Diamond White: ‘It’s really beautiful’ playing first Black teen superheroine
The actress and singer stars in "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" on Disney+, which premiered this month and has already been renewed for season two.
Diamond White says it’s a beautiful experience to be playing the first Black teen superheroine on a popular DIsney+ Marvel cartoon.
The former “X Factor” contestant and “Bold and the Beautiful” actress currently stars in “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” on Disney+, a show based on the Marvel comic book “Moon Girl” that debuted Feb. 10 — during Black History Month. On it, White, 24, stars as Lunella Lafayette, the title character, also known as Moon Girl, according to People.
“It’s really cool,” White said, the magazine reported. “I think that you have to show representation to younger kids.”
Lunella is reportedly one of the Marvel universe‘s “most brilliant” characters. She uses her pure intellect superskills, the STEM fields’ practical power plus her wits, determination and confidence to defend her beloved Lower East Side neighborhood from danger.
White noted that the series — which has already been renewed for season two — teaches viewers a lot about science, but aside from that, it depicts a 13-year-old Black girl growing up. She hopes the animated character shows young Black girls they can be beautiful and intelligent.
If “Moon Girl” had been around when White was a child, the actress shared that she might have been a little wiser, and her personal life might have been easier. She specifically mentioned the “perm episode,” saying that she would have liked to see a Black character get her first perm because that is what she experienced as a child.
White said if the episode did exist, it might have deterred her from getting her first relaxer.
“That’s one of the main storylines in that episode,” White said, according to People. “Don’t get perms, they ruin your hair, and you’ve got to take care of your crown.”
While she tries not to place too much pressure on herself, White hopes “Moon Girl” watchers will feel inspired and empowered as they tag along for her character’s adventures across New York City. It’s crucial to understand that, despite how extraordinary she is, she emphasized that her character is still a young Black girl.
“It’s cool to be smart,” White said of the Lunella character, People reported. “It’s cool just to see all the different flavors of the show. It’s really an all-inclusive show. It’s really beautiful.”
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