How One Audition at 14 Helped Dove Cameron Land ‘56 Days’

For Dove Cameron, Prime Video’s latest series, 56 Days, has been nearly 16 years within the making. Well, kind of.

“I had one in all those magical, very old Hollywood experiences,” Cameron tells The Hollywood Reporter on a recent Zoom about her journey to landing the lead role in the brand new soapy thriller. On the age of 14, Cameron, who eventually rose to fame on Disney Channel, tested for a Fox series a couple of child spy. The now-30-year-old recalls getting “really close” in the method, but ultimately didn’t land the part.

Flash forward to May 2024, and Cameron eventually learns that child spy series and the project she’s just been brought, 56 Days, have one major thing in common: creator and executive producer Karyn Usher. “Once they called me concerning the show almost two years ago, it was Karyn being like, ‘I remember you from if you were 14,’ which is so crazy,” Cameron recalls. The actress says that Usher told her that the author never forgot about her and had desired to work together.

“It’s true. If I’m going back, it didn’t find yourself going my way for reasons that were out of her control. She sent me my mom flowers. She kept in contact, all these things. It was super sweet,” Cameron adds. “It was this really magical, authentic thing that she just randomly considered me for this role.”

Below, Cameron digs into why 56 Days was the proper next acting project for her, what it was like growing up on Disney Channel, the transition from child actor and when fans can expect recent music.

What drew you in about playing Ciara on 56 Days?

I read the script and [Usher] was like, “Be warned. There’s nudity.” I felt like I used to be in a spot in my life where I used to be not so terrified of doing that anymore. The script was so phenomenal and so strong and the character was something I had at all times desired to do. Someone that I felt very drawn to. I at all times feel just like the difference between a job that you possibly can play and a job that you would like to play really badly — which all work is nice work for those who at all times need to play the character to some extent, and for those who don’t, you then shouldn’t do it — is for those who read the script and you’re feeling like you understand this person.

I actually felt like I knew [my character]. We had a Zoom meeting where I just talked, essentially, about my understanding of the character. We were all very aligned. Whatever I had said was what in addition they were picturing for the character, so we were on the identical page. “Let’s do it.” I didn’t know who else was going to be in it because I believe they were casting Ciara first. It was just this really organic, kismet, lovely, lovely thing. I hadn’t acted shortly, and it was just the precise thing.

I’m wondering if reconnecting with Karyn brought up any reflection on the parallel path you possibly can’ve been on had you booked that role. Obviously, Disney Channel shaped your profession for a very long time. Did that ever come up for you?

Truthfully, I used to be so blissful on Disney Channel. It was not a blissful time in my life personally, but at work I used to be at all times very blissful. I used to be one in all those young actors who didn’t need to go home. I didn’t really think much about what might have been or what would’ve been. There have been other big projects that I got really close on that either I just didn’t look right for or I didn’t look related to the opposite person who was solid first. That’s how casting is, especially if you’re a child.

In fact, over time you try this crazy exercise, it’s like, whoa, wouldn’t the whole lot be so different? However it’s the identical thing as wouldn’t it’s different if I had dated that person or not dated that person or moved to town or not move to town, not in a greater or worse way, just in a that will’ve been crazy, neutral way. Truthfully, I might never look back on my Disney days and say that I didn’t have a lot fun. We weren’t aware of it being anything aside from play daily. We were so close, we had a lot fun.

That feels like it was fun. Hearing you say that you simply were warned about nudity, and clearly, that is an adult show. While you begin as a baby actor, people are inclined to hold you on this [age] limbo for a very long time. How do you’re feeling you broke out of that? Was it through a job, or perhaps your music?

I believe there’s at all times going to be numerous individuals who hear my name and consider me after I was 19, platinum blonde and smiling on the camera. “She modified a lot.” I believe it could be so bizarre if I used to be still behaving like an 18, 19-year-old as a 30-year-old woman. Sometimes I see these TikToks of like, “Dove Cameron when she was on Disney, she had this spark.” It’s like, guys, please, literally the difference is a few hair dye, and now I’m 30. That’s it. I’m the exact same person. There’s at all times going to be numerous individuals who see me as a baby star of course. I’m not fully aware of my general public perception, if I’m honest, but I do recognize that career-wise, inside the industry, I’m not where I used to be. To your point, I believe the best way that I broke out was actually by not attempting to break out.

In what way?

I never really had an enormous moment where I used to be like, now I’m going to point out those who I’m an adult. I never did that. I just didn’t have that instinct and that energy. I just didn’t really care. I knew people saw me as that because, logically, if that’s the one thing I’ve done. But I just figured if I proceed to work in some capability, and follow my instincts for what I would like to do now naturally as I grow old, my work’s going to grow old. I suppose my music did play an enormous part in that because I do think some people view that as an enormous page turn. Whereas to me, I used to be now not representing a children’s company, so I used to be just writing the music that I wanted to jot down.

