CELEBRITY

Dove Cameron on the second season of Live and Maddie

DOVE CAMERON

Dove Cameron is best known for playing identical twin sisters, Liv and Maddie Rooney on the Disney show, Liv and Maddie. Dove recently sat down with Glitter to talk about how Liv and Maddie have evolved since the first season, what role is more challenging to play Liv or Maddie, and her upcoming films, Descendants and Barely Lethal.
GLITTER: With Liv and Maddie on its second season, how would you say Liv and Maddie have evolved since the first season?

DOVE: Liv and Maddie as characters have evolved significantly since season one. I think partially because I’ve gotten more comfortable with them as characters, and simultaneously improved upon my acting skills, but also just because a lot has happened in their pretend twin world. Both girls have gotten a little less manic, a little more introverted and a lot more real. Maddie has gotten more laid back, sarcastic, and sensitive. Liv has gotten a lot more dimensional, more sympathetic, more human and attainable. I wanted to ground the relationship that the girls have with one another in reality, so I brought in a lot of elements of what my sister and I have in our relationship. They’ve each gotten a little heartbroken by the end of season 2, whether that’s romantically, or otherwise, and it’s given them much more depth. Hopefully we get ordered for a season 3, because playing twins is like a master class in acting! I feel very blessed.

GLITTER: You play both Liv and Maddie on the show. Is it challenging playing two opposite characters?

DOVE: It was very difficult for the first few weeks, just like anything else. Playing twins is its own skill set. But also, just like anything else, over time it becomes second nature. And thanks to the whole ‘have to film everything twice’ aspect of having one actress play twins, the long hours certainly helped me solidify that skill set! We’ve done it for so long and for such long hours now, I could probably literally do it in my sleep! Hahahaha 🙂

GLITTER: Which character can you relate to the most?

DOVE: Whenever I get asked this question, I always have to give a little back story…I never auditioned for Liv and Maddie. Three years ago, I did a pilot called Bits and Pieces for Disney Channel where I played ONE character, who was neither Liv NOR Maddie. The series had all of the same cast as what you now know to be Liv and Maddie, except there were no twins involved. It ended up not getting picked up for a full season. However, Disney liked the cast so much that they created a whole new show for us! We were all so excited. Disney called me one day, after 9 months of testing the ‘BAP’ pilot, and said: “Congratulations, your show got picked up! Oh, by the way, you’re playing twins…see you Monday!” I was totally shocked and underprepared. I never showed Disney that I could be Liv OR Maddie. Which left me with the amazing opportunity to kind of be able to create the characters on my own, with my director Andy Fickman. So, extremely long story short: both of the characters are basically just my personality split down the middle. I could never relate to one more than the other!

GLITTER:  What has been your favorite episode to film so far?

DOVE:  Unfortunately, my favorite episode (other than the pilot) hasn’t come out yet, so I can’t give anything away…what I CAN tell you, is it’s in season 2, and it’s the episode where Diggie, Maddie’s boyfriend, comes back from his foreign exchange program. It’s crazy, you guys. I can’t wait. I’ll be sitting in my living room with popcorn!

GLITTER: What can fans expect in the upcoming episodes of the show?

DOVE:  As the season picks up speed, fans can expect to see a LOT of romance for BOTH of the girls, drama in boy-land and HUGE musical performances. The new season is massive. We’re on a whole new level this time around. I’m really proud of it. 🙂

GLITTER: What would you love to see happen in an episode? Is there anyone you would love to guest star?

DOVE: I would LOVE for Kristin Chenoweth to guest star. She plays my mother, Maleficent, in my upcoming film Descendants, and we got really close. She and I have been talking about having her on the show forever!

GLITTER: Tell us about your upcoming movie, Descendants. What is the movie about?

DOVE:  Descendants is one of the most exciting and thrilling projects that I’ve ever been lucky enough to be a part of. While I can’t give too much away, I’m allowed to tell you juuust a little bit about it. The story of Descendants follows the teenage children of the classic Disney villains and heroes that we’ve all grown up with and love (or love to hate). The story revolves around Jay (the son of Jafar), Carlos (the son of Cruella De Ville), Evie (the daughter of the Evil Queen) and my character Mal, the daughter of Maleficent. It’s a Drama, Action, Comedy, Romance film with musical numbers, directed by the legendary Kenny Ortega. I can’t wait for you guys to experience it. It’s magic!

GLITTER: How would you describe your character, Mal?

DOVE: Mal is maybe my most complex character that I’ve ever played. She’s whip-smart, sassy, biting, cunning and manipulative, but also scared, vulnerable, confused and damaged. She’s never been shown any love at all, so the only thing she knows is how to get her way through hurting others. She’s a natural born leader, but underneath her leather-clad exterior, she’s very innocent, soft and kind-hearted. She probably has the biggest character arch of any girl I’ve ever played. I hope you fall in love with her the way that I did.

GLITTER: You also have a new movie coming out called Barely Lethal. What can you tell us about the movie?

DOVE: Barely Lethal is a film that I did last year that is definitely for my older fans. It’s PG-13 and non-violent, but it’s just a little more targeted at teens rather than tweens or little ones, and outside of my Disney persona. I’m very proud of it, it’s a great film filled with talented, legendary actors that I was lucky to work with. It’s an action/adventure/teen comedy flick. I always say it’s like Skyfall meets Mean Girls! I just saw it, and I love the film. Ask your parents before you buy a ticket, but come out and support in a few months if it sounds like your thing!

GLITTER: Would you say filming a movie is more challenging than filming a TV series?

DOVE:  It depends. Film is sort of like running for 30 miles straight, and television is like running from a hungry bear for 3 miles straight. Television is shorter, but requires more high-intensity energy for a shorter time, and film requires more consistent, but slightly lower energy, for a MUCH longer time. Both require extreme health, stamina, and focus, and feel so rewarding when you’re done.

GLITTER: What are your goals for the upcoming year?

DOVE: Career Goals: get enough songs recorded that I am in love with to start putting a record together, do a couple more films and another season of Liv and Maddie, and that’s kind of where I draw the line with career time. I’m learning that I need to make more room for downtime, rest time and family time to be the happiest and healthiest me. In terms of personal goals: I really want to brush up on my French! I used to be fluent, and I’m totally slipping. Isn’t it crazy how quickly that happens? I also want to cut back on coffee, write in my diary a little more, and this is less of a goal and more of a plan, but I’m also getting a kitten. I’m really excited for 2015.

GLITTER:  What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

DOVE: Baking, mostly. Creating things that make other people happy is what makes me happiest, so baking for my family and my boyfriend and my friends is my happy time. I also love to design clothing and write songs. I think constantly creating is the key to human happiness!

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