Kuavenzhaney Wallis is a young actress whose debut on the big screen turned out to be just triumphant. When did the audience get to know her? The girl played in the independent film "Beasts of the Wild South." Then she first went to the set. The film was showered with awards from film critics, and Kuavenzhani Wallis herself was nominated for an Oscar for brilliantly realizing the image of Haspappi.
Independent child
The new Hollywood star was born in August 2003 in New Orleans (Louisiana). She became the fourth child in a large and friendly family. Parents of Kuavenzhani Wallis were ordinary people: dad worked as a driver, and my mother taught at school. Nevertheless, Klindreya and Vinji maintained a favorable, friendly atmosphere in the house, so the future actress grew, surrounded by love and attention.
Such an unusual name for the daughter was invented by her parents, composing it from parts of their own names. However, another hidden meaning is also hidden here. Those who know Swahili can translate the other half of the girl’s name as “fairy.”
Quavenjany Wallis was a very independent child. When she saw the announcement of the cast for the new film, she did not hesitate for a long time, but calmly went to the casting.
The director of the low-budget film "Beasts of the Wild South" picked up a girl of six years old in the cast. Here the baby had to go to the trick. Quavenjani Wallis, who was only five, added one year to herself and boldly appeared before the stern look of the director. The selection was very tough: 4,000 young girls claimed the role of Haspappi, however, after only five minutes of talking with Wallis, Ben Zeitlin realized that the choice was obvious.
First job
Kuavenzhaney Wallis was immediately in the spotlight of the crew. She was patronized and spoiled by adult actors. Seeing her huge acting potential, the director even specially rewrote the script near Kuavenzhani and shifted the emphasis of the film to more deeply reveal the talent of a young talent.
Before the viewer, a drama unfolds about a girl and her sick father who were caught in a flood in their native village in the South of the USA.
The story of growing up a small person, a new assessment of friends and others, a look at the world through the eyes of a child - all this affected ordinary viewers and critics.
The director himself later admitted that he planned at the beginning to differentiate the accents in the film, however, the acting gift of Kuavenzhanei Wallis allowed him to show the reality, refracted through the prism of a fragile children's psyche.
World sensation
The movie world knows few examples of such a successful debut. Among the films of Quavenjany Wallis, of which there are not so many, her first picture occupies a special place. It was an independent project, it was almost never written about in the press, world stars were not involved, however, after its release on the screens, it became a world sensation.
At the Cannes Film Festival , Beasts of the Wild South received the Golden Camera Award. A stormy reaction awaited the picture at the next festival shows. Moreover, the film and the work of Quavenjane Wallis were warmly received at different poles of the world of show business. The film was liked by both strict film academics and the organizers of the purely entertainment MTV Movie Awards.
The film was nominated for 80 awards, including 38 of them were nominated for Best Actress played by a small native of New Orleans. However, the peak of fame was the girl's nomination for an Oscar. She became the youngest movie star nominated for a prestigious award in the history of the Academy, as well as the first nominee born in the new millennium.
The arrival of the film crew of a low-budget independent film at the main film award of the year caused a real stir. Not only journalists, but also filmmakers besieged Quavenjane Wallis, seeking to get acquainted with the young talent. She never received an Oscar, however, she took a huge number of other awards for her first film.
Other work
Due to her age, the girl has not yet managed to acquire an impressive filmography, however, after "Beasts of the Wild South" she starred in a number of sensational projects. On her account, the role of the daughter of the protagonist in the film "12 Years of Slavery", received the Oscar as the best film.
Then one of the main roles in the musical “Annie” followed, where, under the terms of the contract, the name Kuavenzhanei Wallis in the credits should have been higher than the name of Cameron Diaz herself . The film caused mixed reviews and received several statuettes of the Golden Raspberry anti-award, but there could be no complaints about the little actress. She played flawlessly and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role.
Now the girl is only fourteen years old. She has an impressive experience and can be expected to grow into a bright movie star.