'Smurfs:' Rihanna says she draws inspiration from her character Smurfette

Rihanna, who voices Smurfette in the upcoming "Smurfs" film, said she has long related to her character Smurfette's mix of beauty, strength, and all that sass.

Growing up in Barbados, the singer-actress said in a press release that "The Smurfs" was her childhood favorite.

"So many mornings, I woke up long before I was supposed to get ready for school just to get that dose of 'Smurfs'," Rihanna said, who also served as the film's producer and music contributor.

Speaking about her character, she said Smurfette is "a powerful leader, independent, strong, beautiful, sassy, witty and very empathetic."

"I was super-inspired by all of that," she added.

In the upcoming film, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission to the real world to rescue Papa Smurf (John Goodman), who's been kidnapped by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.

Directed by Chris Miller and written by Pam Brady, "Smurfs" premieres in the Philippines on July 16.

The "Umbrella" hitmaker previously acted in "Ocean's Eight" and "Battleship" among many others. Her most recent song was "Lift Me Up" in 2022 for the film, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

In 2023, she headlined the Super Bowl halftime show. —Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA Integrated News