Yvette Nicole Brown is Living Out a Fairy Tale Dream in Disenchanted
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Everyone knows a truly memorable Disney villain needs an equally fun sidekick. Jafar is nothing without Iago, and Scar could have never taken over Pride Rock without the hyenas. For the Disney+ sequel movie Disenchanted, Maya Rudolph’s queen bee of the suburbs, Malvina Monroe, is supported by her loyal followers, Ruby, played by Jayma Mays, and Rosaleen, played by Yvette Nicole Brown. The trio are absolutely the highlight of the film, stealing every scene they’re in.
The follow-up to 2007’s Enchanted finds Amy Adams’ Giselle using her endless positivity to adjust to her family’s big move to the suburban town of Monroeville. Unfortunately for her, Malvina, Rosaleen and Ruby are there to let her know who really runs things. Brown spoke to The Root about joining the fairy tale franchise, the truth about wearing corsets and working with the other members of her hilariously wicked crew.
Read more
Disenchanted | Official Trailer | Disney+
Frankly, if Disney plans to continue this franchise, I need the next entry to revolve around a ridiculous day spent hanging out at the coffee shop with Malvina, Ruby and Rosaleen. They are the kind of deliciously fun characters that make you root for the villain.
“We actually were hoping [viewers] want to see us again because Jayma, Maya and I had so much fun just being wicked,” Brown told The Root. “I think it would be really fun to see that dynamic in another movie, so hopefully the Disney people are listening.”
Giselle uses fairy tale magic to make her new life in the suburbs easier, so as the story progresses, things get more and more over the top crazy. This gives Brown and her co-stars the opportunity to turn the nonsense up a few extra notches.
“There’s no rules. You can be as silly, as weird, as wicked as you want. I usually stay on the light side of things as character roles go, so it’s kind of fun to get to be a little bit wicked,” she said. “I think that there’s still a little sparkle in Rosaleen and Ruby’s eyes throughout, and we’re more comedic relief than dastardly criminals or villains. But at the same time, it was a lot of fun to portray that.”
As Andalasia takes over Monroeville, its citizens, including Rosaleen, transform into fairy tale versions of themselves, which also means fairy tale costumes. And while corsets look pretty and add authenticity to the setting, they weren’t the actress’ favorite part of making the film.
“The costumes were authentic. They were all built to our bodies and we had corsets to wear. It was a lot of pain, with a boot on your back and somebody stringing you in,” Brown said. “It was a lot of work, but once you start getting into the costume and you got your petticoats and your feathers, you start to feel like you’re in Andalasia, and you kind of lean into the campiness of it.”
If you follow Brown on social media, you know she’s a big nerd, so joining a Disney fairy tale was something she’s been waiting to do her whole life.
“I don’t know anyone that grows up that doesn’t dream at some point of being in a Disney princess film,” she said. “And so this is little Yvette from Cleveland’s dream come true. Then to get to do it in the sequel to a beloved film is just everything. I don’t even know how to unpack this.”
Disenchanted is available on Disney+.
More from The Root
Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
