Naomi Ackie played the iconic Whitney Houston in the biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, which premiered in 2022. Ackie received widespread praise and critical acclaim for her portrayal of the late singer in the film. However, the appreciation came at a huge cost, as the actress later revealed how the role took a toll on her physical and emotional well-being. In fact, she called it one of the hardest experiences of her career. Read on to catch the full scoop.
Ackie ate “two protein bars a day” to get in shape for the role
During a recent appearance on Great Company with Jamie Laing, Ackie opened up about the hardships she faced while portraying one of the most iconic singers in global music history. Speaking about the role, the 34-year-old actress admitted she immediately understood how demanding the project would be from the moment she said yes to the part.
“Because it was too big, it felt intimidating. I think, inside spiritually, I’m a woo-woo girl, and I was like, instinctively, I know this is going to take something,” she explained. Additionally, Ackie revealed that she lost roughly 30 pounds while preparing for the role. “I was so hungry. No one was forcing me to do this, which was the weirdest thing. I was doing the acting thing. Like, I have to do it,” she said.
Ackie drastically reduced her food intake and was surviving on “two protein bars a day” to maintain the weight she thought was necessary. The actress also reflected on the pressure she felt after hitting what the industry considers a “sample size.” She added, “But also, weirdly, I was like, ‘Oh my God, finally, I’m sample size.’ And then I was sample size while I was filming, being like, ‘I have to hold on to this for the premiere, so that I can do that.’ But then obviously that’s not my natural weight.”
One of the biggest challenges for Ackie was dealing with the anxiety of recreating Houston’s legendary live performances, knowing comparisons with the late singer would be inevitable. The actress revealed that the thought of those comparisons fueled her perfectionism, which ultimately nearly “destroyed” her.
“I knew if I do a performance that Whitney has done, someone is going to pull up the YouTube video of Whitney doing that same performance and put them side by side. Because I’m a perfectionist, that f—— bothered me, and I wanted to get it as perfect as possible, and that nearly destroyed me,” she further said. There’s no denying Ackie went to great lengths to do justice to Houston’s biopic and tried to bring as much authenticity to the role as possible.
Unsurprisingly, it paid off, as the actress received immense praise for her performance. Released in 2022, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody chronicles Houston’s rise to superstardom, her incredibly successful music career, and the personal demons she faced behind the scenes. Did you like Ackie’s version of legendary Whitney Houston? Drop your comments.
