Naomi Ackie took months to ‘feel comfortable’ speaking like Whitney Houston

• Naomi Ackie took six months to become “comfortable” speaking like Whitney Houston.
• Naomi shared: “There was many different elements”.
• She felt very close to her when filming the singing moments.

The 30-year-old actress plays the late renowned singer in the biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and she received movement training from the same teacher Austin Butler utilised for “Elvis” and Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

In a video obtained by People, Naomi shared: “There was many different elements: How do I prepare myself vocally, singing-wise? The accent work took about six months to get really comfortable with it.

“And how do I prepare myself physically? In terms of movement, I worked with my amazing friend and my movement coach, Polly Bennett, and we kind of split it all up.”

Explaining how it all works vocal-wise, Naomi added: “Everyone has certain cadences. Everyone has a sort of inner rhythm. And if you study it and practice it enough, the hope is that it comes out really naturally.”

Naomi previously said she was certain Whitney was present on set, saying she felt very close to her when filming the singing moments.

Naomi told Extratv.com: “[I felt she was there] especially when she was singing. That is why some of the performances were my favourite to film – because she was literally in the room. Hopefully that shows in the film.”

The overwhelming support from Whitney’s family after she landed the part gave the “Actor Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” star a big lift.

She said: “They had like brought me on board to do it and believed in me in that kind of way was unbelievable in itself and they just continued to reinstate that.”

She continued by expressing her admiration for the singer, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 48, noting that she had grown up listening to her songs.

Naomi said: “She was just like us … when you strip away all the stardom and fame … she was a human being and she deserves compassion and love. Her legacy is undeniable.”

‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ also features Stanley Tucci as music mogul Clive Davis and ‘Moonlight’ star Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown.

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