In the latest film following the life and legacy of Whitney Houston, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody,’ Nafessa Williams takes on the role of Houston’s former assistant, creative director, “soul mate” and best friend, Robyn Crawford.
And what this native Philadelphian wanted to get across on screen the most was the love and deep friendship the two had for each other—and also, the truth behind who Houston (played by Naomi Ackie) was as a person, not just what the media portrayed her as.
To delve a little deeper into the role, Williams sat down to discuss what she learned by playing Crawford, why she might see Houston’s songs differently now, and ultimately how this film shines brighter than most covering the singer’s life.
What initially made you want to sign on with this project?
When I first found out that Clive Davis was producing, and obviously lending his support and approval, that got my attention because I knew this would be different. I knew this would separate us from any other films we’ve seen [about] Whitney. Also, knowing that her family was supportive and also a part of this project, it just gave me the approval to want do it.
What did you do to prepare to play Robyn Crawford?
I tried to find as much footage as I could, but there’s not a lot, this wasn’t the social media days…and also Robyn, she wasn’t trying to be in the forefront. She knew exactly her position of being Whitney’s creative assistant, so you didn’t see much of her.
But with her book, I was able to pull so much, it informed me so well of everything that I needed to know about her. Also a lot of their friends and family were on set with us, so I was able to pick their brains about who Robyn is and what she’s like.
How did her friends and family describe Robyn?
You know, everyone just said that she’s really cool, like a nice swaggy vibe. Also, they said that she had a smile that would light up the room—these are all little gems that I can put into my character bank of who she is and help inform me, and you’ll see me smiling a lot in the movie just trying to tap into her essence. We also share the same sign. We’re both a Sagittarius, so that informed me a lot about who she was. I understood her loyalty, I understood their relationship, and that was a good source of information that I led with.
And how would you describe Robyn’s relationship with Whitney?
They were soulmates if you ask me. They really were, and I know soulmates come in all different forms of relationships, take the romance out of it, I just think they truly had a love and adoration and loyalty for each other. Robyn was her ride-or-die, she was also her protector, her confidant, and you had to get through Robyn to get to Whitney.
I think Robyn was the one with the purest intentions who was around Whitney. And I don’t want to give too much away, but they weren’t able to be together. And even still knowing that they weren’t able to be together, they still found a way to do it. And I think that just speaks to the level of love that they had for each other.
Does playing someone based on a real person versus a person you ultimately create exercise different creative muscles for you as an actress?
It’s a lot of pressure playing someone who’s a real person and someone who’s still alive and who’s potentially going to see your work portrayed as them. I think as you said, you have liberty when you’re playing a character who no one knows or when you’re creating [it] yourself, but when you’re playing someone who’s a real person, my approach was to handle it with sensitivity and with a lot of empathy and to make sure that I represented Robyn in the best light. That was really important to me.
What else did you learn about Whitney’s life while working on this film?
Just Whitney’s love stories between everybody. There’s a love story with her fans, there’s a love story with her and Clive Davis, obviously with her and Bobby, and then her and Whitney with her family, her mother, her father and [her daughter]. I learned how deep Whitney loves and how much she’s going to do things on her own terms, no matter what anybody thinks. And that speaks to her strength, her authenticity, and I really admired that. She loved hard.
And if I want people to take away anything from this movie, for me it’s the foundation of the friendship that she shared with Robyn. It was just one of the most beautiful friendships that I think I’ve ever witnessed or was able to witness from afar and eventually reimagine.
After learning so much about Whitney, does it make you view any of her songs any differently?
100%. When I hear ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody,’ could it be that she’s referring to Robyn? Some of these songs, I completely hear them differently now knowing more about her relationships and just who she was as a person.
You do a lot of work with mental health, and that plays a part in Whitney’s life and those around her. What’s your viewpoint on all of that?
Ultimately, not being able to be with the person you want to be with, I can’t imagine the strain that that pulls on your mental health. I just wish that they were able to be who they were together out loud, the way they could have been today. That makes it really sad when I think about that, because you’re not able to be who you fully are. This is why I also created my clothing line, Y-Fear, to be a reminder that our fears aren’t real and our egos aren’t real.
Going to therapy is a very normal and okay thing and [I] just want to voice that—especially in our community in Philly, within the Black community. I just want to use my voice to be a reminder that it’s okay to be mentally well and to talk about it and to be loud about it and just take care of yourself in that way.
What do you think ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ will bring for Whitney fans and also, a new generation getting to see her story and music?
I’m just really excited for people to see the celebration of her life. There’s been a lot in the tabloids, and there’s been a lot in the media, but I feel we have been able to change that narrative and have the last say of how she should be remembered and what she should be remembered for, because we’re all human, right? I love that we’re focusing on the woman that she was—the flawed, multi-dimensional, layered woman. And it’s also a celebration of her music. God lended her to us for a purpose, and I feel like she lived it so beautifully and she understood her assignment.
So if you are a Whitney fan, which I don’t know anybody who isn’t, you’re going to really just enjoy this. It feels like one big concert, but with personal moments in between. And also for a new generation who may not know who she is, they’re going to be introduced to her catalog. And that means that her legacy just will continue to live on.
‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody‘ drops exclusively in theaters Dec. 23.
