A ‘FORCE OF NATURE’ TAKES ACTING WORLD BY STORM
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanShe is just 9 years old but already is an accomplished actress.
Adorable Quvenzhané Wallis is the youngest Oscar nominee in 2013 chosen for her emotional role in the film “Beasts of the Southern Wild”.
Wallis has a maturity far beyond her years but the child in her is still evident as she is very vocal about how much she loves ice cream.
This little wonder of the big screen is opinionated and outspoken in a refreshing sort of way. She knows what she wants and watching her act, it is easy to see why she is up for the celebrated Oscar award of “Best Actress”.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” is no fairytale. In fact, it is far from a “G” rated film. This is the story of an ailing father trying to teach his young 6-year-old daughter about survival on her own in the Louisiana Bayou and he tries to make her tough. Optimism and imagination are in the very soul of this little one and perhaps that is what sees her through as she is really forced to take a look at the hard cold facts of reality and learn to survive the unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions. Although portions of the film may be a bit unbelievable, we believe in Quvenzhané and her fierce fervor. The film won ‘Official Grand Jury Prize’ at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and ‘Golden Camera Award’ at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Dwight Henry, a local New Orleans baker turned actor for the film, played her father and the two built a bond that gave a poignant existence to the film. Media critics called Quvenzhané’s performance a fearless “force of nature”.
You can easily fall in love with this wide-eyed wonder with a head full of curls although she likes her hair better straight and Wallis has a character full of charisma. While other celebrities are fixated on their attire for Oscar evening and the famed Red Carpet, little Quvenzhané knows that she does love the color pink, she will not be wearing a gown that would trip her, but she has no idea what she will be wearing just yet for the big evening that lies ahead. Like the rest of us, she certainly loves fashion and we can see that from her stylish public appearances recently. André Leon Talley was absolutely smitten with her in his latest Vogue interview with the tiny fashionista.
However, music is more her ‘style’. She is a huge fan of Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato, Rihanna and Frank Ocean. It gives us quite a chuckle to hear that Wallis can dance and party just like any adult.
Just watching Quvenzhané, we are mesmerized with her expressions, her blazing confidence and her thrill for all that life has to offer. Her personality sold her from the beginning as she was chosen for the part of ‘Hushpuppy’, her character in this film and beating out over 4,000 other girls who also tried out for the part. She has gone from unknown to making history as the youngest ‘Best Actress’ nominee for her role. Before her, Keisha Castle-Hughes was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 at the age of 13 for her outstanding performance in ‘Whale Rider’.
There are so many ways to describe the young and upcoming actress. Wallis is defiant yet preciously candid. She is polite with a pretty smile. She can be bossy in a childlike way but it gets the point across. She is the youngest of 4 children, with 2 older brothers and 1 older sister. Wallis has an amazing appetite for seafood and for life in general. She is decisive in her goals and her needs and desires.
This is only the beginning of Wallis’ acting career. She has very high expectations for herself and an ambitious dedication not only to school and its importance of building a structure for a successful career but to taking her acting talents to the next level and beyond. Due out in theaters later this year, the film ‘Twelve Years a Slave’ brings us this dazzling star once again acting next to Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. We are eagerly anticipating her performance on the big screen once again.
‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ is up for four Oscar awards including “Best Picture”, “Best Director” and “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Benh Zeitlin) and “Best Actress” for Quvenzhané Wallis.
PHOTO CREDITS: Reuters, Fox Searchlight, Splash News
