Yara Shahidi on why playing Tinker Bell is 'really surreal and full circle' Shahidi opened up about being the first Black actor to portray the character.
This wouldn't be accepted in today's society, which is why Peter Pan & Wendy corrected the fairy, making it so she doesn't perpetuate outdated stereotypes about women. The fairy is portrayed by Yara Shahidi, and her role in the story is much more empowering.
South Asian actor Molony plays Peter Pan and Shahidi is Tinker Bell. The Grown-ish star literally sparkles as Tink, although the only principal role for a Black actor is one incapable of speech.
Black-ish and Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi makes her debut as Tinker Bell in the first trailer for Peter Pan & Wendy, the upcoming live-action film from Disney.
He says they were looking for the best actor for the role of any ethnicity who could not only sing but convey traits such as strength, passion, beauty, joy and intelligence, which they found in Bailey.
Per Disney lore, this was because she committed an act of bravery worthy of a princess, but in reality, it was so the Mouse House could add a popular character to its lucrative line of toys. Commercial reasons were also behind Tinker Bell's removal as a princess.
Tinker Bell's age is never revealed in Peter Pan. Tinker Bell is a fairy, not a human, so readers can infer that she may be very ancient. However, Tinker Bell is not immortal. Readers learn that she dies in the novel, and that Peter forgets her.
In Barrie's play and his novel, Tink tried to communicate her love to Peter, but it was unrequited, too mature an emotion for the boy who never wanted to grow up. The implied romance was more emphatic, but the visual medium of the animated movie allowed it to be more visceral.
What is the controversy with Tiger Lily in Peter Pan?
The fictional Native American princess of Neverland, Tiger Lily is an exotic imagining of the other. Barrie uses racist slurs like “savages” and “redskins” to describe her and her tribe, deploys a mock Native American language, and portrays the character using stereotypes.
The original Disney Princess line-up consisted of Snow White, Cinderella, Tinker Bell, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Esmeralda, and Mulan. Tinker Bell was removed soon after; she would go on to headline the sister franchise Disney Fairies. Esmeralda was also removed.
There are currently only five non-Caucasian Disney Princesses: Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Moana. Jasmine is Arabian. Pocahontas is Native American. Mulan is Chinese.
Ariel, is a fictional character, with no defined skin color in her original material. She was originally written by a Danish author in the 1800s. She has been portrayed in ballet and movies by Asian, Russian, and mixed-race individuals, her cartoon depictions are typically pale.
In Disney's nearly 100-year history, there has been only one Black Disney princess — Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog,” a 2009 animated feature starring Anika Noni Rose.
Background. Periwinkle, better known as Peri, is Tinkerbell's fraternal twin in the Disney Fairies franchise. They were born from the same first laugh of a baby and share many personality traits. She is a frost-talent fairy, living in the Winter Woods part of Pixie Hollow.
As she gave Tinker Bell her name, Queen Clarion can be considered Tinker Bell's mother, and possibly to many other fairies if Queen Clarion gave them their names also. The word "clarion" means the loud and clear sound of a trumpet.
