Celina Smith is catching much attention after being cast for NBC’s Annie Live! The young star is one of thousands of aspiring actors who auditioned to become part of the production. The actress beat her contenders and became ‘Annie’ for the show.
Celina Smith had a humble career before being cast for this vast role. She appeared in the TV series Young Dylan, which is why many recognized her after being announced to participate in the musical.
‘Annie Live!’ is a musical television special which aired on NBC. It is a TV adaptation of the hit 1977 Broadway musical Annie based on the comic Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray. Celina will play Annie, a ten-year-old girl at Hudson St. Orphanage who is very optimistic despite all the hardship she’s been through.
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The young actress told Today that following a protracted audition procedure that started with a self-tape and concluded with one extremely excited call, she first learned she had been cast as Annie.
She remembered the exact moment she heard she got cast. Celina stated how she screamed her lungs out after her mom broke the good news to her.
Here are some interesting facts you need to know about this new rising star.
She’s Started Performing at the Age of Seven
Celina Smith began singing at an entertainment camp called AGI Entertainment. Since then, she has portrayed Young Nala on The Lion King’s tour and appeared in Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan series.
Celina was Born in 2009
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Celina joined the ‘Annie Live!’ cast when she was just 12 years old. So, how old is Celina Smith now? She’s still pretty young at 14 years old as of 2023 and still very passionate about acting.
She Idolizes Olivia Davis, Angela Bassett, and Marsai Martin
In an interview with Young Entertainment Magazine, Smith named three well-known actors who had influenced her acting: Olivia Davis, Angela Bassett, and Marsai Martin. She also emphasized how much she loved Marsai Martin’s performance with Little and hoped to meet her role models someday.
She Loves Billie Eilish
It looks like Celina Smith is not only interested in acting. She once revealed that she loves the singer Billie Eilish and even did a cover of one of the artist’s songs.
Celina sang Billie’s My Future and posted it on her YouTube channel. You can see her potential at a young age and how passionate she is in different entertainment fields.
She is Already Thinking About Her Future
Despite her young age, Celina is quite certain about the direction she wants to go in life. She stated in an interview that she wants to be a comedian like Tiffany Haddish. She also said she would like to collaborate with Will Smith and Marsai Martin.
Following Annie Live’s popularity, Celina is steadily making her name in the entertainment industry. For the part, she received some praise. She was even nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth.
For Young Dylan, she was also the 2021 recipient of the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series – Recurring Actress.
In addition, she made appearances in the BET+ film Under His Influence in 2023 and the TV show That Girl That Lay Lay in 2022. That said, Celina Smith’s ‘Annie Live!’ will forever be one of her best works, which fans will always remember.
Celina Smith keeps her fans updated by posting on her social media accounts. There is no news about her upcoming projects, but she still keeps busy with trips with friends and family.
