In the world of Quvenzhané Wallis there is a great variety of approaches, opinions and perspectives that can be approached from different angles. It is a topic that has captured the attention of various sectors of society, generating debates, reflections and deep analysis. In this article, we will explore the different aspects related to Quvenzhané Wallis, from its history and evolution to its impact today. Through different points of view and evidence, we will seek to fully understand the context surrounding Quvenzhané Wallis, thus allowing a more complete and enriching vision of this very relevant topic.
American actress (born 2003)
Quvenzhané Wallis
Wallis at the 6th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood in 2013
Wallis is also known for voicing the character Harper in the animated film Trolls (2016); as well as her role as Kyra in the television sitcom Black-ish (2019).
As an author, she has published four children's books, Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg!, A Night Out with Mama, Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants! and Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue!
Early life
Wallis was born in Houma, Louisiana, to Qulyndreia Wallis (née Jackson), a teacher, and Venjie Wallis Sr., a truck driver. She has one sister, Qunyquekya, and two brothers, Vejon and Venjie Jr. Her name "Quvenzhané" combines the first syllables of her parents' first names in "Quven", and an alteration of the Swahili word jini meaning 'sprite' or 'fairy'.
Career
At age five, Wallis lied about her age to audition for Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), which had a minimum tryout age of 6. She was chosen out of 4,000 to play Hushpuppy, an indomitable child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods bayou squalor of Louisiana. Director Benh Zeitlin told The Daily Beast that when he auditioned Wallis, he immediately realized he had discovered what he was looking for, and changed the Beasts of the Southern Wild script to accommodate her strong-willed personality. Her reading prowess, loud screaming voice, and ability to burp on command impressed the director and won her the part. Zeitlin has stated that "it was just the feeling behind her eyes".
The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2012 to rave reviews, winning the Grand Jury Prize. In May 2012, Wallis flew to France for the premiere of the film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Wallis's performance drew widespread acclaim and Zeitlin won the Caméra d'Or, the festival's award for best first feature film. On January 10, 2013, at age nine, Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Wallis, who was 6 when she filmed Beasts of the Southern Wild, is the all-time youngest nominee for Best Actress and the third-youngest nominee in any category. Wallis is the first African-American child actor and the first person born in the 21st century to earn an Oscar nomination.
Wallis appeared in Beyoncé's 2016 music video for "All Night". In October 2017, she released two children's books: the friendship-centric Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg! and A Night Out With Mama, which is about her night at the Oscars with her mother. She published two more books, Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue! and Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants!, in 2018.
^Ward, Kate (February 20, 2013). "How to Pronounce 25 Difficult Celebrity Names". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017. The first name of the Oscar-nominated Beasts of Southern Wild star is, fittingly, a beast. But it has a lovely backstory: "Quven" combines her parents' first names (Qulyndreia and Venjie) and "zhane" is Swahili for "fairy".