FIRST LOOK: Naomi Ackie transforms into Whitney Houston as she’s seen on set of biopic
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Filming has been well underway for the much-anticipated Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
And Naomi Ackie – the actress embodying the late pop superstar – was seen in character for the first time while on set of the film on Thursday in Los Angeles.
The London, England native, 29, looked spot-on as Houston, circa 1980s-early 90s, which was around the time she dropped her first two studio albums that spawned seven number one hit songs.
First look: Naomi Ackie, 29, was seen on the set of the Whitney Houston biopic – I Wanna Dance With Somebody – in character for the first time on Thursday
Ackie was spotted in-between shots, walking along a dock where a luxury white boat was anchored.
The costume department had her dressed in a blue and pink 1980s inspired one-piece swimsuit, along with a multi-colored sarong wrap that covered much of her lower body.
In keeping with the beach vibe, she also donned a pair of white slides for the scene along the water.
And the actress was styled with Houston’s trademark curly brunette bob that she wore during her meteoric rise to superstardom.
Spot-on: It appears the costume department had the British-born actress styled to resemble Houston from the late 1980s-early 90s era
Nostalgic: The costume department had her dressed in a blue and pink 1980s inspired one-piece swimsuit, along with a multi-colored sarong wrap that covered much of her lower body
Signature cut: The actress was styled with Houston’s trademark curly brunette bob that she wore during her meteoric rise to superstardom
As she made her way around set on Thursday, Ackie was surrounded by several members of the film’s production crew.
The British-born star is best known to most fans for playing Jannah in Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
After being cast as Whitney Houston last year, she assured fans that she was ‘doing the work’ needed to prepare for the role.
‘I’m going to try my best because that woman — it sends shivers down my spine how much she means to me, the world, Black women, African American women. I’m going to throw my everything into making sure she is represented properly,’ she told Entertainment Tonight.
She added, ‘I just want to tell her story. And I think when I’m able to simplify it down to that, I’ll be able to handle the pressure.’
Role of a lifetime: After being cast as Whitney Houston last year, she assured fans that she was ‘doing the work’ needed to prepare for the role; Ackie seen in 2018
The movie, which chronicles her life and career, was written by Anthony McCarten who previously penned the screenplay for the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who is best known for helming Harriet (2019).
Along with Ackie, the cast includes Ashton Sanders (Bobby Brown), Stanley Tucci (Clive Davis), Nafessa Williams (Robyn Crawford), Clarke Peters (John Houston, Whitney’s father) and Tamara Tunie (Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother), among others.
This past February marked the tenth anniversary of Houston’s tragic death at age 48. The Where Do Broken Hearts Go star was found dead in a bathtub inside a Beverly Hilton hotel room on February 11, 2012.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed her cause of death was due to accidental drowning, and drugs were found in her system at the time.
‘I’m going to try my best because that woman — it sends shivers down my spine how much she means to me, the world, Black women, African American women. I’m going to throw my everything into making sure she is represented properly,’ she told Entertainment Tonight .
In another tragic turn, Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, whom she shared with ex-husband Bobby Brown, was found unconscious and face-down in a bathtub in her Georgia home in January 2015. She was placed in a medically induced coma, but ultimately she never regained consciousness and died the following July, less than six-months later.
With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Houston is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time.
And among her many accolades, she’s the only musical artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, which includes: Saving All My Love for You, How Will I Know, Greatest Love Of All, I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), Didn’t We Almost Have It All, So Emotional and Where Do Broken Hearts Go,
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is set be released exclusively in theaters on December 21.
Coming soon: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is set be released exclusively in theaters on December 21