Two-time Olivier winner Noma Dumezweni makes her Broadway debut as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which officially opened April 22 at the Lyric Theatre.

After a run in London’s West End, Dumezweni and six of her co-stars transferred over to bring the eighth story in the Harry Potter series to the States. When asked what it means to her to make her Broadway debut, the actor gave an impassioned, teary-eyed response.

“It's expectations. How you grow up. The majority of people, their expectation of life are limited. Mine are limited—has been limited.

“I'm talking about the asylum refugee child here,” she continues, referencing her heritage as a woman who fled apartheid. “One of the things that was brilliant for me was I found acting, and I found my tribe, and I found people I could play with. I never ever thought it was a job. What I remember is watching all these old movies and knowing about this place called Broadway, but it's never going to happen because it's musicals and big stars ... It's just a totally different world. The representation I was given didn't have me in the picture. And now sitting in front of you—you ask me that question—and I want to burst out into tears. Because I am. I am on Broadway.”

WATCH DUMEZWENI AND THE COMPANY OF CURSED CHILD SPEAK TO PLAYBILL ON THE OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET

Watch her full, emotionally raw response in the video below:

"It’s amazing, it’s humbling, it’s extraordinary and I can’t take anything for granted” – #CursedChildNYC's @MissDumezweni on playing Hermione on Broadway. pic.twitter.com/DPAgnoOSsT

— Cursed Child NYC (@HPPlayNYC) April 24, 2018