An unflinching look at the life and tragic death of Whitney Houston, I Wanna Dance With Somebody undoubtedly had some difficult scenes to film. But Nafessa Williams—who plays the late superstar’s former assistant and creative director Robyn Crawford—says some scenes were harder to shoot than others.
A close friendship that “was intimate on all levels,” the biopic openly addresses the long-running rumors that Houston (portrayed by Naomi Ackie) and Crawford were secretly in a romantic relationship. While the two had an intimate relationship as teenagers, Houston’s rising fame forced the pair into a platonic relationship—and portraying the bitter breakup proved emotional for Williams.
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“The challenging scenes for me to film were the breakup scenes with her and Robyn. And my heart broke for Robyn because I know the depth of love that she had for [Houston],” the actress told Collider following the film’s release, sharing that she felt a personal connection to her character.
“Robyn and I are both Sagittariuses. I’m not sure if you’re into zodiacs or not, but we love really, really deeply, and [are] loyal to a fault. It crushed me to film those scenes because they start on such a high with this love, and it’s a rejection, and it’s a disappointment in there—and that was really tough. My heart was breaking actually having to film that.”
Williams Says It’s Futile to Speculate If Houston Could Have Avoided Tragic Fate
Sony Pictures
While the revelation of Houston and Crawford’s true relationship leaves some wondering whether the superstar would have turned to “self-destructive” behavior had she not needed to hide her sexuality, Williams says that she’d much rather center the celebration of Houston’s life.
Though the actress acknowledged the legendary singer was born in a time when same-sex relationships weren’t accepted, especially in the music industry, she ultimately wants to keep the focus on Houston’s legacy.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is in theaters now.