All the music that I released with Disney, I didn’t write it. I used to be just singing for them. I used to be within the studio for them. Once my contract was up with Disney, I began wondering what I desired to do. It was never really stark. It was never zero to 100. I also think doing a little stage work [helped]. I did some theater. I did Schmigadoon!, which will not be Disney, nevertheless it’s not to date off the trail. It’s campy, it’s musical, nevertheless it was with older actors, and I used to be the infant. I believe that a few of these items were just little sideways stones to now, I’m 30, and my work has modified. You simply get up sooner or later and the world has shifted with you on this line of labor.

I’m concerning the same age and might’t imagine being in comparison with my 18-year-old self. For some reason, we put this on child actors. People are inclined to remember you at whatever age they got here across you. Is that just something you learn to take care of?

I don’t think [of it as] unlucky. It’s just their reality. I don’t really want anyone to get on the identical page as me, to have me feel good. I understood that folks’s perception of me had nothing to do with the person who I’m a extremely very long time ago. It doesn’t at all times feel like that, but for essentially the most part, their version of me of their head is from their childhood, that’s this beautiful memory. In the event that they have that, it’s for them. They’ll have that. Whatever I’m doing now, I don’t have to do this thing perpetually to make them blissful. But we will each appreciate it. I loved that point, they loved that point. I like what I’m doing now. Other people will hopefully love what I’m doing now, nevertheless it doesn’t should be a fight. I actually have that very same thing. I actually have my favorite actors from after I was growing up that I can’t reconcile the difference. Your comfort shows and films are personal to you, so I believe it’s beautiful.

Normally, how are you feeling nowadays? What’s bringing you joy and provoking you?

I’m feeling really good nowadays. It looks like a extremely beautiful era because I believe a lot of my 20s was about growing into the garments that I owned. Metaphorically. I used to be attempting to feel like I had earned the precise to live as the person who I desired to live as, which is just someone who trusts themselves, lets themself enjoy things, has community, feels good of their body and feels confident with their ability. I had such crazy imposter syndrome. For quite a lot of my 20s, I used to be really quite lost [and] very confused. Everyone at all times said, it’s purported to be one of the best time in your life. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Now that I do know who I’m, I do know what I stand for, I do know what I’m good at, I do know what I want to work on. I be ok with being me, and I feel like I’m me. It took me literally until the last two years to get here, which is just a bit of hopecore for anyone else on the market. My 20s sucked, so for those who’re not having a very good time, that’s OK. I [turned] 30. I’m engaged to the love of my life, which also happened so crazy fast. I had no idea how beautiful life was going to grow to be. The show, the album, the whole lot. It’s still real life. Nothing’s ever fully perfect. But I do think that that is the closest it’s been in an extended time.

That’s really lovely to listen to. I actually feel similarly. Individuals who say that their 20s were one of the best. I’m like, what 20s were you living? None of my friends feel that way.

I’m so blissful you say that. People at all times ask, “How do you’re feeling about turning 30?” So fucking good, what? Thirty is one of the best.

Can fans expect recent music soon?

I’m writing the most recent version of the album that I’ve been attempting to get released for a really very long time. I finally, finally, last week, got the green light to release my album this 12 months.

Incredible.

I’m working on what that appears like with my label, but I’m feeling good about it. I’m feeling hopeful. I believe this feels different and recent. I believe it’s finally going to be the 12 months. I actually have rewritten this album, I believe, 3 times now. The album that I finished in 2024, a lot of it was cannibalized to grow to be singles, which, for me, I used to be very against. It was what that they had wanted, and it’s what we did. I used to be very big about not promoting singles with no project backing it. We’d like a project, otherwise there’s no trust between the fans. Finally, we got to a very good place with that.

It’s coming soon then?

The album where it stands now’s just about done. I would like it to be cohesive. I would like it to be world-building. I’ve been within the studio continuously over the course of those last two years. This new edition is de facto, really different for me. It’s really honest. I’ve at all times been honest in my music, nevertheless it’s more vulnerable. Before I used to be vulnerable in my description of how I used to be feeling. That is more… I’m not writing with one other person’s gaze on it, which is, to me, different as someone who’s at all times been a performer my whole life. It feels far more intimate than my other stuff. It’s far more organic-sounding than my other stuff too, which is something I couldn’t have anticipated. I hope that folks receive it as exactly because it is. I hope that they feel connected to it. I feel connected to it. That’s the one reason to make music is so that folks can get to know themselves higher through it.