Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) 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.
Early life
Rose was born in
Bloomfield, Connecticut. 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.
Career
Rose moved to New York without a job. After three months, she secured the role of Rusty in Broadway's
Footloose. 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
Tonya Pinkins' character Caroline's daughter in
Caroline, or Change. In 2004, Rose was awarded the Theatre World Award, 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...
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