Who Plays Whitney Houston In I Wanna Dance With Somebody?

Whitney Houston captivated the world with her unbelievable talent, so bringing a legendary icon like her to the big screen in "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody" was no simple task. During an appearance on "Good Morning America," Naomi Ackie revealed it was a two-year journey for her, working closely with the Houston family, Clive Davis, and others to perfect her performance.

Playing Houston wasn't just an honor for Ackie. Although she'll never know it, the late singer played a significant part in Ackie's pursuit of an acting career, with "Cinderella" showing her that she could achieve her dreams. 

"I always grew up with her music, but [the] first time I remember seeing her was ['Cinderella'], and she's a Fairy Godmother," Ackie said. "It started my love of musicals, and in a way, kind of grew into my love of performance, and seeing a Black Cinderella was like, 'Oh, I can do this.' And the dresses are so pretty, and this woman is amazing, and, after that, I started slowly working toward that whole acting thing, so it does feel quite full circle."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbvOqZyrZpOkunB9kW9tb3FkZMSpu4ypo5qxo2LEqbXTp5yyZZikwrTAzqdkomWnlruvrYydmKeblWLEqsDHZqqopZWXvKXFjg%3D%3D