The beloved and popular Descendants franchise is back again, with the fourth installment in the series, Descendants: The Rise of Red, out on Disney+ on July 12 and on Disney Channel on August 9. Before the film’s release, we got to chat with Kylie Cantrall, who plays the title character Red, in the film to learn more about her character, her experience filming on set, and her other acting roles.
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 first got her start on social media but has since made a splash in both the acting and music world. She has played the lead role of Gabby Duran in the series Gabby Duran & the Unsittables and played Dani on season four of High School Musical: The Musical the Series, She has also done some work in the sound booth, voicing Savannah in the animated film Ron’s Gone Wrong. On the music side, her new song “Elastic” came out in February and she collaborated with Alan Walker on “Unsure”, which is available on all streaming platforms.
We asked Kylie about her audition experience, and she said she auditioned remotely over Zoom which made her less nervous. She said for Descendants: The Rise of Red in particular, it was a very calm experience and she even wore red to emulate auditioning for the character and vibe of Red. When she first got the role, Kylie said it was a surreal moment.
“For me to fully feel like the character and get locked in, I have to be in a wardrobe that makes me feel like someone else, like I am that character.”
Descendants: The Rise of Red reimagines Wonderland, and there are more strict rules because of the Queen of Hearts, but there is also magic to it. Kylie said it was super cool to see the final product while watching the film as she filmed many of her scenes on a greenscreen.
“I think we all have an idea about [Wonderland] but seeing it in a new imagined way in this film, like our interpretation of Wonderland is really cool, it’s a fresh take on it.”
Kylie also fully embodied her character and wanted to make Red feel as real as possible to her. She revealed she even wrote diary entries as Red to get into character, and studied the physical part of acting through understanding and practicing Red’s mannerisms and the way she moves which is something she did on set of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
“I knew the character [Red] like the back of my hand by the time we started filming because I put that time in to figure it out beforehand.”
We had to ask Kylie about her time playing Dani in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and even though she was only a part of the cast for the fourth season, she absolutely loved working with all the cast members, even revealing what the deleted scene with Joshua Bassett was. Even though the series is over, fans of the show hold a special place in her heart and she can’t wait for them to watch her in future projects, including Descendants: The Rise of Red.
Thank you, Kylie, for FaceTiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow her on her Instagram at @kyliecantrall. Watch the rest of the interview, where we ask her more questions about her get ready her get ready with me routine for filming, working with some iconic actors, and the challenging parts of this film. Like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- Since many auditions are over Zoom these days, embody your character, even if it’s from your living room.
- The physical part of acting is just as important as portraying your character. Understanding your character’s mannerisms and movements and even the way they walk will help you fully embrace your character.
- Prepare your character before first getting onto set. This will alleviate many nerves as you are confident in your character and the role you are playing.
