshman year in high school, she appeared in a school production and caught the acting bug. She then attended Florida A&M University
where she earned a Bachelor's Degree
in theatre, and started studying drama at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California
.
. She followed Footloose with numerous workshops and two musicals using pre-existing song catalogs, Eli's Comin' Off-Broadway
and Me and Mrs. Jones
with Lou Rawls
in Philadelphia. Both of the full-scale tuners 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.
Rose's debut in movies came with the 1999 film King of the Bingo Game as "film noir female". In 2003, she played the role of Kaya in From Justin to Kelly
, in 2004 she performed in Temptation
, 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, Razor, and 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 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. Rose also stars alongside Jill Scott
in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
directed by Anthony Minghella
.
In 2010, she played the role of Yasmine in the movie For Colored Girls. One critic described Rose's performance as "especially fierce".
Rose has been cast to play Sara Tidwell in the upcoming A&E
miniseries based on Stephen King
's novel Bag of Bones
.
Rose was named a Disney Legend
on August 19, 2011.
Nominations
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change is a through-composed musical with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori that combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music....
and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
and The Princess and the Frog.
Early life
Rose was born in Bloomfield, ConnecticutBloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
. In her freshman year in high school, she appeared in a school production and caught the acting bug. She then attended Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...
where she earned a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theatre, and started studying drama at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Career
Rose moved to New York without a job. After three months, she secured the role of Rusty in Broadway's FootlooseFootloose (musical)
Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
. She followed Footloose with numerous workshops and two musicals using pre-existing song catalogs, Eli's Comin' Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and Me and Mrs. Jones
Me and Mrs. Jones
"Me and Mrs. Jones" is a soul song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. It has been recorded by Billy Paul and Michael Bublé, amongst others.-Billy Paul version:"Me and Mrs...
with Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
in Philadelphia. Both of the full-scale tuners 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
Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change is a through-composed musical with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori that combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music....
. 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.
Rose's debut in movies came with the 1999 film King of the Bingo Game as "film noir female". In 2003, she played the role of Kaya in From Justin to Kelly
From Justin to Kelly
From Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the first season of American Idol...
, in 2004 she performed in Temptation
Temptation (2004 film)
Temptation is a 2004 Movie Musical written by Sydney Forest and John Taylor, directed by Mark Tarlov. The film contained an all-star Broadway cast featuring several Tony Award winning actors as well as many other leading men and women from the Broadway stage; several of which have been...
, followed by Surviving Christmas
Surviving Christmas
Surviving Christmas is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a Christmas movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, Paycheck....
as a singer in the choir. In 2006, Rose starred in Dreamgirls as Lorrell Robinson with Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
, Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
and Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
. Rose appeared in the films Just Add Water, Razor, and Disney's 2009 animated feature, The Princess and the Frog, as the voice of the lead character Tiana
Princess Tiana
Tiana is the main protagonist of Disney's 2009 film The Princess and the Frog which is loosely based on the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker. At the start of the movie she is a waitress and aspiring restaurateur living in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the Jazz Age...
; the character is Disney's first African American princess. 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. Rose also stars alongside Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series)
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr....
directed by Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....
.
In 2010, she played the role of Yasmine in the movie For Colored Girls. One critic described Rose's performance as "especially fierce".
Rose has been cast to play Sara Tidwell in the upcoming A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
miniseries based on Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's novel Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife...
.
Rose was named a Disney Legend
Disney Legends
Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony....
on August 19, 2011.
