Upside-Down Magic’s Lead Actress Izabela Rose Makes Her Disney Debut
From High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens to Camp Rock’s Demi Lovato, Disney Channel is home to dozens of “DCOM” stars—and 13-year-old Izabela Rose is the latest addition to that roster. The Georgia native stars as Nory in the new film, Upside-Down Magic, an out-of-the-ordinary magic student who’s forced to suppress her powers in a basement with fellow “UDMs.” When Sage Academy becomes threatened by the Shadow Monster, Nory and her peers must bond together, channeling their unusual powers to save the school. The character demonstrates that her differences are a source of strength, not weakness, a lesson that Rose herself has adopted as a teen. Below, the Disney starlet discusses her magical journey making the film and emphasizes the importance of friendship and self-acceptance.
What was the audition process like for Upside-Down Magic?
It was so much fun! It was also nerve-racking because I had so many emotions. Nory’s character is very strong and determined, and that actually helped me calm down. Plus, my mommy kept telling me to just do my best, and that no matter what happened, she would be proud of me. I auditioned for Nory multiple times, and eventually, there was a chemistry read with the other actors auditioning for the project. It was an emotional rollercoaster!
Where were you and how did you react when you found out you were cast?
When I finished the chemistry read, the casting director, Suzanne Goddard-Smythe, pulled Siena Agudong (“Reina”) and me aside and let everyone else go. Then Suzanne brought us back into the audition room. Our director, Joe Nussbaum, asked us, “Have you ever been to Vancouver?” We both answered, “No.” Joe said, “Well, we’re going!” I was frozen in shock and stood there with my mouth open! Siena gave me a big hug. Then I went back to the lobby and played a prank on my Papi and little brothers. I pretended everything wasn’t finalized yet and walked down the street a bit before I yelled out, “I booked the role!” They were so surprised! I called my entire team, and we all screamed together with joy over the phone. I felt so grateful and happy!
How are you and your character similar? How are you different?
Nory is similar to me in many ways. Her positive attitude is something we share. Even when she faces rejection at Sage Academy after her placement test, she refuses to give up—that’s something I try to do in my everyday life as well. As an actress, I face a lot of rejection when it comes to auditions. But I always think of them like planting a seed, even if I don’t book the role. That seed could grow in the future! Nory and I are different because I do everything with my family. They‘re so supportive, loving and are there for me all the time. When Nory goes to Sage Academy, she‘s separated from her best friend, Reina, and her father for most of the movie. Nory has to face every challenge alone and convince her new UDM squad to support her.
Who was the first cast member you met?
I briefly met Siena on another set I was visiting a few months before auditions began for Upside-Down Magic.
What was it like working with special effects?
It was really exciting! While we were filming, I was so curious to see how everything was going to turn out in the end. It was my first time working with special effects. I had to acclimate myself to imagining and reacting to objects that were not physically there. It was tricky, and I have to give a lot of credit to our incredible production team at Disney for helping out. Our producer, Suzanne Farewell, taught me that the weirder it feels, the better it looks. That advice was so helpful when I was fluxing into the different animal combinations. Also, the entire cast had to get their creative juices flowing when the Dritten [dragon/kitten hybrid] character was flying around. When we were filming, the Dritten was actually just a green tennis ball attached to a stick!
What was your favorite scene to film? What was the most challenging scene?
My favorite scene was also the most challenging one to film: Founders Day. You get to see all the characters, it brings the messages of the movie together, and it proves that upside-down magic can beat right-side up. But it was very challenging to film and took five days. We faced heavy rain and wild bears because we were working outside in Vancouver. Thankfully, the production team kept us dry and safe!
Any behind-the-scenes bloopers you can share?
We were filming a really serious scene, and Elliot [Elie Samouhi]’s line was, “French bread pizza day.” The way that Elie said the line was so serious, but we all started laughing! At the end of the day, we got the shot, and it came out really well. Elie is such a talented actor, and it was so fun to work with him. His comedic timing is amazing!
What do you hope viewers will learn from the movie?
I really hope people take away the messages in the movie, including self-acceptance, accepting others, believing in yourself and true friendship. With everything going on in the world today, these messages are even more important. Quarantine has made it tricky for friends to see each other, but staying in touch remotely is so important. Hopefully, this movie will remind everyone of the power of friendship. And the magic in the movie is so special! Magic should remind everyone that life has endless possibilities.
Follow Izabela on Social Media:
Instagram: @iamizabelarose
Twitter: @iamizabelarose
Select Photo Credit: Disney Press