Entertainment
Disney's 'Descendants' Cast Vs. Their Animated Counterparts Will Get You Pumped For The New Movie
Disney Channel original movies have brought us such timeless gems as Motocrossed, Smart House, and Zenon: Girl Of The 21st Century. (Yes, and also High School Musical.) Now the House of Mouse is poised to debut the newest entry into their pantheon of small screen classics: Descendants , from HSM director/choreographer Kenny Ortega. Premiering this Friday night, the movie (which is definitively NOT a sequel or prequel to the 2011 George Clooney film) tells the story of the offspring of classic Disney villains. Recently freed from their exile on the Isle of the Lost, the quartet of terrible teens return to the kingdom of Auradon, where they have to decide whether to be good like everyone else... or help their villainous parents take over the world.Before you let Descendants cast its spell on you and dive head-first into its candy-colored world of a cappella-singing princes, study up on the movie's main cast — and see if you can guess which animated baddie each young star is playing the progeny of.
Image: Jack Rowand/Disney Channel
Dove Cameron as "Mal"
Cameron is no stranger to the Disney song-and-dance routine. She currently stars on the channel’s popular sitcom Liv And Maddie, as both title characters. She previously starred in the Disney Channel original movie Cloud 9, in which she played a competitive snowboarder. She has also appeared in episodes of Showtime’s Shameless, and in this year’s limited-release action film Barely Lethal alongside Hailee Steinfeld (Pitch Perfect 2), Sophie Turner (Game Of Thrones), and Samuel L. Jackson.
Mal is, of course, the daughter of…
Image: Bob D’Amico/Disney Channel
Maleficent
If the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, then the love of purple and black ensembles should have been. The Sleeping Beauty villainess is the chief antagonist of the movie, who spearheads the effort to steal the Fairy Godmother’s wand. Alas, corporate synergy wasn’t enough to get Angelina Jolie back to play the be-horned sorceress. Instead, Maleficent will be played by…
Image: Walt Disney Productions
Kristin Chenoweth
The pint-sized Broadway star, who gets to chew the scenery with a song subtly titled “Evil Like Me,” is most famous to television audiences as boozy April Rhodes on Glee, deputy press secretary Annabeth Schott on The West Wing, and poor besotted Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies (a role which won her an Emmy). She also just hosted the Tony Awards this year alongside Alan Cumming of The Good Wife (coincidentally, a show Chenoweth has guest starred on). On the big screen, she’s been seen in the likes of Running With Scissors, Four Christmases, and this year’s The Boy Next Door. But Chenoweth is undoubtedly most famous for her work onstage, receiving acclaim (and awards) for her roles in musicals such as You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Wicked, and Promises, Promises.
Sofia Carson as "Evie"
Like Cameron, Carson is being recruited from within the family, her first onscreen credit having been a guest appearance on the Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally. She subsequently recurred in a couple episodes of MTV’s Faking It, and will go on to appear in next year’s Disney Channel original movie Further Adventures In Babysitting.Can you guess which Disney villain gave birth to this blue-haired teen?
Image: Bob D’Amico/Disney Channel
The Evil Queen
Here’s an interesting question for you: If the Evil Queen’s magic mirror told her that Evie was the fairest of them all, would she send a huntsman to carve her own daughter’s heart out? Just how evil is she? Maybe we’ll find out this Friday…
Image: Walt Disney Productions
Kathy Najimi
The Snow White queen is being played by Najimi, aka the Hocus Pocus witch that’s NOT Bette Midler or Sarah Jessica Parker. Najimi made a name for herself with that classic Halloween film, the role of Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act, and a supporting part in the ’90s Kirstie Alley sitcom Veronica’s Closet. More recently, she has guest starred on such television shows as Inside Amy Schumer, Veep, and Younger.
Booboo Stewart as "Jay"
Descendants’ main quartet continues with Twliight star Booboo Stewart — and, no, that’s not a pet name for Kristen Stewart. The 21-year-old model/actor is most famous for playing werewolf Seth Clearwater in the popular YA franchise; he also played mutant Warpath in X-Men: Days Of Future Past… before he got melted by a Sentinel’s laser. Since then, you may have seen him pop up on shows like Hawaii Five-0, Grimm, and CSI: Cyber.
