Pop music phenomenon Camila Cabello is making her debut with Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming musical Cinderella. The Amazon Original movie is a modern-day take on the fairytale. It is a story of a rebel, who refuses to be a damsel in distress and is ambitious and focused on making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Camila, who is stepping into the world of acting with this movie, admits that the thought of taking up an acting career role was nerve-wracking at times. “I have been performing for a long time but playing such an iconic character was on another level. In this story, she is realising what she really wants from her life, and it’s not a prince. She wants a career and she is being told that’s impossible. I love that she dares to be different,” she says.
The singer and actor credits director Kay Cannon with guiding her performance and helping her believe in her own ability to tackle the central role. “I look up to Kay so much,” she says. “She took hold of the reins and executed her vision with beautiful, womanly grace and a nurturing heart. I don’t know if I could have done this with anybody else. Besides being incredibly talented and funny, she’s so present. She makes everyone want to work hard because she sets that example.”
Whatever her initial doubts, Camila says that making this film has been one of the best experiences of her life. “No way did I ever think I would be able to do this,” she reflects. “Growing up, I didn’t really have access to the music or the movie industries. My family didn’t have a lot of money. Playing this role has only made me stronger. I think Cinderella made me a more kick-ass woman.”
For Camila, part of the joy of starring in the film was the opportunity to offer an inspirational story of female empowerment to Latino girls and women. “I am so proud to be representing my community,” she says. “But I wouldn’t be here without the amazing work of the women who came before me like Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez. Like our Cinderella, they are trailblazers not bound by societal and cultural boundaries, just following their own truth.”
Written for the screen and directed by Kay Cannon with covers of songs written by some of the top-selling musical artists of all time, Cinderella has an all-star cast that includes Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, with Billy Porter and Pierce Brosnan. Producers are Leo Pearlman, James Corden, Jonathan Kadin and Shannon McIntosh, and executive producers are Louise Rosner and Josephine Rose.
