Anika Noni Rose

Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Tiana in The Princess and the Frog. She was named a Disney Legend in 2011.

Rose starred as Lorrell Robinson in the Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls (2006). Her contribution to the film's soundtrack earned her a nomination for a Grammy Award. She is also known for her performances in theatre, particularly for starring as Emmie Thibodeaux in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change (2004), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Beneatha Younger in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun (2014), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Early life and education Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Claudia and John Rose, a corporate counsel. She attended Bloomfield High School, appearing in a school production during her freshman year. She earned a bachelor's degree in theatre from Florida A&M University, then studied drama at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.

Career Early career Rose moved to New York without a job. After three months, she played 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 Emmie Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change. In 2004, she was awarded the Theatre World Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress, and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Caroline, or Change.

After her film debut, King of the Bingo Game, she played the role of Kaya in From Justin to Kelly in 2003 and performed in Temptation in 2004, followed by Surviving Christmas as a singer in the choir. In 2006, Rose starred in Dreamgirls as Lorrell Robinson with Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy. Rose appeared in the films Just Add Water and Razor.

Rose also starred alongside Jill Scott in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency directed by Anthony Minghella.

The Princess and the Frog

Rose is best known for her role in Disney's 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog as the voice of the lead character Tiana. Rose was named a Disney Legend on August 19, 2011. Rose 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... I feel like what an honor that this is and how the dream comes true, bigger and stronger than I had even imagined it."

2010s

In 2010, Rose played the role of Yasmine in the film For Colored Girls directed by Tyler Perry and co-starring Phylicia Rashad and Janet Jackson. One critic described Rose's performance as "especially fierce". From 2010 to 2013, Rose had a guest-starring role in the legal TV drama The Good Wife. She played the role of Sara Tidwell in the A&E miniseries Bag of Bones in 2011, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

In 2012, Rose guest-starred in The Simpsons episode "Gone Abie Gone", voicing Abe Simpson's second wife, Rita LaFleur.

In 2014, Rose returned to Broadway in a revival of A Raisin in the Sun, receiving a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Rose played the adult Kizzy in two episodes of Roots, an adaptation of the novel by Alex Haley and a remake of the 1977 miniseries. Critic Alan Sepinwall, in suggesting Emmy nominees to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, called her "one of the best parts of the outstanding Roots ensemble". She had a role in the Starz series Power and the leading role in the 2017 BET drama The Quad. In 2019, a star was named after Rose through the International Star Registry. She also said that she wanted to help children act silly, use their imaginations, and find a love of books that Rose said she had as a child. As one of the stories in the series, Rose chose the Princess and the Frog book "Tiana's Growing Experiment."

In 2020, Rose starred in the Netflix musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey playing Jessica Jangle. Rose applauded the film's portrayal of black and brown professionals in an English Victorian setting. In 2021, she played in the Netflix limited series Maid and in the Amazon horror-series Them. Between 2022 and 2023, she acted as Naomi Cole on Showtime series Let the Right One In and returned to voice the character of Tiana in Disney special film Once Upon a Studio and series Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest.

In 2024, she returned to acting in the theater after four years, playing the role of Elena in the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of the Anton Chekov play Uncle Vanya at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. The same year Rose worked as a voice actress in season two of SuperKitties, where she voiced Cat Burglar's country cousin Sassy, and in Barry Jenkins' film Mufasa: The Lion King as Afia, being nominated at the 56th NAACP Image Awards for her performance. In 2025, she had a voice cameo as the “Squeal of Fortune” in the Disney animated film Zootopia 2.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure In June 2020, Disney announced that they would be reworking the ride Splash Mountain in their U.S. theme parks with characters from The Princess and the Frog due to controversy regarding its base film, Song of the South. Rose said: "It's thrilling. People are amped and ready. I think it's awesome, particularly now, to be reinvigorating her story." Disney stated that the ride would take place after the events of the film, during Carnival season. Rose also added that she would love for Disney to create a Tiana's Palace Restaurant at the theme parks. "I've been looking forward to a Tiana's Palace for years ... I have dreams of them partnering with [New Orleans'] Café du Monde on some real deal beignets, having some fantastic shrimp and grits and king cake during Mardi Gras season. And the occasional second line through the joint. Basically all the things I love!" In June 2022, Rose mentioned that she was involved with discussions with Disney on what they wanted the ride to be like. In July 2022, Disney announced that the ride would be called Tiana's Bayou Adventure, setting and opening date of "late 2024" at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. In September 2022, it was confirmed that Rose would reprise her role as Tiana for the ride. In January 2023, it was announced that Disneyland would convert its French Market Restaurant in the New Orleans Square section of the park into a Tiana's Palace restaurant. Tiana's Palace opened in September 2023. Tianas Bayou Adventure opened at Magic Kingdom in June 2024, and at Disneyland in November 2024.

