WATCH: Kasi Lemmons And Naomi Ackie Respond To Backlash Over Brits ‘Taking’ Roles Portraying American Icons

By Rivea Ruff· Updated December 22, 2022

During an exclusive roundtable discussion with ESSENCE about the making of the official and definitive biopic of Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, director Kasi Lemmons and stars Naomie Ackie and Nafessa Williams discussed the rewards and challenges associated with committing the details of the beloved icon’s too-short life to screen.

While the actresses gushed over their natural rapport and ease of expressing the romance and friendship between Robyn Crawford and Whitney Houston, and the director spoke to the unique experience of crafting a film that properly honors a person she knew in life, there was one topic that Ackie and Lemmons had to address head-on.

WATCH: Kasi Lemmons And Naomi Ackie Respond To Backlash Over Brits ‘Taking’ Roles Portraying American Icons

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 10: (L-R) Cast members Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, Naomi Ackie and director Kasi Lemmons attend Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody Movie Experience at Studio 525 on December 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment)

For years, chatter has swirled about Hollywood’s tendency to give highly coveted roles in biopics and uniquely American stories to Black British actors. As the director of 2019’s Harriet starring Cynthia Erivo, Lemmons is all too familiar with the discourse surrounding the roles of Black American historical figures and pop culture icons being delegated to Brits, who some believe do not have the same connection to the source material as an American actress might.

“It’s such a complex issue and question because on some level, I get it,” Lemmons tells ESSENCE. “The way I look at it is, ‘as an African American woman, how can I help this? Is it valuable to have an African American woman direct this? How can I be helpful to her in achieving this portrayal?’”

“On another level, as Bob Marley said, I can’t do the passport thing. It’s not the way that I feel,” Lemmons continued. “And I know it’s particular for African American actors, but we don’t know how Margot Robbie really sounds,” she said, pointing out the number of actors from all races that portray American characters in film and television.

“It’s about if we can nail the portrayal. If we can capture the essence of Whitney Houston then I feel that we’re doing a service.”

Naomi Ackie in TRISTAR pictures I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

“Even when I was auditioning for the part, I was aware of this conversation,” Ackie said, having previously noted this was her first time ever portraying an American woman on screen. “Up until that point, I figured ‘I’m never going to touch it,’ because I didn’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers.”

“I think the conversation is symptomatic of a bigger issue,” she continued. “I think the real issue is that roles like this, for women of color in particular, come by so rarely. And I think a big part of this is scarcity. How long has it even been since you’ve seen this many Black women [working on the same film] talking to each other, you know what I mean?”

“I am a big believer that we as the Black Diaspora deserve to have the same creative freedom that our white counterparts have. I would love to see Americans play British. I would love to see African people play Americans,” Ackie tells ESSENCE. There is a community of creative Black people around the world who deserve to have their stories told.”

(LtoR) Nafessa Williams and Naomi Ackie in TRISTAR pictures I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

“I think there is something about us on this platform making that more available to people so that, maybe in 10 years’ time, this isn’t even a conversation because we can explore different people’s stories.”

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody opens in theaters everywhere on December 23.