Kylie Cantrall a different kind of Disney princess in ‘Rise of Red’

Was Kylie Cantrall, who stars as Red, daughter of the Queen of Hearts in Friday’s Disney+ musical fantasy “Descendants: The Rise of Red,” really a tot in diapers when she first stepped into the spotlight singing and dancing?

“Honestly, yeah, pretty much. It was singing, dancing and potty training — all at the same time,” Cantrall, 19, said with a smile in a Zoom interview.

When she looks back at that little girl, does she see someone filled with ambition? Or was performing something that was just encouraged around the house?

“Probably a mix of both,” she allowed. “I think out the gate, pretty much straight out of the womb, I was so gravitated towards the arts and singing and dancing.

“It helped having two parents that are also very artsy. My dad is in music” – he’s a well-established producer — “and my mom is a dancer. Having both of them to really encourage me, they gave me that support of just making every dream feel like it was possible.

“They really encouraged me to go after all of my goals and ambitions. Now it’s paying off, for sure. I definitely have put in my 10,000 hours and I’m so grateful that I put that time in.”

In addition to starring as Red, she has joined the cast of the fourth season of Disney’s long-running “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” She also has 6 million followers on TikTok.

For the Disney+ musical, Red must deal with her mean momma, the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora). Does Red have a misplaced attitude? Will she need life lessons as she goes along, singing and dancing in “Rise of Red”?

“Her mom, even if it’s on a subconscious level, has totally influenced the way that Red is and how she perceives herself. That’s really the whole journey that Red goes on: She has to live up to this expectation that her mom has of her. That everyone has of her, really: This princess who’s heir to the throne.

“Red is at odds trying to live up to that and wonders if it’s a path she wants to take. Ultimately, she realizes, she doesn’t want that path.

“She doesn’t want to be like her mom, which is a tough reality to come to grips with: That you want nothing to do with your mom in that way.

“So it’s interesting seeing how her self-discovery and her arc develops. And how her relationship with her mom changes so drastically by the end of the film. For audiences that will be really interesting to watch.”

“Descendants: The Rise of Red” (Disney+) premieres July 12

Rita Ora as the Queen of Hearts in a scene from “Descendants: The Rise of Red.” (Photo Disney/Quantrell Colbert)

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