Annie

ANNIE STAR QUVENZHANE WALLIS HAS GOOD TIMING

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“Annie” star Quvenzhane Wallis has Willow Smith’s genes to thank for her juicy role in the new movie. Willow’s parents Will Smith and Jada Pinkett worked for years to get the movie into production with the intention of having Willow star as Annie. But by the time they were ready to start filming, Willow, now 14, had shot up to well over five feet tall! Instead of taking after her petite mother, Willow is lanky and tall like her dad. So “Annie” was out of the question and Willow has yet to make her big screen debut in a leading role. (Above, Wallis and Barni at NYC premier)

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

OSCAR NOMINEE QUVENZHANE WALLIS IS ALREADY ON EASY STREET

Nine year old Best Actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (pronounced Kwe-VEN-zhah-nay) doesn’t need to win an Oscar – she already won the plum role of Annie in the modernized movie based on the Broadway musical. Will and Jada Smith are among the producers and their daughter Willow was eager to play the part, but the movie took a couple of years to develop and Willow simply got too tall. Besides the movie she was nominated for, “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Quvenzhane has finished “Twelve Years a Slave” with Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. Something tells us she’ll be nipping at Willow’s heels for a long time to come.

WILLOW SMITH SIMPLY GREW OUT OF HER “ANNIE” ROLE

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Back in 2011, Will and Jada Smith announced their production company would be doing the remake of the Broadway show “Annie” with music by Jay-Z, and most important of all, starring their daughter Willow, who was VERY excited about playing the role. They had some trouble settling on a director and the project was postponed several times. Now the movie has come together and Sony hired someone named Will Gluck to direct,but Willow is OUT as Annie. The reason: she simply GREW too much! When Willow had the part she was only nine. Now 11, she’s grown into a very tall girl and can no longer play a child. Ironically, Lilla Crawford, who currently plays “Annie” on Broadway is also 11, but far more petite than Willow. Since she’s too big to play a child, Willow will have to audition for teen roles now. (Above, Willow and her brother Jaden)