Hitting New Notes: Bria Danielle Singleton as Bobbi Kristina in Whitney Houston Biopic

By Arianne Granada

 

 

Growing up, Bria Singleton was a Whitney Houston fan — her music was a mainstay in the Singleton household. Today, in a full circle moment, the rising star and actress portrays Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in the biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. We sat down with Singleton, to talk about how the film honours Houston’s legacy and the challenges and valuable lessons she learned along the way.

 

On Being Bobbi Kristina

 

Taking on the role of Bobbi Kristina in the Whitney Houston biopic was a new and significant challenge for Bria Singleton. “It was such an experience because this is like a job where I haven’t had a lot of auditions for a character based on a real person,” says Singleton. “I’m portraying a real person so this was an entirely new thing and this is the biggest project I’ve ever done.”

Singleton approached the role with a unique perspective, determined to find the real Bobbi Kristina behind the cameras and avoid any negative portrayals in the media. She shared, “I researched a lot on Bobbi Kristina but I tried to steer clear of what everyone was wanting to portray of her in a negative light. I wanted to find the Bobbi Kristina that was behind the cameras and just try to search for that type of conflict to where I could just get something more authentic.”

In her search for a deeper understanding of Bobbi Kristina, Singleton says she also found similarities between herself and her character. “I’d say that Bobbi is a lot more patient, to be honest. I think we’re both very patient, but we’re also very understanding, always available to help anyone and just very supportive people.”

 

Her Full-Circle Moment as a Long-Time Whitney Fan

Growing up, Bria Singleton was surrounded by Whitney Houston’s music. “I’ve been a fan since birth. My mom raised us on her. She’s one of those people who was always present, never in the background. My mom used to make us watch The Bodyguard when we were young, and she still does. We’d rewatch it sometimes and just listen to her music while going on a drive, on our way to school, and waking up to it. She was just always around.”

Playing Bobbi Kristina in the Whitney Houston biopic was a personal and enlightening experience for Singleton; it was a full-circle moment for her to play Whitney’s daughter after being a fan of her music her whole life. “I’ve learned a lot! Especially since so many people on set were actually involved in both Whitney and Bobbi’s life. I got to learn so many little personal details about Bobbi. Even my make-up artist was Bobbi’s make-up artist and her friend. She told me stories and just talked about her so it was a very personal experience all around.”

 

 

Getting Cast in a Superhero Movie

Singleton also touched on her experience working on the superhero film, Thunder Force, calling it “a lot more carefree because it’s a superhero movie. When I did Thunder Force, that was the biggest one I’ve done so that was also just a whole other experience in itself. Thunder Force was just fun. It was great.” When asked about her favourite superhero film, she named Wakanda Forever and added “I just saw Wakanda Forever but in the first five minutes, I was crying. They did such a good job. I’ve never cried that fast into a movie before. The whole story was amazing.”