Naomi Ackie thinks she's potentially "putting [herself] in the firing line" by playing Whitney Houston in a new biopic.
The 31-year-old actress has been cast as the chart-topping icon in 'Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody', and Naomi feels a little anxious about the extra scrutiny that could come her way in the coming weeks.
She explained: "I know that by playing Whitney I’m potentially putting myself in the firing line.
"Though I’m more aware of [what I’m getting into] because I’m 31 and she was 19 when she entered the industry."
Naomi loves her job, but she still doesn't feel comfortable with fame.
She told The Independent: "I love being in front of the camera and telling stories, but [fame] feels alien to me. I can already see my life changing. And I really like my life!"
Whitney passed away in February 2012, aged 48, with a coroner later confirming that her death was caused by drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use".
However, Naomi is keen to dwell on her career and her achievements, rather than the struggles that she had in her personal life.
The actress explained: "We like the binaries of good and bad. But I’m a big believer that you can be many things at once.
"When I think about Whitney - yes, obviously there are the drugs and her illness of addiction. But in comparison to the amount that she gave us musically, and especially if you’re of a minority - whether that’s your sexuality or the colour of your skin - the access she provided us is huge.
"On top of that, the sacrifices she made that allow people like me to even play her in the first place.
"Without Whitney, or so many other pioneers of that time, we wouldn’t even be talking about diversity today. To me, that far outweighs any of the other parts of her life."
