|
Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Fantasia Barrino, a talented actress and singer, won Outstanding Actress at the NAACP Image Awards for her role as “Celie” in The Color Purple.
Fantasia took the world by storm with her reenactment of Celie. Through her singing and compassion, she contributed to the movie’s success. The Color Purple became the second-highest Christmas debut ever, accumulating over $18 million in box sales.
After hearing her name announced as the winner, Barrino was in disbelief, claiming, “I didn’t think I was gonna win.” She was so shocked that she did not prepare a speech.
During her speech, Fantasia praised God. She stated before singing, “Before I leave, I want to say: ‘To God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things that he has done!”
She continued by thanking her grandmother and mother for paving the way. Fantasia views her mother as “a woman that went through a lot of things, but I saw her, after everything she went through, walk out as a queen. With a smile on her face, she always kept God first, and I will continue to do the same.”
After her speech, she broke out into song and captivated the audience with her voice.
Fantasia Barrino Endured Challenges as “Celie”
Although Fantasia excelled in the film, she despised playing Celie Johnson. At the time of the filming, Barrino’s life was hectic, and she had to manage playing Celie as well.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Fantasia stated, “That was around the time that my life was so crazy, so it was almost like carrying my cross and Celie’s cross I didn’t know how to come out of character.”
Related Stories
Why Fantasia Fit To Play Celie
As a victim of sexual assault, Fantasia was able to embrace the part of Celie and used her trauma to enhance the role. In her memoir Life Is Not a Fairytale, she opened up about being sexually assaulted.
After the awards, Fantasia stated, “I was afraid to play Celie, but I’m glad I did because I kept saying, ‘If I don’t win an award, the awards that I will win is the people who will watch [‘The] Color Purple’ and the women that will relate to her and will feel like Oscar’s when they walk out.”
Fantasia Barrino embraces her win with compassion and grace, showcasing her humility as an actress and took the initiative to seek change.