Noma Dumezweni: 5 Things To Know About The Actress Playing Prince Eric’s Mom In ‘The Little Mermaid’

Noma Dumezweni is playing a brand new Disney character in ‘The Little Mermaid’ live-action movie. Find out more about Noma here.

• Noma Dumezweni is a British actress.
• She was in the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child theatre show.
• She’s playing Prince Eric’s mom in The Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid live-action movie coming to theaters in May will feature classic Disney characters like Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, and Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer King. But the underwater story will also include a new character, Prince Eric’s mother, Queen Selina, played by Noma Dumezweni. The 53-year-old Brit has so much acting experience, so she’s the perfect fit to play a new character in the upcoming Disney flick. Find out more about Noma below!

Noma plays Queen Selina in ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Noma was cast in Rob Marshall‘s The Little Mermaid remake in January 2021. At the time, Nora’s role was still undisclosed. “I can tell you that I’m doing it,” the actress told Marie Claire in March 2021. “I can tell you I’m very excited. I can tell you I had a chat with hair and makeup the other day and it was like, ‘Yay!’ ” Noma’s role as Prince Eric’s mom was revealed in one of the teasers for the film.

She’s from South Africa.

Noma was born in Swaziland, South Africa. She lived in Africa until she was 8 years old, and moved to England as a refugee with her sister and mother. Noma grew up in the U.K. and has a British accent.

She was in ‘Harry Potter’ on Broadway.

One of Noma’s biggest roles in her career so far was playing Hermoine Granger in the theater show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She started the job in 2016 during the show’s West End run in London. She reprised the role for the show’s New York City Broadway production in 2018.

She’s a Tony Award nominee.

For her performance in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Noma was nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She lost to Laurie Metcalf for Three Tall Women. Still, it was an amazing accomplishment by Noma.

She’s a mother.

Noma gave birth to her daughter, Qeiva, in 2007. The star of The Watcher gave credit to her daughter for changing her mindset about her career. “I love acting but there’s no money in theatre. So if I am away from the child, the jobs have to be interestingly creatively,” she told The Guardian in 2022.