Rose elevated to Disney royalty

One of Hollywood’s most visible Rattlers is breaking new ground.

Anika Noni Rose, a Tony award-winning actress best known for her performance in the blockbuster feature film Dreamgirls, is Disney’s first animated black princess. Her voice and likeness are being used for the character Tiana in Disney’s upcoming movie The Princess and the Frog.

"This feels amazing," Rose told PEOPLE Magazine. "Not only is she the first black princess, she's the first American princess. So, the scope and the significance is larger than people even realize."

Disney just released a toy-line for the film that includes a Princess Tiana doll modeled after Rose, who earned her bachelor of arts in theatre from FAMU.

The movie's star-studded cast includes talk show celebrity Oprah Winfrey, who voices Tiana’s mother, the queen.

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Rattler makes Disney history