Royalty Hightower

American actress

Royalty Hightower

Born|

Royalty Hightower

(2005-03-25) March 25, 2005 (age 20)

Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Occupation| Actress
Years active| 2010–present
Notable work| The Fits
Parent| Charyce Harris
Relatives| Yrmajesti Hightower

Royalty Hightower (born March 25, 2005) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress in 2014 and is best known for her role as Toni in the 2015 film The Fits, portraying a young girl dealing with peer pressure and unusual occurrences within her local dance group. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination at the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor in 2016.[1] Hightower has also appeared in And Then I Go (2017) and the action drama Great Performers: L.A. Noir (2016).

## Early life and career

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Royalty Hightower was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She became involved in the performing arts at an early age through dance, joining the Q-Kidz Dance Team.[2][3] Her participation in the troupe's performances and online presence led to her discovery. Her dance experience contributed to her being cast as Toni, the lead character in the 2015 film The Fits, directed by Anna Rose Holmer.[4][5]

### Breakthrough with The Fits (2015)

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Hightower received recognition for her role in The Fits, a psychological drama about a young girl named Toni who joins a dance troupe and encounters mysterious, unexplained fits affecting her teammates.[6] Her performance was noted for its depth and maturity, particularly given her age. In 2016, she was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor.[7]

### Subsequent Projects

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Following the release of The Fits, Hightower appeared in the 2017 drama And Then I Go, based on Jim Shepard's book Project X. The film examines the lives of two troubled middle school boys, and Hightower's performance received positive feedback. In 2017,[8] she signed with the talent agency Paradigm. Hightower is also slated to appear alongside Laurence Fishburne in Leah Rachel's crime thriller Ruby in Murdertown.[9]

## Filmography

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* The Fits (2015)
* And Then I Go (2017)
* Great Performers: L.A. Noir (2016)
* Ruby in Murdertown

## Accolades

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Year  | Award  | Category  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2016  | Jury Prize | Best Actress  | Won  |
2016  | NBR Award | Breakthrough Performance - Female  | Won  | [10]
Gotham Independent Film Award | Breakthrough Actor  | Nominated  | [1]
CFCA Award | Most Promising Performer  | Nominated  | [11]
Golden Space Needle Award | Best Actress  | Nominated  |
2017  | Black Reel | Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture  | Nominated  |
Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female  | Nominated  |

## References

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1. ^ a b T. H. R. Staff (2016-11-28). "Gotham Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
2. ^ "Breakout Talent: Royalty Hightower on "The Fits" | Interviews | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
3. ^ namtech (2016-06-29). "Young people doing cool things: Royalty Hightower". Fashion Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
4. ^ T. H. R. Staff (2016-06-09). "Meet 11-Year-Old Breakout (and YouTube Discovery) Royalty Hightower". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
5. ^ "Royalty Hightower Is Cinema's New Princess". W Magazine. 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
6. ^ Fear, David (2016-06-10). "How 'The Fits' Became the Girl Power Movie of 2016". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
7. ^ Hill, Logan (April 29, 2016). "Breakthrough Performances From the Summer Movies Season". The New York Times.
8. ^ Hipes, Patrick (2016-02-17). "Sundance Breakout Royalty Hightower Inks With Paradigm". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (2016-11-15). "Laurence Fishburne & Royalty Hightower To Star In 'Ruby In Murdertown'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
10. ^ "Royalty Hightower". National Board of Review. 2017-01-10. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
11. ^ "2016 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards". Chicago Film Critics Association. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2024-09-30.

## External links

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* Royalty Hightower at IMDb