Anika Noni Rose MarksPrincess and the Frog's15th Anniversary, Remembers Feeling 'in My Bones' the Role Was Hers (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Anika Noni Rose and Princess Tiana.Photo:Samuel Paul; Disney

Samuel Paul; Disney

Anika Noni Rose"cannot believe" how time has flown sinceThe Princess and the Frogpremiered on Dec. 11, 2009.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE about her first children’s book,Tiana’s Perfect Plan, the actress shared her thoughts on the beloved Disney film and its milestone 15th anniversary.

She recalled that during her final Princess Tiana audition, she arrived at Walt Disney Animation Studios and walked down the hallway past artwork depicting films fromBambitoFantasia,and she “burst into tears.”

“I just couldn’t believe it. I always wanted to be a Disney voice, always,” she said. “I didn’t have to be a person. That didn’t matter to me.I would have happily been a mushroom. I would have been a tree. I would have been a rock. I would have been whatever.”

She continued to recall the moments before that final audition: “I was walking through the halls of the history of my childhood, and at that same time, I felt in my bones this was for me. I felt it.”

“The Princess and the Frog” in 2009.Everett Collection

Everett Collection

She also told PEOPLE how meaningful it has been to watch children grow up with her character and the “mind-blowing” impact Tiana has on young girls; she’s still in disbelief every time she spots kids in their “little outfits” or “singing the songs,” she added.

Rose revealed that when she speaks with kids—or their parents come up to her and tell her how grateful they are for the character — she’s allowed “to touch in with children in a different way.”

“The Princess and the Frog” in 2009.Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

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She recalled that the first time she saw a child dressed as Tiana was at theD23 Expo, and since, she’s “seen children of all different ethnicities, all different backgrounds” sporting the signature green gown.

“When I’m thinking of Black or brown-skinned adults, we spent so much time growing up trying to fit into another standard of beauty. And now, at this point, those children, these new children, are comfortable within themselves in different ways,” she said.

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Anika Noni Rose, voice of Tiana, at Disneyland Park on Nov. 13, 2024, next to the new ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.Sean Teegarden/Disneyland Resort

Sean Teegarden/Disneyland Resort

She continued to credit the animated icon for helping young people “feel like they fit into our space because of Tiana,” speaking to the roster of Disney princesses.

“They don’t think anything of putting on their Tiana dress. You can’t tell them they’re not Tiana,” she stated. “It’s not about the fact they’re not brown. They still feel like they’re Tiana.”

“Brown babies feel like they are regal, and their friends, who may not be brown, look at them and absolutely see that. [They say,] ‘Yes, you are regal, and you are a princess.’ ”

“It’s those little waves that make changes when these kids want to be in the school play, and they want to be the princess,” she continued. “Who’s going to tell them they can’t be the princess at this point? Nobody, because we see it. It’s there.”

source: people.com