Actress Search Finds a 10-Year-Old Disney Star

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Actress Search Finds a 10-Year-Old Disney Star

Straight-A student Elizabeth Dampier has always had talent, her parents say. After almost three years of auditions, she landed the role of the young Tiana in Disney's latest animated movie.

"Well, I had many open call auditions and they called me, and I came out to L.A." to try out for her role in "The Princess and the Frog."

This is the first animated Disney movie to feature an African Americn princess. Dampier had to develop a New Orleans accent in order to land the role.

Her movie parents are voiced by Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard, and her adult self is voiced by Anika Noni Rose.

"I was excited and I am blessed and privileged that God would give me such an opportunity and that this movie will go down in history," Dampier said.

Gina Wilhelm Actress

Taraji P. Henson Wins Image Award

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Taraji P. Henson Wins Image Award

This week, Taraji P. Henson won an NAACP Image award for her performance in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

The New Orleans Times-Picayune sat down with the actress, who shot the film in New Orleans.

Henson waxed philosophic about her chances of an Oscar win. It turns out her philosophies mesh quite well with those of Queenie, her character in the movie.

"She had a big impact on me," the actress revealed.

She also filmed "Hurricane Season" in New Orleans with Forest Whitaker, so the paper took time to find out about that as well.

She also joked about the fact that she got the great opportunity to work with Brad Pitt, but not in the way most actresses would like.

Not only did she not play a romantic interest, but any time she touched his character as a child, he was either a puppet or a stand-in, not Pitt himself.

Queenie-and Henson-probably have some words of wisdom to lessen that sting.

Gina Wilhelm Actress