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Brandy shares favorite Cinderella moment was Whitney Houston

By Evelyn Ulrich

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: In this image released on October 14, Brandy poses backstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on October 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Amy Sussman/BBMA2020/Getty Images for dcp )
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: In this image released on October 14, Brandy poses backstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on October 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Amy Sussman/BBMA2020/Getty Images for dcp ) /
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Following Tuesday night’s special edition of 20/20: Cinderella: The Reunion, Brandy Norwood opened up about working with musical icon Whitney Houston.

Brandy played Cinderella in the 1997 TV movie and was the first Black woman to become a Disney Princess.  Opposite her was Whitney Houston, who starred as the Fairy Godmother, granted all of Cinderella’s dreams, and gave her a beautiful ice-blue gown.  You may even remember the song, Impossible: It’s Possible, in which the duo sang when Cinderella went to the ball in her horse-drawn pumpkin carriage.

While the scene was magical in its own right,  Brandy’s magic moment was sharing the studio with Whitney behind-the-scenes.  The latter was “warm and loving” to her younger costar, and the two formed a special relationship on set.

"“Honestly, my ultimate favorite moment was never in the movie,” Brandy recalled. “It’s in the studio with Whitney.” -Brandy on sharing the spotlight with Whitney."

Bernadette Peters, who played the Evil Stepmother, commented that Brandy’s and Whitney’s chemistry was “off the charts,” and the pairing could not have been more perfect.

The movie also opened doors for spreading racial diversity across Hollywood and Disney Studios.  While Brandy and Whitney’s dynamic proved to be legendary, the chemistry of Cinderella, and Prince Christopher, portrayed by Filipino actor Paolo Montalban, became just as iconic, for they were an interracial couple (a first for the fairytale) and were viewed in a positive light.

Even though Whitney Houston passed away in 2012, her legacy and performance as the Fairy Godmother continue to inspire.  Actor and writer Billy Porter starred as the Godmother or “Fab G” in the 2021 Amazon Prime release, Cinderella.  For Billy, it was a dream come true.

“She’s the gospel Fairy Godmother, honey.  And Brandy was like Black Princess,” Porter shared of the two women.

We think so too.

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20/20: Cinderella the Reunion is now on Hulu, while Cinderella is on Disney+.

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