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Dove Cameron is reflecting on the expectations that have followed her since her early years as a Disney Channel star.
In a Feb. 22 interview with The Hollywood Reporter tied to her new Prime Video thriller 56 Days, the 30 year old actress and singer spoke about growing beyond the image many fans still associate with her. Cameron first gained widespread attention playing twin sisters on the Disney Channel series Liv and Maddie, which premiered in 2013 when she was 17. The show earned her a Daytime Emmy Award and ran until 2017. She also appeared in the hit Descendants film franchise, which debuted in 2015.
When asked how she moved past expectations linked to her child star persona, Cameron suggested she never made a deliberate effort to reinvent herself. She acknowledged that many people still picture her as the platinum blonde teenager smiling at the camera. However, she said it would be far stranger if she were still behaving like she did at 18 or 19 now that she is 30.
Cameron noted that she often sees social media posts claiming she has changed dramatically since her Disney days. In her view, the differences are minimal. She joked that the biggest changes are her hair color and the fact that she is older, insisting she feels like the same person she has always been.
Rather than staging a dramatic transition into adulthood, Cameron said she simply continued working and followed her instincts. She focused on developing her music career after her Disney contract ended. Her debut EP, Alchemical: Volume 1, was released in 2023 and marked a creative turning point. She explained that during her time with Disney she performed songs written for her, but once she was free from that contract, she began creating music that reflected her own voice and experiences. Even so, she does not see her shift into more mature projects as sudden or extreme.
Cameron also pointed to her role in the Apple TV+ musical comedy Schmigadoon!, which aired from 2021 to 2023, as a meaningful step in her growth. Working alongside older actors helped her evolve naturally in her career.
Despite ongoing comparisons to her younger self, Cameron said she is not bothered by fans who still associate her with their childhood memories. She believes those memories are meaningful and can coexist with the work she is doing now, without conflict.
