‘Descendants: The Rise Of Red’ Star Morgan Dudley Was Inspired By Brandy Norwood’s “Aura And Presence” When Creating Her Version Of Cinderella

Descendants: The Rise Of Red introduces a fun new group of Disney fairytale characters to a new generation of viewers. The film follows Red (Kylie Cantrall), the rebellious daughter of the wicked Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), and Chloe (Malia Baker), the responsible daughter of Cinderella (Brandy Norwood, reprising her role from the 1997 version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella ), as they travel back in time to meet their mothers’ younger selves to stop the Queen of Hearts for taking over Auradon.

Upon arriving at Merlin Academy, Red and Chloe quickly encounter their mothers in their youth: Bridget, the future Queen of Hearts, played by Disney vet Ruby Rose Turner, and Ella, played by Disney newcomer Morgan Dudley. Dudley, who got her start on Broadway in Jagged Little Pill , was more than up to the task of bringing the younger version of Brandy’s Cinderella to life. While Dudley “took a lot of inspiration from Brandy’s aura and presence,” she was determined to “find [her] own path” to portraying Ella.

A fan of the Descendants franchise, Dudley knew Ella would perfectly fit into the world of Auradon, past and present. “What is so cool about Ella is how grounded she is in her truth and how she speaks her mind,” gushed Dudley. “Ella is the tough friend that’ll stick by you no matter what.” As a girl, Ella is wary of royalty—which is shocking since she ends up a queen after falling in love with Prince Charming. “Ella is pretty apprehensive about royalty, but the exception is Bridget,” explained Dudley. “We can see in the older Cinderella what she takes from Bridget, which is the kindness that she carries with her.”

Dudley spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to chat about her love for the Disney franchise, her show-stopping number “Get Your Hands Dirty,” and finding her iteration of the iconic character.

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ on Disney+, the Latest Incarnation Of The Disney Princesses Extended Universe

DECIDER: Were you a fan of the Descendants movies growing up?

MORGAN DUDLEY: Yeah, I was a huge fan of Descendants growing up. I remember reading an article on Google while the first film was in production when I was around 8. I was like, “that sounds fun.” So, I had been keeping up with Auradon before I ever saw it on screen.

Which character from the original movies did you love the most and why?

I was a huge Carlos stan because I love chocolate. I love dogs and I love Cruella de Vill. He was just so cute and also kind of jumpy [laughs]? I relate a lot to that. He was definitely one of my favorites.

‘Descendants: The Rise Of Red’ Stars Kylie Cantrall & Malia Baker Have Been Fans Of The Franchise Since “Rotten To The Core”: “That Song Is Fire”

You play Ella, the younger version of Brandy Norwood’s Cinderella. How did you prepare to tackle this iteration of the iconic character?

I was a huge fan of the Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella , so I was shocked when they told me that Brandy would be playing the older Cinderella. I was like, “oh, cool. No pressure at all.” I felt like it was important to just ground myself in this version of Ella because there have been so many versions of Cinderella . What was so cool about working on Ella was how grounded she is in her truth and how she speaks her mind. She’s a bit blunt, and she is a product of her circumstances with her oppressive stepmother.

Is there something from Brandy’s performance as Cinderella that you wanted to infuse into your performance?

I took a lot of inspiration from Brandy’s aura and presence. I also love how she carries herself. I tried to emulate that a bit in Ella’s kind moments. Overall, I just really wanted to find my own path.

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I think you absolutely succeed in making Ella your own creation. Most apparently in your number with Chloe “Get Your Hands Dirty.” What can you tell me about filming that?

It was so much fun. I love feeling like a kid. Obviously, I’m in Descendants , I’m dancing, but we literally were playing in the dirt and planting flowers [laughs]. On top of the song being a lot of fun, I just think that “Get Your Hands Dirty” has an important message. I also loved filming with Malia, who plays Chloe. We just had a ball learning the choreography and doing our little yard work sequence. It was cute.

Lastly, I love Ella’s friendship with Bridget. What was your favorite thing about building that relationship and chemistry with Ruby Rose Turner?

Oh my gosh. Ruby is such an easy person to build chemistry with. She’s a charming person and a beacon of light to be around. She’s also easy to talk to. Ella is the tough friend that will stick by you no matter what, and Bridget is the sweet, naive, bubbly friend. They need each other. Their dynamic is something that I see a lot of in my real life.

Ella is also pretty apprehensive towards royalty, but the exception is Bridget. I feel like that plants a seed for Ella later on. She learns to take people as they are and accept them as well as to accept love from them. I think we can see Bridget’s enduring kindness in the older Cinderella as well.

Descendants: The Rise Of Red is now streaming on Disney+

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