Actor Highlight: Royalty Hightower

Written by Sofia Guzman

Royalty Hightower of 'The Fits' poses for a portrait at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2016 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images)

You may think you have heard of the coolest name ever, but I guarantee you have not until now. The name I have in mind is Royalty Hightower, and this name definitely fits the person that carries it around. You probably have never heard of this actress, but here is your introduction to her (as well as a plea to watch any of her work). 

Royalty Hightower was born on March 25th, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is known for The Fits, Ruby in Murdertown, and And Then I Go. Hightower is not only an actress, she is also a talented dancer, joining her sister’s drill team (Q Kidz) at the age of six and fitting right in. Royalty’s involvement in Q Kidz is what eventually got her the lead role in The Fits, as the director Anna Rose Holmer was looking for dance teams to incorporate into her film. Many of the dancers in Q Kidz were also featured in the film. Royalty was then chosen as the lead, her dancing and acting skills were a perfect combination for her lead role in The Fits. 

This is a side note but, I’d like to mention that her older sister’s name is also one to be jealous of, Yrmajesti. Yes, this name is pronounced as “your majesty,” so we have an impeccable duo of names here - Royalty and Yrmajesti Hightower. 

 The Fits, released in 2015, was selected in the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and won many awards such as the Deauville Film Festival Critics Award. In this film, Royalty Hightower plays a tomboy named Toni who practices boxing with her older brother, but eventually joins a dance group with many other girls. Little by little, the girls in the dance group suffer from strange, violent, seizure-like episodes known as “the fits.” As a first watch, I was not sure what was the underlying theme the film was trying to showcase, but I believe there are many interpretations for these cases of “the fits.” Some of these interpretations are related to the emotions one deals with throughout adolescence such as loneliness. Other interpretations have to do with puberty and sexuality. There are many ways one can view the representation of “the fits,” as I view it more as a sense of peer pressure or belonging as it is only the girls on the dance team that suffer from “the fits.” One stays on the edge of their seat waiting to see who else will succumb to these violent attacks and try to piece together why it may be happening. 

 I was immediately entranced by Royalty’s powerful performance from the beginning until the end—this film was made for her.  From the beginning, we see her as an intimidating boxer ready to pounce at anyone that gets in her way, but we also see the more elegant side of her demeanor when she joins the dance team. One can sense the love and passion she has for dance while at the same time keeping her tomboy personality intact- she shows a duality in her personality that does not change who she is. Royalty is able to show emotions on screen without actually showing any on her face. Not only does her acting and dialogue go beyond the screen, but her dancing skills also reflect the character’s passion.  It should be criminal how underrated both the film and the actress are. This film is actually on my “Favorite Films Ever” list on Letterboxd. 

I have to say that Royalty’s performance in The Fits is one of my favorites in any film I have seen. One of my favorite film scenes (and endings) is featured in here. I won’t say much else because I do not want to spoil anything, but I urge you to watch it and come with your own interpretation of the theme or message. Even if you do not enjoy the plot, Royalty’s performance is one for the ages, a royal one I should say.