Awards and nominations
Awards- 1998: Dean Goodman Choice Award – Valley Song
- 1998: Garland/Drama Logue Award – Valley Song
- 1999: S.F. Bay Guardian Upstage/Downstage Award – Valley Song and Threepenny Opera
- 2001: OBIE Award – Eli's Comin
- 2004: Clarence Derwent Award – Caroline, or Change
- 2004: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress – Caroline, or Change
- 2004: Theatre World Award – Caroline, or Change
- 2004: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Caroline, or Change
- 2010: Black Reel Award – Best Voice Performance – The Princess and the Frog
- 2010: Black Reel Award – Best Song (Original or Adapted) "Almost There" – The Princess and the Frog
- 2011: Black Reel Award – Outstanding Ensemble – For Colored Girls
- 2011: Disney Legend Award – Animation (voice) – The Princess and the Frog
Nominations
- 2004: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – Caroline, or Change
- 2007: Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls
- 2007: Screen Actors GuildScreen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls - 2008: Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series/ Television Movie – The Starter Wife
- 2008: Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media- Dreamgirls - 2009: Satellite Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, Comedy or Television-Movie or Mini-Series- Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency
- 2010: Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture - The Princess and the Frog
- 2010: Black Reel Award- Best Ensemble- The Princess and the Frog
- 2010: Image Award- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series- The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency
- 2011: Black Reel Award- Best Ensemble- For Colored Girls
- 2011: Black Reel Award- Best Supporting Actress- For Colored Girls
- 2011: Image Award- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture- For Colored Girls
Stage
| Year | Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Valley Song | Veronica Jonkers |
| Hydriotaphia, or the Death of Dr. Browne | His Soul | |
| 1999 | Tartuffe | Marianne |
| Threepenny Opera | Polly Peachum | |
| 2000 | Footloose Footloose (musical) Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:... |
Rusty |
| Aida Aida (musical) Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical.... |
Amneris | |
| 2001 | Carmen Jones Carmen Jones Carmen Jones is a 1943 Broadway musical starring Muriel Smith in the title role, later made into a 1954 musical film; the play also ran for a season in 1991 at London's Old Vic and most recently in London's Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre in 2007. It is an updating of the Georges Bizet... |
Cindy Lou |
| Eli's Comin | The Woman | |
| Me and Mrs. Jones Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a soul song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. It has been recorded by Billy Paul and Michael Bublé, amongst others.-Billy Paul version:"Me and Mrs... |
Cookie | |
| 2003–2004 | Caroline, or Change Caroline, or Change Caroline, or Change is a through-composed musical with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori that combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music.... |
Emmie Thibodeaux |
| 2008 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a play by Tennessee Williams. One of Williams's best-known works and his personal favorite, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955... |
Maggie "The Cat" |
| 2011 | Company Company (musical) Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six.... |
Marta |
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | King of the Bingo Game | Film Noir Female |
| 2000 | Leonard Bernstein's Mass at Vatican City | Ensemble |
| 2003 | From Justin to Kelly From Justin to Kelly From Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the first season of American Idol... |
Kaya |
| 2004 | Temptation Temptation (2004 film) Temptation is a 2004 Movie Musical written by Sydney Forest and John Taylor, directed by Mark Tarlov. The film contained an all-star Broadway cast featuring several Tony Award winning actors as well as many other leading men and women from the Broadway stage; several of which have been... |
Fog |
| Surviving Christmas Surviving Christmas Surviving Christmas is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a Christmas movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, Paycheck.... |
Choir | |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls Dreamgirls (film) Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006... |
Lorrell Maya Robinson |
| 2008 | Just Add Water Just Add Water (film) Just Add Water is a comedy film released on June 17, 2008. The film stars Dylan Walsh as a hardworking man living in the same small town in which he grew up, Danny DeVito as a gas station owner, and Justin Long as a meth dealer.- Plot :... |
R'ch'lle |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | Princess Tiana Princess Tiana Tiana is the main protagonist of Disney's 2009 film The Princess and the Frog which is loosely based on the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker. At the start of the movie she is a waitress and aspiring restaurateur living in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the Jazz Age... (voice) |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls | Yasmine |
| 2012 | As Cool As I Am As Cool As I Am (film) As Cool As I Am is an upcoming American comedy-drama film based on the novel of the same name by Pete Fromm. James Marsden, Claire Danes and Sarah Bolger star as the Diamond family. The film is being directed by Max Mayer, who recently directed Adam... |
Frances |
Television
| Year | Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street 100 Centre Street 100 Centre Street is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin.-Premise:The show takes its name for the street address of the criminal division of the New York Supreme Court for New York County. The show aired in the United States on the A&E Network cable television... (1 episode) |
|
| 2002 | Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... (1 episode) |
Monay |
| 2007 | The Starter Wife (miniseries) | Lavender |
| 2008–2009 | The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series) The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr.... |
Grace Makutsi |
| 2010–2011 | The Good Wife | Wendy Scott-Carr |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... (1 episode) |
Miriam Deng |