Kylie Cantrall is ready to make waves as Red in the upcoming fourth Descendants film from Disney.
Descendants: The Rise of Red is set to debut this summer, bringing forth another chapter in this clever film franchise that features the children of famous Disney characters like Ursula, Cinderella, and the Queen of Hearts.
Cantrall arrives on the Descendants scene as the franchise's new lead, coming off of roles in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Bizaardvark, and Raven's Home.
[ Descendants 4 Release, Cast and Everything We Know ]
5 Facts to Get To Know Descendants 4's Kylie Cantrall
Kylie Started Off on YouTube
Long before Kylie Cantrall was leading Disney Channel original movies, she was cutting her chops on YouTube.
Born on June 25, 2005, Cantrall grew up in a world of online video, trying to cut a slice off for herself by posting weekly singing videos under the name Hello Kylie.
On how the idea of posting to YouTube came to the 18-year-old actress, Cantrall told Numero, "A bunch of my school friends were posting videos of themselves singing and dancing," so she pled to her parents to let her do the same:
"A bunch of my school friends were posting videos of themselves singing and dancing, so I begged my dad and luckily for me he said 'If we do this, I expect you to help me create a series with a script, skits, singing, dancing and weekly topics to talk about.' And that’s how it started."
These videos helped the young actress to learn key skills she uses today.
She called her Hello Kylie videos her "first step into entertainment," teaching her eight-year-old self how to stick to a schedule and get herself out there:
"Looking back, this was my first step into entertainment and what an amazing learning experience it was for an eight-year old to post a weekly series."
Despite starting small on the YouTube series, Hello Kylie ended up amassing "over a million views" within its first year. Through this endeavor, the future Descendants star learned about the power of "manifestation" with her heavy focus on Disney and Disney Channel shows (via A Book Of):
"My dad helped me form a weekly series called 'Hello Kylie' where I basically reviewed my favorite Disney shows, talked a lot about Zendaya and Selena Gomez, and ended each episode by singing a song. It took a while to grow the series but within a year I had over a million views. Looking back, I think that’s where I learned about manifestation because my dream was to be on Disney so every week, I would say my catchphrase 'Keep on watching Disney channel!' And that’s particularly true this year!"
Kylie Dreamed of Being on Disney as a Kid
Growing up in Los Angeles and being so close to the TV and movie industry affected a young Kylie Cantrall, as she dreamed of being on Disney.
She would eventually get her wish, landing the role of Tess on a single episode of Bizaardvark and going later starring in several Disney titles like Raven's Home, Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Remembering her first experiences on a Disney set, she told Numero, "I was just thrilled to be [there]:"
"I remember my dream was to be on Disney, so I didn’t care if I was playing Olivia Rodrigo’s little cousin on 'Bizardvark' or a 12-year old doctor on 'Raven's Home.' I was just thrilled to be on set and couldn’t wait to hear the director yell 'action.' Now, I’m trying to find characters that I think are interesting and feel like something I haven’t played yet. I guess part of my growing process is doing something unexpected and feeling like I’m not 100% in my comfort zone."
Taling with Screenrant in 2023, Cantrall gushed about meeting High School Musical stars Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman during her time on High High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, calling the meeting "a really special moment" that the Disney fan in her heart will never forget:
"So cool. It was super iconic to be able to meet Corbin [Bleu] and Monique Coleman. There was a moment when I was in the makeup trailer, and I was sitting next to Monique, and it was the first time that I had seen her. I was like, 'Oh my gosh! I loved you!' She was just so, so sweet, and we chatted for a little bit. It was a really special moment. But they're so, so sweet."
Kylie Is Bringing Destiny's Child Energy to Descendants: Rise of Red
Kylie Cantrall has pulled the curtain back on her new role as Red in Descendants: The Rise of Red as having 'Destiny's Child' energy.
After the departure of some of the core Descendants cast Cantrall arrives in the upcoming fourth film as the new lead. She portrays the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, as she, Chloe (the daughter of Cinderella), and King Charming travel through time to prevent a coup in Auradon.
