The Shining Star in A Wrinkle in Time: Storm Reid Interview

Disclosure: This event and trip to LA was an all expense paid journey sponsored by Disney. All thoughts, opinions and experiences are 100% my own!

Yesterday I shared with you my interview with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling. Today, you get to meet the shining star that was guided by these three amazing women in this film.

Isn’t she darling? I was thrilled to have the chance to interview Storm Reid about her role as Meg in Disney’s newest movie, A Wrinkle in Time. She’s just as adorable in person as she looks on the big screen but even more than that, this young lady is so poised and carries herself so well. What a light she is, and that’s so fitting for this role because in this movie young Meg will be an inspiration to so many other young girls as they will be encouraged to be the light as well. She’s very humble too, as you can see by her answer as to what it feels like to be an inspiration to other girls.

It means everything to me and it’s very empowering for me as a young black girl being able to represent the little girls that look like me and being able to give them hope and know that they can have any opportunity they wanna have and they can do anything no matter their big hair or their big nose, as people say, or their glasses or their skin tone. They can do anything. So, for me able to be that for them and be an inspiration and to uplift them and empower them in a time like this where everybody’s so divided and it’s so dark. It means a lot.

As can be imagined, working with Oprah Winfrey (“Mrs. Which”), Reese Witherspoon (“Mrs. Whatsit”) & Mindy Kaling (“Mrs. Who”) had to have been amazing and Storm just gushed as she shared with us the take aways she was left with from the experience.

They’re all so great and I just learned from each and every one of them constant graciousness, because they are just so, so amazing and so empowering. And they’re these A List stars, but they don’t act like it. And they are so grounded and so humble. And I just love them. And then Miss Oprah told me don’t waste energy on things you can’t change in life when you can be using that energy on something positive in your life. So, they’re just all so great and I’m glad that I have them in my corner to pour into me and just be around me, because they’re amazing women.

At one point in the film, her character Meg is confronted with choosing a “perfect” Meg or remaining true to herself. It’s a very powerful moment and I think it will send a loud message to young girls about being perfect just the way they are. Storm explained it so well, and I loved hearing her very wise perspective on what the message was.

For young girls not to conform to what society wants you to be and what society thinks you should be or how you should look, because you’re perfect just the way you are. And you have Meg, who is doubtful about herself and doesn’t love herself at the time. And you have this perfect version of her with this straight hair and this crop top and all these lil’ trinkets and who is really pretty and is cute.

But Meg chooses herself over this perfect Meg, because she is realizing that she is enough and that she is worthy of being loved just the way she is. So, I feel like it was really fun to film, but it had a deeper message and I’m glad that I was able to kind of connect with that as a young teenage girl trying not to follow trends and trying to be unique and be myself. And also I feel like that will transcend to our audience, especially our young girls.

I read this book as a child, as many of you did – and I think that the reason that so many people have loved this book is because it truly speaks to the heart of young people. The messaging is so powerful. Storm is right at that age where these types of messages hit home so hard. Her character faces self doubt, bullying and a few other very timely issues that teens face. We asked Storm, did you learn anything different about yourself?

I did. I wouldn’t say I learned anything different, but I did learn that I am enough. And, of course, my mom taught me that and instilled that in me, and I’m pretty confident. But just being Meg and experiencing that and going through that journey with her where she doesn’t feel that way about herself and she has to embrace the light from within to become that, it really helped me do the same and really reassure that I was enough and that I am worthy of being loved, and I do have faults and challenges, but that can’t stop me.

So, I feel like that was the biggest lesson I learned, and I say that me and Meg grew up together, ’cause — or grew together, because Meg is growing through the journey and then I was her, and I was growing as Storm, as a person, as a teenager as well.

Photo credit: Disney

This movie has such strong women and powerful positive messaging, and you can tell that working with director Ava, Oprah, Reese and Mindy was truly inspirational for her and I think we will see Storm Reid grow to be the same force, as she’s already a huge light being guided by such wonderful women!

They are all so great. Again, like I said, they don’t act like they are these A List stars or these huge people that people admire or they’re sought after. And they just act so grounded and like they’re just good genuine people, who I love dearly. So, it was amazing to work with them creatively and as an actress but also get to experience that like humbleness and just like become a family with them. So, I love them a lot.