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Fourteen can be unpredictable, cumberson, and a time for growth. For me, it was an awkward stint in puberty only enhanced by a delayed growth spurt, cystic acne, and braces to boot. For Demi Singleton and Serena Williams, fourteen was a turning point. For Singleton, it was her first major motion picture. And for Williams? It was the year she went pro. It is here where their fates intertwine on the set of King Richard, a new film from director Reinaldo Marcus Green, which tells the story of Richard Williams (played by Will Smith), who devotes his entire self to raising his daughters, Serena and Venus Williams, both of whom will go on to become the greatest tennis players of their generation.
Singleton tells me that in order to play Serena Williams in King Richard, she had to become Serena Williams. She spent hours practicing tennis and paging through old pictures of Williams when she was a young girl. When asked to describe acting with one word, Singleton confidently says “choices.” It’s an interesting word, and one that might not immediately come to mind when considering the art of acting. “I chose ‘choices’,” Singleton explains, “because I think with acting, everything you do, is kind of a choice. You get hired literally to make choices for that character. Any actress could take a role and run with it differently. So that’s kind of your choice, how you think the character should be or how you see the character.” In the case of Serena Williams? The choice was made to embody not just the mind-blowing athleticism, but a passion driven by her loyal father, but as well, an almost unprecedented self-possession and purpose.
Working with Will Smith was of course a major highlight. “He’s just one of the coolest people that I’ve ever gotten to work with,” says Singleton, whose handful of credits includes series Godfather of Harlem, “I mean, he’s so humble. Everything he said had a lesson within it. And I don’t even think he realized it. This is my first film, and he really made this the best experience it could have been for me.” Singleton shares that one of the more memorable things Smith told her is to always remember those who work with you as you’re on the rise, as those people may be the ones who care for you the most.
Singleton’s performance in King Richard depicts the ups and downs that lead to unmistakable success. She recalls feeling happy and sad emotions, but that the undeniable feeling of joy stuck throughout her acting. “I feel like that’s why I feel like happiness is the main emotion, and then sadness,” she shares, “because there’s a few times where Serena isn’t able to be with her sister Venus, and I learned that Serena and Venus are so close. And at one point in time, when they first started playing tennis, Serena was only playing because Venus was playing—she only wanted to be with her sister. So when they weren’t together that was really hard for her.”
Sometimes the best gifts come in the smallest packages. Whether that’s parenthood, the gift of athleticism, or even a gumbo jambalaya—which Singleton included in gift baskets for her fellow cast members— it’s of course the thought that counts. Demi Singleton is one of those gifts. The package might be unexpected, but upon opening, the light shining from within is something of untold radiance.
Photographed by Kanya Iwana at De La Revolución
Styled by Mui-Hai Chu
Hair: Ursula Stephen at A-Frame Agency
Makeup: Fiona Stiles at A-Frame Agency
Flaunt film by Nate Rynaski
Photo Assistant: Chauntice Green
Written by Julia Smith