Yara Shahidi opens up about playing Tinker Bell, adding diversity to Disney stories

1 year ago 7

Yara Shahidi’s turn as Tinker Bell is just a month away! In a recent interview, the actress opened up about the highly anticipated live-action “Peter Pan” adaptation, shedding light on her decision to take on the iconic fairy role and the power of diverse storytelling.

Speaking to Byrdie, the “Grown-ish” star broke down how the creatives approached her involvement. “I talked to the director, David Lowery, about why he and the higher-ups at Disney wanted to retell this story and I loved his response,” she explained. “They wanted to bring some new fun to this classic but also give us the fairy tale we deserve.”

She continued, “It’s evident they’re not just popping Black and Brown folks in the cast for the sake of updating the story. Instead, it’s about creating a story that so many more people can see themselves in after we’ve been left out for so long.”

As theGrio previously reported, Disney first announced Shahidi’s gig as Tinker Bell in 2020. The actress makes history as the first Black actress to take on the beloved role.

She stars in the project alongside Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson as the famous J.M. Barrie characters Peter and Wendy, respectively. Jude Law also joins as the villainous Captain Hook. Check out the trailer for the film below: