Princess and the Frog
Though she loves the outdoors, you won’t find Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Princess Tiana in Disney’s “Princess and the Frog,” sleeping in the woods. “I don’t go camping,” she says of her fear of bears. “I’m not trying to be out with a handkerchief and a toothpick between me and the wild.”
But “wild” is a good word for Rose’s last few years. From “Dreamgirls” to Broadway (she has won both a Tony and an OBIE) to HBO’s critically acclaimed “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” she’s been almost too busy to breathe, much less sit down for interviews about her turn as the first African-American princess in a Disney production.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Rose says of the role. “The moment I heard the opportunity was popping up, I was on high alert. I didn’t want it because it was a princess, but because it was Disney. I’ve wanted to do a Disney voice my whole life.”
Other Rose loves:
- When her career gets hectic and she needs balance, she heads back to New York City. “When I want to live, I go home,” Rose says. “I spend a lot of time with my grandmother. I listen to music. I see shows. I read a lot.”
- You can’t tell by her petite size, but Rose loves to eat. “I love a Rice Krispy Treat. The ones you bake,” she says. She also hasn’t met any sweet bread she doesn’t like. “Yesterday, I stood in a long line and got some freshly made donuts. The line was long and it was cold, but I was getting a donut. See? Fried, bread, sugar?”
- She maintains her healthy lifestyle by ignoring her cravings for sweets as much as possible and working out, though this last year has been a challenge because of a back injury that kept her sidelined. An athlete when she was younger, Rose stays active by swimming, biking and rollerblading.
- She doesn’t pass up the pampering. “I love a massage!” Rose exclaims. “A good one. Not somebody rubbing on you, but somebody who puts their leg on the wall and puts their back in it!”
- Rose believes education is key. “This sounds very corny,” she says seriously, “but I always tell young people to get their education. It sounds like something you’re supposed to say, but I really believe in it. Arm yourself as best possible to go the places you want to go in your life.”
Kendra Lee is Heart & Soul’s executive editor.
