Serena Williams Picks Voice Actress for Daughter Olympia's Doll, Qai Qai

"Everyone needs to find their voice, and I'm happy Qai Qai found hers in Taikirha," Serena Williams tells PEOPLE of the project

The favorite doll of Serena Williams' 4-year-old daughter, Olympia, is getting her own voice!

The tennis legend has teamed up with Invisible Universe to bring the doll, Qai Qai, to life, revealing that 16-year-old Taikirha Miller will 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 on Instagram in 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 a YouTube channel.

Taikirha-Miller-Headshot Serena Williams Hand Picks the Voice Behind Daughter Olympia's Doll Qai Qai for New YouTube Series
getty; youtube

Additionally, a book about Qai Qai, The Adventures of Qai Qai by Serena Williams, will be released in stores on September 27.

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.

"I found out about [it] two weeks ago when I had just got off the stage from a national pageant," she explains. "I was doing casual wear, and I went to find my mom in the lobby, and she was like, 'Good job, Qai Qai.' And she said it so suddenly, and I wasn't sure what she was talking about."

"And then it clicked in my head, and I got really excited and started screaming in the lobby," she recalls.

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."

Serena Williams Hand Picks the Voice Behind Daughter Olympia's Doll Qai Qai for New YouTube Series
youtube

As a fan of Qai Qai herself, she shares many things in common with the character, Miller says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"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."

Serena Williams Hand Picks the Voice Behind Daughter Olympia's Doll Qai Qai for New YouTube Series
youtube

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 husband Alexis Ohanian, and Olympia for selecting her to star in the project — and for introducing Qai Qai to the world.

Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams and daughter olympia
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."

Related Articles