Dominique Thorne (born November 5, 1997) is an American actress. She began her career with appearances in the films If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). In 2022, she began playing Riri Williams / Ironheart with the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[1][2][3] She is set to reprise her role as Riri Williams / Ironheart in the upcoming Disney+ miniseries Ironheart. In 2024, she will star in the Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck film Freaky Tales.
Dominique Thorne | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 5, 1997 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Early life
editDominique Thorne was born November 8, 1997,[4] in New York to Trinidadian immigrants. She has two brothers.[5]
Thorne attended Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan (PPAS) where she studied dramatic theatre formally. During her senior year of high school, she won the 2015 Young Arts Award in Spoken Theater as well as the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, which is given annually by the White House. After applying to a number of universities for both academics and art programs, Thorne chose to attend Cornell University, where she was initiated into Mu Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority in Spring 2018. The following year, she received her bachelors degree in Human Development with a minor in Inequality Studies. Prior to graduating in May 2019, she became a member of the Sphinx Head secret senior honors society.[5][6] As of 2020, she and her family live in Atlanta.[5]
Career
editIn 2018 Thorne made her feature film debut as Shelia Hunt, the ill-tempered younger sister of main character Fonny Hunt, in the film If Beale Street Could Talk, which was based on James Baldwin's novel of the same name.[6] In 2021 she played Judy Harmon, a member of the Black Panthers, in the film Judas and the Black Messiah.[7][8]
In 2016, she auditioned with Marvel Studios for the role of Shuri in the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther. Her audition involved screen tests with Chadwick Boseman. The role eventually went to Letitia Wright.[9][10]
In 2020, she was cast as Riri Williams / Ironheart in the upcoming Disney+ television series Ironheart.[1][2] Because of her earlier tests with Marvel Studios, she was cast in this role without any additional auditions.[11][12] She made her debut as Riri in the 2022 feature film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[3] Producer Nate Moore said that when Marvel Studios was casting Riri Williams, Dominique was their "first and only call."[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | Shelia Hunt | |
| 2021 | Judas and the Black Messiah | Judy Harmon | |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Riri Williams / Ironheart | |
| 2024 | Freaky Tales | Barbie |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ironheart | Riri Williams / Ironheart | Post-production; upcoming Disney+ miniseries |
| Marvel Zombies | Voice; In production |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jaja's African Hair Braiding | Marie | Broadway Debut | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre |
References
edit- ^ a b Gelman, Vlada (December 10, 2020). "Secret Invasion, Marvel Series Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Coming to Disney+". TVLine. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Han, Angie (December 10, 2020). "Marvel announces four new Disney+ series including 'I Am Groot' and 'Secret Invasion'". Mashable. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b Davis, Brandon (August 19, 2021). "Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams to Debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "Dominique 🌞 on Instagram: "A Quarter Centurion. - No one. Nothing. But God. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You."". Instagram. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Fraser, Narissa (December 27, 2020). "Dominique Thorne: American actress with Trini roots stars as Marvel's Ironheart". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Archived from the original on 2020-12-27. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Scott, Kayla (2018). "A Star in Her Own Right". Cornell Research. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Moore, Evan F. (February 10, 2021). "'Judas and the Black Messiah' cast members say Fred Hampton was never taught in school". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Paiella, Gabriella (February 12, 2021). "The Judas and the Black Messiah Costumes Were Inspired by Vintage GQ and Archival Footage". GQ. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Freitag, Lee (2023-02-08). "WATCH: Ironheart's Dominique Thorne Auditions for Shuri Opposite Chadwick Boseman". CBR. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ Hargrave, Sam (2023-02-08). "Watch: Unreleased Chadwick Boseman Screen Test With Ironheart Star". The Direct. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ Ukiomogbe, Juliana (2022-11-10). "Dominique Thorne Brings Ironheart to Wakanda". Elle. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ McNab, Kaitlyn (2023-03-15). ""Wakanda Forever" Star Dominique Thorne Is Ready to Break Some Rules". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ Marvel Studios: Assembled: The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Directed by Bradford Baruh. Marvel Studios, 2023.