Camila Cabello was cast in ‘Rob Peace’ after the director saw her performance in ‘Cinderella’

Camila Cabello is continuing to expand her skills. The singer and actress stars in “Rob Peace,” a film directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor that’s premiering at Sundance Film Festival. Cabello stars as the girlfriend of the lead character and revealed she didn’t have to audition for the part.

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Ejiofor, who wrote, directed, and stars in the film, revealed that he cast Cabello after seeing her performance in “Cinderella.” “I was struck by her charisma,” said Ejiofor, per Variety. He then addressed her. “I knew you’d be perfect for the role. I was thrilled when you said you’d join us on this journey,” he said.

“I was thrilled when you asked,” said Cabello. She plays the character of Naya, the girlfriend of Rob Peace, who’s a promising Yale student who grew up in a tough neighborhood in New Jersey. The film follows the real life story of Peace, who then turns to sell drugs to support his incarcerated father. “I felt a story like this needed to be told,” said Cabello.

“People have told stories like this in an overly simplistic way… people coming from difficult circumstances; binary ways of looking at success and failure. In reality, it’s more complex than that.”

Cabello’s acting career

While promoting the film, Cabello discussed her acting career and how it differs from music. “Music is like my home. The language that I speak,” she said to The Hollywood Reporter. “Acting is kind of a different muscle. It’s something that feels like more of a foreign language to me, but when I’m doing it and I’m in the middle of it, it feels so fun.”

Cabello appears to have no set plans for her acting career, taking opportunities that intrigue her. “For me, it’s really whatever makes me feel something,” she said. “It’s not that thought out for me. It’s whatever feels new or challenging, or what I haven’t done before.”