Naomi Ackie [1] quickly became the one to watch in Hollywood after she was cast as the late and great Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" in late 2020, shortly after starring in "Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker [2]" and Netflix's "The End Of The F***Ing World [3]".
Fast-forward nearly two years, and the highly-anticipated film [4] is now here. The 29-year-old British actress effortlessly transforms into the legendary singer in the two-minute trailer, which chronicles the star's rise as "The Voice" in the music industry while also spotlighting her most significant career achievements and personal life. One voiceover from the clip sees music producer Clive Davis (portrayed by Stanley Tucci), who discovered the "Higher Love" singer, say: "I might've just heard the greatest voice of her generation."
Needless to say that Naomi had some big shoes to fill, and filming for the biopic [5] didn't come without nerves, which she said helped her in bringing Houston's celebrated career to the big screen.
"She's been elevated in my life for so long that it felt like an impossible thing to achieve at times," Ackie recently told PEOPLE [6]. "But so many people told me the same thing: If I wasn't scared and nervous, they'd think something was wrong with me. The biggest challenge was letting my fear of the magnitude of this task take a back seat. Nothing good comes from sitting in fear for too long."
Fans of Whitney can see Naomi's incredible acting skills and hard work pay off now as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" hit cinemas on 23 Dec. Read on to discover more about the talented British actor.
Naomi Ackie Does Not Sing in the Whitney Biopic — Despite Having a Great Singing Voice!
While Ackie certainly looks the part of the pop icon in the upcoming film, the vocals used in the movie are all of the late star [7] — despite the actress knowing how to sing. The film is produced by famed manager Clive Davis, who helped elevate Houston's career, during which she recorded seven studio albums (her most iconic songs will feature in the biopic), and he was adamant that no one could match the singer's voice — not even Ackie.
"The [singing] voice, of course, will be Whitney's. When it came to Whitney, we just didn't think anyone could capture her vocal genius, so it will be the Whitney voice in the film," Clive informed USA Today [8].
Luckily, Ackie is as great at lip-syncing as she is at acting.
Naomi Ackie Is Proud of her Working-Class Roots
Ackie, who was born and raised in Walthamstow, London, was a speaker at the 2018 BFI Working Class Heroes [9] event, where she talked about starting out in the entertainment industry and working extra hard to establish herself.
"Let's get rid of this illusion that actors are this separate entity that are born from the stars. No, we've got crap to do. We've got to get stuff done," the Walthamstow-born actress said. "That, to me, is character-building. That's probably one of the reasons why working-class actors are so versatile because we have to encompass all the worlds: the fancy stuff like the Oscars — but also the nitty-gritty."
Naomi Ackie Very Nearly Entered the World of "Game Of Thrones"
While the "Game Of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon", has hit HBO/Sky, Ackie was originally set to star in the first spin-off of the popular fantasy series. The show was filmed under the working title of "Bloodmoon", and Ackie was meant to star in the project alongside Naomi Watts [10] and Jamie Campbell Bower before it was scrapped.
HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys addressed the show's cancellation earlier this year, stating to The Hollywood Reporter [11] that the plot of Bloodmoon required a "lot more invention" and was a "higher risk, higher reward" -— thus prompting HBO bosses not to take the risk.
Naomi Ackie's Backup Plan was to be a Fashion Designer
If Ackie weren't an actress, she would have been a dressmaker. As well as fantasising about stardom, the actress said she would always dream about wearing her own creations on the red carpet. When mentioning her fashion plans, Ackie elaborated to NME [12]: "I would be an atelier or something like that. I'd be in the corner putting sequins on fabric and making beautiful garments for someone else!" And who's to say this dream won't come true?
"I swear, when I was a teenager, I used to daydream about that! Like, 'one day I'm going to be an actress and go on the red carpet wearing something I'd made.' I don't have that skill. But I used to customise clothes when I was a kid, that's where that came from. I just need to learn how to be better, and then who knows! Gimme five years, and I might just do it."
Naomi Ackie Initially Wanted to be a Shakespearean Actress
Naomi has taken on wide-ranging roles in her glamorous Hollywood career so far, but she actually grew up wanting to be a Shakespearean actress rather than a mainstream star. With those hopes cemented in her mind by her mid-teens, she went on to hone her talents at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where her interests expanded.
"I'd always had the idea of film in the back of my mind," Ackie told the Los Angeles Times [13]. "But I think when you're not in America, and every film you see has American actors in it, you just think, 'Oh, that's Hollywood. That's a totally different thing.'"
Naomi Ackie Is a Harry Potter Fan, aka a Potterhead!
As well as her love for Shakespeare, Ackie was heavily influenced by the "Harry Potter [14]" film franchise growing up.
"Harry Potter was a really big thing for me," Ackie told the Los Angeles Times [15]. "Actually, if there was anything that made me want to be in films more, it was like looking at those kids and wanting that feeling of being a part of something epic". She's a Slytherin, just so you know!
Naomi Ackie Is Keen on Separating Her Personal and Professional Lives
With her star power on the rise, Ackie is very keen on leading a private life. She was previously on Instagram under the handle @naomi_ackie, but the account has since been deleted, and she is not on Twitter either.
Ackie also ensures to keep her love life out of the spotlight, and it is currently unknown whether she is single or in a relationship.
Naomi Ackie Enjoys Doing Yoga
Naomi might be booked and busy with acting, but she still finds time to wind down. One of the ways she relaxes is by doing yoga. She particularly enjoys watching videos from instructor Lesley Fightmaster [16], telling the Evening Standard [17], "She's like, 'How are you feeling today? If you're feeling like you just want to do a child's pose, go ahead!' And I'm like, 'Thanks Lesley, I do!'"
Naomi Ackie Is a Big Fan of Viola Davis and Cate Blanchett
Naomi has remained steadfast in her love for Viola Davis and Cate Blanchett [18] over the years. In 2017, she told Constellation magazine [19] that she'd drop everything to watch them perform and recently cited them as two people she'd love to work with [20] (in addition to Joaquin Phoenix [21] and Meryl Streep [22]).
Naomi Ackie's Acting Credentials are Incredibly Impressive
While Ackie is likely to become a household name, she has been working steadily over the years and has already built up a seriously impressive acting CV.
Her feature film debut was made in William Oldroyd's "Lady Macbeth", which also starred Florence Pugh, and premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival [23]. Her performance in the period drama was so impressive that Ackie won the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2017.
Ackie also portrayed Mona in the Idris Elba-directed drama "Yardie" and made recurring appearances as Ruby in the Hulu series "The Bisexual". She played the role of Jannah in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019 and joined season two of Netflix's "The End of the F***ing World". In 2021, she starred in the British musical heist film "The Score" alongside Will Poulter.
Naomi Ackie Is In Demand
Following the Whitney Houston biopic, Ackie has a slate of exciting film projects coming up. She is currently filming for Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, "Pussy Island", alongside Channing Tatum [24]. She is also in production for the science fiction film "Mickey7", which is director Bong Joon-ho's first film after the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite."