Dominique Thorne's Journey to Ironheart and the Impact of Riri Williams
Dominique Thorne has come a long way since she first received the call that would change her life. It was four years ago, during the height of the pandemic, when she was just beginning to settle back in with her family. The phone call came from Marvel, offering her the chance to lead her own series. "I had no idea what to expect," Thorne recalls. "They asked me if I was familiar with the character [Ironheart], and I was. They wanted to introduce her in this six-part series and also have her appear in 'Wakanda Forever' before that."
What surprised her most was that there wasn't an audition process. "I kept waiting for them to tell me about the audition or when they wanted me to send in my tape, but there was none of that," she says. That moment marked the start of a new chapter in her career.
Now, at 27, Thorne is finally seen in "Ironheart," the Disney+ series that centers on her character, Riri Williams. Audiences first met Riri in 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." The show, executive-produced by Ryan Coogler, also features Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, and Regan Aliyah. It follows Riri as she creates her own armored suit, much like Iron Man.
Thorne has been no stranger to the spotlight. Her credits include Barry Jenkins’ "If Beale Street Can Talk," Warner Brothers’ "Judas and the Black Messiah," Sundance 2024 hit "Freaky Tales," and on Broadway, "Jaja’s African Hair Braiding." Before "Ironheart," she was on the road promoting the show, but the full weight of it only hit her once she returned home to Brooklyn.
"People are relating in such real-world ways that I didn’t expect," she says. One storyline involves Riri mourning the loss of her best friend, Natalie, which has deeply resonated with fans. "A young woman came up to me and said she was sorry to do that, but she had to thank me for my work. She lost her best friend as a teenager and couldn’t explain how it felt to watch Riri grow and explore her journey," Thorne recalls. "It just pulled me back into the reality of it all."
Growing up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, Thorne remembers being captivated by "The Lion King" on Broadway as a child. "I absolutely grew up in a Disney childhood home. My mom had every single Disney movie on VHS," she says. "That left a mark."
She began focusing more seriously on acting during high school, attending the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan. Later, she enrolled at Cornell University, where she initially studied immigration legislation, inspired by her parents who immigrated from Trinidad. "It was always in the back of my mind, the way that immigration works in this country, being the child of immigrants," she explains.
Graduating with a degree in human development, Thorne says her studies helped her connect more deeply with her characters. "I’m grateful for that cross-section of experiences because it plays into my artistry, especially in wanting to lean into the artistry of it all to lift up these experiences and shine a light on them."
She’s already seeing the impact of her portrayal of Riri. "When I think about little kids, like my little brother and his obsession with his Spider-Man costume, I think about the kinship they develop with these characters and how important it is for them to see themselves represented on screen," she says. "Having Riri Williams added to that mix for our young Black girls is really meaningful."
As the show continues to resonate with audiences, Thorne remains grounded in the power of storytelling. "It’s crazy to see how much these stories mean and why we do it," she reflects.
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