Anika Noni Rose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anika Noni Rose
Rose at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2024
Born	(1972-09-06) September 6, 1972 (age 52) Bloomfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Florida A&M University (BA) American Conservatory Theater (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Jason Dirden ​ (m. 2022)​

Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is famous for being the voice of Tiana in Disney's movie The Princess and the Frog (2009). Because of her amazing work, she was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011.

Anika Noni Rose also starred as Lorrell Robinson in the movie Dreamgirls (2006). This film won an Academy Award. Her singing on the movie's soundtrack even earned her a nomination for a Grammy Award. She is also well-known for her roles in theater. She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Emmie Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change (2004). Later, she was nominated for another Tony Award for her role as Beneatha Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (2014).

Early Life and Education

Anika Noni Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Her parents are Claudia and John Rose. Her father worked as a lawyer for companies. She went to Bloomfield High School. She even acted in a school play during her first year there.

Anika earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Florida A&M University. After that, she continued to study acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.

Anika Noni Rose's Career

Starting Out in Acting

After finishing her studies, Anika Noni Rose moved to New York City. She didn't have a job right away. However, after three months, she got a role. She played Rusty in the Broadway musical Footloose.

After Footloose, she worked on many other theater projects. She performed in two musicals that used popular songs. These were Eli's Comin' Off-Broadway and Me and Mrs. Jones with Lou Rawls in Philadelphia. Her big break on Broadway came when she was cast as Emmie Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change. In 2004, she won several awards for this role. These included the Theatre World Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Anika also started acting in films. Her first film was King of the Bingo Game. In 2003, she played Kaya in From Justin to Kelly. She then appeared in Temptation in 2004. After that, she was a singer in the choir for the movie Surviving Christmas. In 2006, Anika starred in Dreamgirls. She played Lorrell Robinson alongside famous actors like Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy. She also appeared in the films Just Add Water and Razor.

Anika Noni Rose also acted with Jill Scott. They were in the TV series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This show was directed by Anthony Minghella.

Becoming a Disney Princess

Anika Noni Rose at the 2009 Peabody Awards

Anika Noni Rose is most famous for her role in Disney's 2009 animated movie The Princess and the Frog. She was the voice of the main character, Tiana. On August 19, 2011, Anika was named a Disney Legend. This is a very special honor.

Anika shared how much this role meant to her. She said, "I always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney movie. But even in those dreams, I never once dreamed of being a princess." She felt it was a huge honor. She added that her dream came true in a way that was "bigger and stronger than I had even imagined it."

Anika's Work in the 2010s

Rose at the 2010 Academy Awards

In 2010, Anika Noni Rose played Yasmine in the movie For Colored Girls. This film was directed by Tyler Perry. She acted alongside stars like Phylicia Rashad and Janet Jackson. Critics praised her performance, calling it "especially fierce."

From 2010 to 2013, Anika had a recurring role. She appeared in the TV drama The Good Wife. In 2011, she played Sara Tidwell in the miniseries Bag of Bones. This show was based on a novel by Stephen King.

In 2012, Anika was a guest star on The Simpsons. She voiced Rita LaFleur, who was Abe Simpson's second wife.

In 2014, Anika returned to Broadway. She starred in a new production of A Raisin in the Sun. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Anika played the adult Kizzy in two episodes of Roots in 2016. This was a new version of the famous novel and 1977 TV series. A critic named Alan Sepinwall praised her acting. He called her "one of the best parts of the outstanding Roots ensemble." She also had a role in the Starz TV series Power. In 2017, she took on the main role in the BET drama The Quad. In 2019, a star was named after her through the International Star Registry.

Anika's Work in the 2020s

Rose at the 2024 Ft. Lauderdale's Super Festival

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Anika Noni Rose started a special project. She created a weekly series called Bedtime Stories for the Littles. In this series, she read bedtime stories to young children. She wanted to help them feel less scared during the lockdown. Anika said she loved reading to kids. She wanted to give them "something soft and soothing in this very jarring moment in time." She also hoped to help children use their imaginations and love books, just like she did as a child. One of the stories she read was "Tiana's Growing Experiment" from The Princess and the Frog book.

In 2020, Anika starred in the Netflix musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. She played Jessica Jangle. Anika liked that the film showed black and brown professionals in an old English setting. In 2021, she appeared in the Netflix series Maid. She also acted in the Amazon horror series Them. From 2022 to 2023, she played Naomi Cole in the Showtime series Let the Right One In. She also returned to voice Tiana in the Disney special film Once Upon a Studio and the series Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest.

In 2024, Anika returned to theater acting after four years. She played Elena in the play Uncle Vanya at the Lincoln Center Theatre in New York. The same year, she did voice work for season two of SuperKitties. She voiced Cat Burglar's country cousin, Sassy. She also voiced Afia in Barry Jenkins' film Mufasa: The Lion King. For this role, she was nominated for an award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure

In June 2020, Disney announced exciting news. They would change the ride Splash Mountain at their U.S. theme parks. The ride now features characters from The Princess and the Frog. This change happened because of concerns about the ride's original movie, Song of the South. Anika Noni Rose was thrilled about this. She said, "It's thrilling. People are amped and ready." She thought it was wonderful to bring Tiana's story to life again.

Disney explained that the new ride takes place after the movie. It happens during Carnival season. Anika also shared her wish for Disney to create a Tiana's Palace Restaurant at the theme parks. She said she had been looking forward to it for years. She dreamed of them working with New Orleans'Café du Monde for real beignets. She also hoped for amazing shrimp and grits and king cake during Mardi Gras season. She even imagined a second line parade through the restaurant.

In June 2022, Anika mentioned she was talking with Disney about the ride's design. In July 2022, Disney announced the ride's name: Tiana's Bayou Adventure. They said it would open in "late 2024" at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. In September 2022, it was confirmed that Anika would voice Tiana for the ride. In January 2023, Disneyland announced they would turn their French Market Restaurant into a Tiana's Palace restaurant. Tiana's Palace opened in September 2023. Tiana's Bayou Adventure opened at Magic Kingdom in June 2024. It opened at Disneyland in November 2024.

Personal Life

Anika Noni Rose married actor Jason Dirden in October 2022. Their wedding was held at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles. Actor Colman Domingo led the ceremony. The couple kept their marriage a secret for a while. They announced it in Brides magazine on January 16, 2023.

Acting Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Theater Performances

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Anika Noni Rose para niños