No matter your age, Disney Channel original movies always bring back feelings of nostalgia. Generations of Disney stories have been told in the Descendants franchise, which first launched in 2015. Now, the fourth film is here—Descendants: The Rise of Red will debut on Disney+ on July 12 and Disney Channel on August 9. Before the film’s release, we got to chat with Morgan Dudley, who plays Ella, the young Cinderella in the film, to learn more about her character, her favorite experiences on set, and working alongside Brandy Norwood.

Descendants: The Rise of Red follows Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts, played by Rita Ora, and Chloe, the perfectionist daughter of Cinderella, played by Brandy Norwood. When the Queen of Hearts incites a coup against Auradon, the polar opposite Red and Chloe must join forces to stop her. Kylie Cantrall stars as Red and Malia Baker stars as Chloe and the cast also includes Ruby Rose Turner, China Anne McClain, Joshua Colley, Dara Reneé, and more. 

“There is such a family aspect and lightness to every Disney movie no matter what the content is. There is a lot of depth and lesson learning but at the end of the day it fills you with hope and levity and all ages can watch and enjoy them.”

Morgan has graced both the screen and the Broadway stage. She appeared in the 2020 Netflix musical film The Prom, directed by Ryan Murphy and stars in the Netflix movie A Tourist’s Guide to Love. She has also appeared in Jagged Little Pill on Broadway. Morgan said she has always been a fan of the Descendants franchise  and absolutely loves Disney Channel original movies, with Mulan and Bambi as two of her favorites, so being cast as Ella was a dream come true. 

“I was a huge fan of the [Descendants] franchise, and I was absolutely obsessed with Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson as a kid. I love music and I love Kenny Ortega.”

Morgan said it took some time getting used to being in such a big franchise and the large set but said it was important to ground herself and also just have fun with the experience and with her cast members.

“I think the biggest challenge for me was getting used to such a large set. Descendants is just a huge franchise and there are so many fans.”

We had to ask Morgan what it was like working with the legendary Brandy Norwood and Rita Ora, and she said it was surreal. Morgan looked up to both of them and wanted to capture their auras and said she also appreciated how fully committed they were to both of their roles. 

“Brandy [Norwood] just has such a gentle aura, and genuinely she is a real life princess to me.”

“Rita Ora is such a fiery presence, she is literally perfect for the Queen of Hearts.” 

Morgan loves music, as shown in her Broadway performances, and she got to record a song for Descendants: The Rise of Red, called “Get your Hands Dirty” alongside Malia Baker. It was her first time recording in a sound booth and Morgan loved the experience, and said she learned a lot that has helped her pursue recording her own music.

“It was so much fun recording [“Get your Hands Dirty”] in the booth, that was the first time I ever recorded a song was singing that for this movie.”

Thank you, Morgan, for FaceTiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow her on her Instagram at @morgandudley. Watch the rest of the interview, where we ask her more questions about her favorite moments on set, working with her castmates, her get ready with me routine for auditions, and stay tuned for a round of rapid fire questions. Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.

Consider this:

• Recording music in a sound booth is much different than singing on a stage. In a sound booth, you can experiment a lot more with the tone and volume of your voice.
• Have fun on any set you’re a part of. Bringing joy into every project will make a huge difference for yourself and those around you.