The favorite doll ofSerena Williams' 4-year-old daughter,Olympia, is getting her own voice!
The tennis legend has teamed up withInvisible Universeto bring the doll, Qai Qai, to life, revealing that 16-year-oldTaikirha Millerwill voice the character in a new YouTube series.
“Everyone needs to find their voice, and I’m happy Qai Qai found hers in Taikirha,” Williams, 40, tells PEOPLE in a statement. “Qai Qai has built a massive community on Instagram and TikTok, and I think her loyal fans will love getting to know her on a deeper level.”
“Now that she’s found her voice, the possibilities for the franchise are endless,” she added of the doll, which first appeared onInstagramin 2018.
What started as Williams' desire for her daughter to have a doll she could relate to quickly turned into an internet sensation, amassing millions of fans across her social media platforms.
Qai Qai has since become a best-selling doll on Amazon and starred in a coloring book through a partnership with Adobe. The character also has aYouTubechannel.
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It is Williams' first-ever children’s book and includes a heartfelt story that explores themes like friendship and imagination.
While chatting with PEOPLE, Miller shared her reaction when learning she would voice Qai Qai.
Miller has worked on various voice-over projects, such as ones for the Disney Dreamer Academy and Jordan Brand. However, she tells PEOPLE this is “the biggest I have gotten to do.”
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As a fan of Qai Qai herself, she shares many things in common with the character, Miller says.
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“I knew how she acts and how she is,” she says. “We are very similar, so it was easy for me to be able to portray her.”
Noting that the animated character has “a big personality,” Miller hopes the audience could learn some lessons from her, given that she now has a voice.
“I want them to be able to hear her personality and be able to watch her and laugh and smile and be happy,” she says. “I want them to feel empowered because she’s an empowering character. She has a lot of representation. She represents confidence and poise and being yourself. So I want people to be able to have all of that and take that away from Qai.”
Miller says she is grateful to Williams, her husbandAlexis Ohanian, and Olympia for selecting her to star in the project — and for introducing Qai Qai to the world.
Alexis Ohanian Sr./Instagram
“I want to thank them for the representation they’re putting out for kids and adults watching Qai Qai,” she says. “I want them to know that I’m very thankful for this opportunity and more than anything… I want to thank them for allowing me to have this opportunity.”
Miller adds: “I want to thank them for allowing other girls to be able to dream big because I know that me being able to watch Qai Qai at 16 and having laughs and just being happy every time I see her, I know that it impacts other people.”
source: people.com