Personal life Rose married actor Jason Dirden on 16 October 2022. The wedding, which was officiated by Colman Domingo, took place at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles. The couple kept their nuptials a secret before announcing they were married in Brides'' magazine on January 16, 2023.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 1999 King of the Bingo Game Film Noir Female Short film 2003 From Justin to Kelly Kaya 2004 Temptation Fog Surviving Christmas Choir 2006 Dreamgirls Lorrell Maya Robinson 2008 Just Add Water R'ch'lle 2009 The Princess and the Frog Tiana (voice) 2010 For Colored Girls Yasmine 2011 Company Marta 2012 Skyler Therapist 2013 As Cool as I Am Frances Khumba Lungisa (voice) Half of a Yellow Sun Kainene 2014 Imperial Dreams Miss Price A Day Late and a Dollar Short Paris 2016 Throne of Elves Meyla (voice) Grace for President Narrator Video short 2017 Vixen Kuasa (voice) Video Everything, Everything Dr. Pauline Whittier 2018 Assassination Nation Nance Ralph Breaks the Internet Tiana (voice) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Jessica Jangle 2021 The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Candace Wade Injustice Selina Kyle / Catwoman (voice) 2024 Mufasa: The Lion King Afia (voice) 2025 Zootopia 2 Squeal of Fortune Mouse (voice)Cameo

Television Year Title Role Notes 2001 100 Centre Street Woman Episode: "Domestic Abuses" 2002 Third Watch Monay Episode: "Thicker Than Water" 2003 Hack Episode: "Hidden Agenda" 2007 The Starter Wife Lavender Main cast 2008–09 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Grace Makutsi Main cast 2010–13 The Good Wife Wendy Scott-Carr Recurring role (season 2–3), guest (season 4) 2011 LA Phil Live Juliet Episode: "Dudamel Conducts Tchaikovsky" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Miriam Deng Episode: "Scorched Earth" Have a Little Faith Annette TV film Bag of Bones Sara Tidwell Episode: "Part 1 & 2" 2012 Private Practice Corinne Bennett Recurring role (season 5) Elementary Dr. Carrie Dwyer Episode: "Lesser Evils" The Simpsons Rita LaFleur (voice) Episode: "Gone Abie Gone" 2013 The Watsons Go to Birmingham Wilona Sands Watson TV film 2014 A Day Late and a Dollar Short Paris Price TV film Sofia the First Princess Tiana (voice) Episode: "Winter's Gift"

Theatre The Woman Vineyard Theatre Off-Broadway Me and Mrs. Jones| Cookie Prince Music Theater Philadelphia 2003

The Public Theater Off-Broadway

Eugene O'Neill Theatre Broadway Ahmanson Theatre Los Angeles 2008 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof| Maggie "The Cat" Broadhurst Theatre Broadway 2011 Company| Marta David Geffen Hall New York Philharmonic concert 2013 Hamilton| Angelica Schuyler Vassar College Workshop 2014 A Raisin in the Sun| Beneatha Younger Ethel Barrymore Theatre Broadway 2018 Carmen Jones| Carmen Jones Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway 2024 Uncle Vanya| Elena Vivian Beaumont Theatre Broadway 2025 Wonderful Town''Ruth SherwoodNew York City CenterOff-Broadway

Video games Year Title Voice role 2011 Kinect: Disneyland Adventures Princess Tiana 2012 Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure 2024 Disney Dreamlight Valley

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.2001Obie AwardBest PerformanceEli's Comin'''

Clarence Derwent Award Best Supporting Female

Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Actress Theatre World Award Theatre World Award Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture

NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie The Starter Wife Grammy Award Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Dreamgirls 2009 Satellite Award Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Outstanding Voice Performance Outstanding Original Song "Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog| Outstanding Original Song "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog|

Outstanding Ensemble

Outstanding Supporting Actress NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Disney Legend Award Animation – Voice The Princess and the Frog| 2012 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit| 2014 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play A Raisin in the Sun|

Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical| Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical 2025 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture Mufasa: The Lion King''