The five-foot-three-inch actress called her Descendants character "passionate, courageous, [and] there for her friends," noting she is also capable and can hold her own (via Girl's Life):
"It's centered around friendship and girlpower. My character Red—she's the daughter of the Queen of Hearts—goes through this heroic journey of finding herself. She's passionate, courageous, there for her friends. Definitely not the type that is, you know, waiting for a prince to come and save her."
She said the girls in the film exude an energy comparable to the turn-of-the-century R&B group Destiny's Child:
"We—the girls in the film—called each other Destiny's Child. In between takes, Ruby [Rose Turner], Malia [Baker], Morgan [Dudley] and I would sing, do harmonies and put on full elaborate performances offscreen."
"If you're a fan of the older Descendants like I was as a kid, you're going to love this one," Cantrall teased, setting up the plot of the film:
"If you're a fan of the older 'Descendants' like I was as a kid, you're going to love this one. A lot of crazy things go down that require Red and Chloe—the daughter of Cinderella who's just the smart, perfect golden child—to team up and go back in time. They get to see their parents as teenagers, which is fun."
Kylie Will Drop an EP This Year
Aside from her work on the screen, Kylie Cantrall is a singer and is set to drop an EP later this year.
She credits her musical enterprises to "going to the studio with [her] dad" who works in the music industry in Hollywood (via Numero):
"On the singing side, I remember going to the studio with my dad, who’s a music producer, and watching him record artists like Ariana Grande and Zendaya."
It was those experiences that made "a huge impression on a 5-year-old:"
"That makes a huge impression on a 5-year old. I would never leave a session without jumping in the vocal booth and singing whatever song I had stuck in my head. I was that little kid sitting on the couch, next to the mixing board, saying 'Papa, is it my turn to record yet?'"
Cantrall is in the process of prepping her debut album and has an EP expected to be released in 2024.
She has called 2024 a "music year" for her (per Girl's Life):
"2024 is really going to be a music year. The adrenaline you get from hearing a crowd sing your songs and dancing onstage and getting that immediate reaction is unlike anything else. That's always been my biggest motivation."
The Descendants star says the new EP will be a mix of "more levelheaded and mature" content with "very happy and bubbly" songs as well:
"There's a cool contrast with [some of] the songs. 'Wish You Well' is the sweet breakup song where the production is very happy and bubbly. Compared to 'Boy for a Day,' I'm more levelheaded and mature. And 'Elastic' is about knowing yourself, having balance within yourself—and not switching your life around for others."
She hopes her music makes people "feel happy," and has listeners "feel confident and empowered:"
"I want people to feel happy, so you would play my music when you come home from a tiring day at work or school, or you want to feel like a baddie while you’re putting makeup on or jumping in the car with all of your besties. I think we are on the tail end of sad girl music and I know I feel my best when I’m listening to music that makes me feel confident and empowered."
Kylie Wants to Collab with Doja Cat
If Kylie Cantrall got her way in the musical sphere she would collaborate with Doja Cat at some point.
The female hip-hop star is best known for hits like "Paint the Town Red" and "Kiss Me More," and Cantrall is a huge fan.
Speaking with A Book Of, the actress called both Doja Cat and SZA inspirations and would love to collaborate with either:
Q: "Are there any dream collaborations you hope to pursue in the future?"
A: "I am inspired by so many artists so it would be easy to say Doja Cat or SZA but how amazing would it be to duet Aaliyah or Left Eye. I know AI is getting a lot of flak in the world of acting but we all know it’s only a matter of time before we see a new movie starring James Dean or Marylin Monroe. Maybe I should stop before I get canceled. But a girl is allowed to dream!"
When asked if she had any advice for young artists looking to follow a similar path as her, Cantrall said the best thing one can do is "start," remarking that "performing every day" is the most important thing:
"I always say 'start.' Find a song you love to sing, a video with a dance you want to learn or TV Show with a scene you can memorize. Then perform it for a friend, a parent, a teacher, a stuffed animal… it doesn’t matter, as long as you are performing every day. That means you’re improving and if you are better today, than you were yesterday, think of how good you might be in a week, a month, or a year. So, START!"
How To Follow Kylie Cantrall Online
Fans looking to follow Kylie Cantrall on social media can do so on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Descendants: The Rise of Red is expected to be released on July 12 on Disney+.