But who fathered this long-haired scoundrel?
Image: Bob D’Amico/Disney Channel
Jafar
Why, none other than the Grand Vizier of Agrabah himself. If he’s having children, then I guess Jafar must have figured out how to return himself to human form after the genie trapped him in that lamp and hurled him into the desert.
Image: Walt Disney Productions
Maz Jobrani
The oily advisor will be played by Iranian-American funnyman Jobrani, who’s one of the founding members of the so called “Axis Of Evil,” a troupe consisting of Middle Eastern comedians. His screen work hasn’t consisted solely of comedy, though; you may have seen in him in everything from action (24) to thrillers (The Interpreter), from gothic melodrama (True Blood) to office sitcom (Better Off Ted), and from political drama (The West Wing) to cult favorite rom-com (13 Going On 30).
Cameron Boyce as "Carlos"
Boyce actually made his onscreen debut not on film or television, but in the music video for Panic! At The Disco’s 2008 single “That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed).” That same year, he appeared as the “adorable kid in peril” in two back-to-back thrillers: the Kiefer Sutherland horror movie Mirrors and the Shia LaBeouf action film Eagle Eye. He then showed off his comedic chops as Adam Sandler’s spoiled son in Grown Ups, and showed off his dance moves in Jon M. Chu’s The League Of Extraordinary Dancers (or The LXD), a web series choreographed by Glee’s Harry Shum, Jr. Of course, Boyce has previous Disney connections as well: he had a lead role for four seasons on the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie, voiced the title role in the animated series Jake And The Never Land Pirates, and stars in the just-debuted comedy Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything.
And who can we thank for his distinctive red, white, and black ensemble?
Image: Bob D’Amico/Disney Channel
Cruella De Vil
Why, the fashion-obsessed dog-murderer, of course! Only Cruella could have come up with an outfit that blends fur, leather, and bleach-blonde highlights. Alas, Glenn Close won’t be reprising her role from the live-action 101 Dalmatians movie. Instead, the fashionista will be played by…
Image: Walt Disney Productions
Wendy Raquel Robinson
If you grew up watching The WB in the ’90s, then you’ll probably recognize Robinson from her role as Regina Grier on the network’s long-running sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. She’s currently a series regular on the sports dramedy The Game (formerly of The CW, now on BET), on which she plays sports agent Tasha Mack. When she’s not busy starring in her own shows, you may see her guest star on other series like NYPD Blue, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, or Grey’s Anatomy. If for some reason none of that is ringing a bell, then you must know her as Miss California from the classic Sandra Bullock comedy Miss Congeniality.
Mitchell Hope as "Ben"
Of course, not all the young characters in Descendants are villain spawn. The leader of the “good” kids is handsome Ben, played by unknown actor Hope. Clearly, Disney is hoping they’ve struck Zac Efron-level gold again with this swoopy-haired teen, as his previous screen credits are limited to two short films and a two-part miniseries about Australian rock band INXS.
Which famed Disney couple could have possibly given rise to a young human with such a toothy grin?
Image: Eike Schroter/Disney Channel
Belle/The Beast
At Auradon Prep, Ben will be surrounded by the children of other Disney princes and princesses; like Audrey (daughter of Aurora and Prince Phillip), Chad (son of Cinderella and Prince Charming), Lonnie (daughter of Mulan and Li Shang), Doug (son of Dopey), and Jane (daughter of the Fairy Godmother).
Ben’s parents, the King and Queen of Auradon, will be familiar faces to fans of the Disney canon…
Image: Walt Disney Productions
Keegan Connor Tracy
In a bit of bizarre corporate synergy, Belle will be played by none other than the Blue Fairy — aka Once Upon A Time actress Keegan Connor Tracy. The actress has also recurred on A&E’s Bates Motel as Norman’s ill-fated schoolteacher Miss Watson, and she fell victim to an elaborate Rube Goldberg-ian death trap in the 2003 horror sequel Final Destination 2.
Dan Payne
Belle’s Beast has also appeared in ABC’s Once oeuvre, in a small role as Captain Of The Guard in the spinoff series Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. The Canadian actor has also had a variety of small roles in other fantasy/sci-fi properties like Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantic, Battlestar Galactica, Watchmen, and Cabin In The Woods.
