Demi Singleton

Demi Patricia Singleton (born 27 February 2007) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her roles in the MGM+ crime TV series Godfather of Harlem, as the young Serena Williams in the biographical film King Richard, and as Sally Reeves in the Paramount+ western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Early life Born in Baton Rouge, Singleton's family is from the Central American country of Honduras and the Caribbean island of Dominica. She initially lived in New Orleans, and moved to New York City at the age of three. She began training in the arts with New York's finest teachers in music, dance and acting. She has studied classical ballet since the age of three and began playing the cello when she was four. She studied at a rigorous music conservatory for children in Brooklyn for 6 years where she learned to play instruments by ear through the Suzuki method. At nine, she attended a Broadway musical featuring child performers and decided that she also wanted to pursue a career as a stage performer.

In May 2025, Singleton graduated from Marlborough School (Los Angeles), an independent girls’ school. That fall, she enrolled at Yale University, where she began her undergraduate studies.

Career Singleton began acting in 2017, and made her Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock at ten years old, performing for nearly a year before joining Disney's The Lion King on Broadway as young Nala.

In September 2018, Singleton was cast in the Epix crime drama, Godfather of Harlem, led by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, as his character's granddaughter Margaret Johnson.

In 2020, Singleton was cast to star as Serena Williams in the Will Smith-led Warner Bros. sports drama King Richard, which tells the story of how Serena and Venus Williams rose to success from the planning and coaching of their father, Richard Williams. The film was finally released in November 2021. She also portrayed young Serena Williams in the 2019 Bumble Super Bowl commercial.

Filmography

Film

Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2019 Godfather of Harlem Margaret Johnson Main role, 20 episodes 2023 Lawmen: Bass Reeves Sally Reeves Main role

Theater

Awards and nominations + Solo Awards for Demi Singleton Year Award Category Work Result Ref 2022 Black Reel Awards Breakthrough Performance – FemaleKing Richard

+ Ensemble Awards for Demi Singleton Year Award Category Work Result Ref Black Reel Awards Outstanding EnsembleKing Richard NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture