Kenny Ortega Pays Tribute To The Late Cameron Boyce As Descendants Turns 10: 'If I Could Have Imagined A Son For Myself,' It Would Be Him
As festivities continue for the 10th anniversary of Disney's Descendants, it's impossible to discuss the franchise's enduring legacy without honoring the heart and soul of the first three films: the late, great Cameron Boyce.
"He was our muse, everyone's favorite, the forever boy," director Kenny Ortega told TVLine during a recent visit to our New York studio. "He was the most generous, aspirational kid. He would shadow me as a director and choreographer. ... And at the same time, he was building freshwater wells in impoverished areas in Africa. Every time you turned around, you heard something else this kid was doing, and he wasn't even 21."
Boyce was already a Disney Channel staple by the time the first Descendants movie came about, thanks to his series-regular role on the sitcom Jessie, but Ortega had to fight to get him into the project. As Ortega recalls, the higher-ups at the network didn't think Boyce would agree to being part of an ensemble cast, rather than headlining his own Disney Channel Original Movie, but after a chance run-in with the director, Boyce said he would love to be a part of the film.
He was ultimately cast as Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, alongside Dove Cameron as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent; Sofia Carson as Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen; and Booboo Stewart as Jay, the son of Jafar. And the rest, as they say, is DCOM history.
Tragically, Boyce died from an epileptic seizure in June 2019, just one month before the third Descendants film premiered on Disney Channel. The Cameron Boyce Foundation, of which Ortega is an advisory board member, now raises awareness and funding for epilepsy research in the hopes of one day finding a cure, while also supporting special causes about which Boyce was passionate.
"I was fractured, along with everybody else," Ortega recalls. "I used to say to him, and perhaps too often, 'You know you're my favorite. Don't tell anyone.' It was a joke, and on Descendants 3, I said, 'Don't tell anyone, but you're still my favorite.' And he goes, 'Oh, Kenny, everybody knows.'"
Ortega continues: "I just adored him. If I could have imagined a son for myself, right there. When his father called me to tell me that we lost him, it was one of the saddest days in my life. And it still is, when I think about it. So I'm grateful that I got to have that time with him and to share in his glory and his joy and his enthusiasm — to behold the wonders of who he was as a talent and person. The hurt is a little bit gone, and the joy and gratitude for having had those years with him is what remains."
Hit PLAY on the video above to watch our full interview with Ortega, which includes more of his thoughts on the Descendants franchise — including the moment he knew he had a bonafide hit on his hands.