In director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s King Richard, newcomers Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton play Venus and Serena Williams. Joining veteran actors like Will Smith, who plays the girls’ father and coach Richard Williams, and Aunjanue Ellis, who plays the Williams sisters’ mother Oracene “Brandy” Price, Sidney and Singleton proved they had the chops to not just hold their own alongside Hollywood legends, but play beloved public figures over the course of several years of their lives. Not to mention, the Williams sisters served as executive producers on the film, putting even more pressure on Sidney and Singleton’s King Richard performances.
The Oscar-winning film picks up with Richard at a time when he’s dead-set on turning Venus and Serena into professional tennis players. In fact, he’s been preparing the duo for top-tier success since before they could hold tennis rackets. At first, Richard and Brandy juggle multiple jobs, all while coaching their daughters. While Richard tries to find a pro coach for the sisters, he clearly takes on much of the role himself. King Richard chronicles the Williams sisters’ earliest victories, hinting at the incredible success that awaits two of tennis’ greatest living legends.
Although Saniyya Sidney made her feature-film debut in the Oscar-nominated Fences at the young age of 8 years old, she was not much older when the opportunity to star in King Richard came along. Prior to her time playing Venus Williams, the actor landed parts in Hidden Figures, Fast Color, and American Horror Story: Roanoke. While filming King Richard, a film that was released in 2021, Sidney was just 13 years old. Throughout the movie, her character ranged in age. At the movie’s start, Venus is 10, though by the time she plays her first professional match, she is 14 years old.
Prior to her breakout role in King Richard, Demi Singleton landed a lead role in the TV series Godfather of Harlem. In the wake of King Richard’s success, she also nabbed parts in Lawmen: Bass Reeves and the upcoming The Deliverance. While playing the iconic Serena Williams, Singleton was just 13 years old — though by the time the film hit the Oscars circuit, she was 14, just like her co-star. Throughout the film, the on-screen Serena ranges in age, starting the film at 8 years old. In King Richard‘s ending sequence, Serena is 13 years old.