Descendants: The Rise of Red is the fourth film in Disney Channel's Descendants franchise featuring an ensemble cast of new and returning characters and stars.
Set a decade after the 2015 original movie, Descendants 4 follows Red, the daughter of the villainous Queen of Hearts, who teams up with Cinderella and Prince Charming's daughter for a time-traveling mission to save Auradon.
The Cast and Characters of Descendants 4
Kylie Cantrall - Red
Actress Kylie Cantrall plays Descendants 4 titular character, Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts who is eager to escape her control and receives an invite to Auradon Prep.
Cantrall may be familiar to Disney Channel fans due to her roles in Gabby Duran & the Unsittables and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She also voiced Savannah in 2021's Ron's Gone Wrong.
- Instagram: @kyliecantrall
- Wikipedia: Kylie Cantrall
- IMDb: Kylie Cantrall
Malia Baker - Chloe Charming
A new addition to the Descendants franchise, Malia Baker plays Chloe, the perfectionist daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming.
Malia Baker is best known for having played Mary Anne Spier in Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and lending her vocal talents for the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game.
- Instagram: @maliabakermsb
- Wikipedia: Malia Baker
- IMDb: Malia Baker
China Anne McClain - Uma
China Anne McClain first played Uma, the daughter of Ursula, in Descendants 2; now, in The Rise of Red, Uma is the new headmistress of Auradon Prep.
Along with her Descendants credits, McClain starred in House of Payne, Hubie Halloween, and Black Lightning.
- Instagram: @chinamcclain
- Wikipedia: China Anne McClain
- IMDb: China Anne McClain
Dara Reneé - Uliana
Following her roles in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Black-ish, Dara Reneé makes her Descendants debut as Uliana, Uma's aunt and Ursula's sister.
- Instagram: @dararenee
- Wikipedia: Dara Renee
- IMDb: Dara Renee
Rita Ora - Queen of Hearts
In Descendants 4, British singer-songwriter Rita Ora plays Red's mother, the Queen of Hearts, whose tragic backstory is revealed. Ora's previous acting credits range from The Fifty Shades of Grey franchise to Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, and Kung-Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.
Ruby Rose Turner - Bridget
Another familiar face to Disney Channel fans, Ruby Rose Turner from Coop and Cami Ask the World plays Bridget, the younger version of Rita Ora's Queen of Hearts.
- Instagram @rubyroseturner
- IMDb: Ruby Rose Turner
Brandy Norwood - Cinderella
Descendants 4 may be Brandy Norwood's first entry into the franchise, but the singer, songwriter, and actress is reprising her '90s role as Cinderella from 1997's Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.
In The Rise of Red, Brandy's Cinderella knows Rita Ora's Queen of Hearts from their former school days. She's also the mother of Chloe.
- Instagram: @brandy
- Wikipedia: Brandy Norwood
- IMDb: Brandy Norwood
Morgan Dudley - Ella
Up-and-coming actress Morgan Dudley plays the younger version of Brandy's CinderellaElla. In addition to Descendants 4, Dudley appeared in 2023's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and a Tourist's Guide to Love.
- Instagram: @morgandudley
- IMDb: Morgan Dudley
Joshua Colley - Young Hook
Also playing a character from Descendants 4's time-traveling past is musical theater star Joshua Colley as a teenage Captain Hook. Colley is also known for his roles in Sex Appeal, Senior Year, and Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives.
- Instagram: @joshuarobertcolley
- Wikipedia: Joshua Colley
- IMDb: Joshua Colley
Peder Lindell - Morgie
A new addition to the Disney franchise is the character of Morgie, the son of Morgana le Fey, played by newcomer Peder Lindell.
- Instagram: @pederlindell
- IMDb: Peder Lindell
Paolo Montalban - King Charming
Also reprising his 1997 Cinderella role is actor and singer Paolo Montalban as King Charming, husband to Brandy's Cinderella, and the father of Chloe. Some of Montalban's additional credits consist of Mortal Kombat: Conquest and The Blacklist.
- Instagram: @itspaolomontalban
- Wikipedia: Paolo Montalban
- IMDb: Paolo Montalban
Tristan Padil - Teen Prince Charming
Playing the teenage version of Paolo Montalban's King Charming is acting newcomer Tristan Padil.
- IMDb: Tristan Padil
Melanie Paxson - Fairy Godmother
Returning Descendants cast member is Melanie Paxson (Dealbreakers) as the Fairy Godmother and principal of Auradon Academy.
- Instagram: @mellypaxson
- Wikipedia: Melanie Paxson
- IMDb: Melanie Paxson
Grace Narducci - Fay
Playing Fay, the younger version of Melanie Paxson's Fairy Godmother, is Grace Narducci who's known for NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and 9-1-1.
- Instagram: @gracenarducci
- IMDb: Grace Narducci
Levin Valayil - Aladdin
Another Descendants newcomer is Indian actor and singer Levin Valayil as Aladdin.
- Instagram: @lvalayil
- IMDb: Levin Valayil
Kabir Bery - Teen Aladdin
Playing the younger version of Valayil's Aladdin is up-and-coming actor, Kabir Bery.
- IMDb: Kabir Bery
Shazia Pascal - Jasmine
The role of Jasmine in The Rise of Red is played by Shazia Pascal from It's Not That Simple and The Hot Chick.
- Instagram: @shazia.pascal.tx
- Wikipedia: Danny Kirrane
- IMDb: Shazia Pascal
Aiza Azaar - Young Jasmine
Adding to Descendants 4's Aladdin characters is Azia Azaar who plays the young Jasmine in her first-ever credited role.
- IMDb: Aiza Azaar
Jeremy Swift - Merlin
Portraying The Sword in The Stone's Merlin and Descendants principal is the Emmy Award-winning actor Jeremy Smith from Downton Abbey, Ted Lasso, and Mary Poppins Returns.
- Instagram: @jeremy.swift.68
- Wikipedia: Jeremy Swift
- IMDb: Jeremy Swift
Leonardo Nam - Maddox Hatter
Maddox Hatter, the son of the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts' inventor, is played by actor and vocal artist Leonardo Nam. Nam is best known for Westworld, Werewolf by Night, Westworld, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
- Instagram: @leonardo_nam
- Wikipedia: Leonardo Nam
- IMDb: Leonardo Nam
Alex Boniello - Jack of Diamonds
Actor and Broadway star, Alex Boniello (Ghosts) plays the Jack of Diamonds, the captain of the Queen of Hearts Red Army.
- Instagram: @alexboniello
- Wikipedia: Alex Boniello
- IMDb: Alex Boniello
Sam Morelos - Meadow
Meadow, a student of Merlin Academy, is played by That '90s Show's Sam Morelos.
- Instagram: @morelos_sam
- IMDb: Sam Morelos
Mars - Young Maleficent
Portraying the younger version of Maleficent is actress, writer, and producer, Mars.
- IMDb: Mars
Anthony Pyatt - Young Hades
Young Hades also makes an appearance in The Rise of Red courtesy of Anthony Pyatt (Will Trent).
- Instagram: @pyattforward
- IMDb: Anthony Pyatt
Julee Cerda - Evil Stepmother
Since Descendants 4 involves Cinderella, the Evil Stepmother (aka Lady Tremaine) has a role in the time-traveling tale played by Julee Cerda from Blindspot and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
- Instagram: @juliecerda
- Wikipedia: Julee Cerda
- IMDb: Julee Cerda
Descendants: The Rise of Red premiered July 12 on Disney+ and is set to debut August 9 on Disney Channel.
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