Yara Shahidi spoke up about her new role as Tinker Bell and her role as a guest star in Byrdie's interview. Published on Tuesday (March 21), the cover star discussed the role of her in the next live-action film Peter Pan and Wendy.
"They wanted to keep this classic entertained, but also give us the fairy tale we deserve," said the actress. "It's evident they're not just putting Black and Brown characters in the cast just for the purpose of improving the story. It's about creating a narrative that so many more people can relate to once we've been left out."
The Grown-Ish star's ability to take on a white actress can be compared to H.E.R.'s recent role as Belle in a live-action Beauty And The Beast, and Halle Bailey, who will play Ariel in the next The Little Mermaid. Shahidi and Bailey have been notoriously targeted with racial comments for their fictional portrayals.
"What's been fantastic is seeing the responses to both of our characters and seeing how many people accept and support this fairy tale, while still conserving the magic we've always wanted," said the 23-year-old with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month.
"I think oftentimes people dismiss diversity and inclusion as jeopardizing the quality of the story, rather than realizing how beautifully they can be woven together to create something that impacts even more people, that allows even more people to become part of the stories we admire."
Below is a teaser for Peter Pan and Wendy.
