Just so you know, Malia Baker has seen your fan theories. And she’s pretty impressed.

“Are you kidding me?!” the actress exclaims, when asked if the online chatter is onto something. “The same way they’re obsessed with our storylines, I am honestly kind of obsessed with their ideas. They get a tiny crumb of what the movie is about, then immediately go: This is connected to this, which is connected to this…”

While the 19-year-old will neither confirm nor deny any Descendants: Wicked Wonderland plot predictions (yes, we tried), she will gleefully share her own deeply felt and delightfully specific hyperfixations. As soon as she arrives at the sun-dappled L.A. bungalow where we’re shooting, she gushes between camera fl ashes over the butterfly-filled garden (“OK, I need to befriend the owner of this house now”), persuades everyone to try her fave ice cream flavor (“You need to have a scoop of Honeycomb Malted Milk Chocolate at least once in your life”) and dances like no one’s watching to throwbacks like Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas” (“I forgot about this classic!”).

And when we finally sit down to discuss this summer’s much-anticipated release of Wicked Wonderland? It’s probably not a surprise that our girl’s got, well, approximately zero chill.

Before the DCU came into existence (that’s “Descendants Cinematic Universe”—Malia’s words), there was a small suburb outside of Vancouver and one very determined 10-year-old.

“I started by sneaking onto a Hallmark holiday movie set,” she states, as if that’s just a completely normal way to begin an acting career. “I put on a Christmas sweater, even though it was summer, and was like, ‘They’re going to think I’m a part of the shoot. It’s going to be easy!’”

And it was. While we doubt righteous rule-follower Chloe Charming would approve of the scheme, according to Malia, the crew crash worked like a charm—the director tapped her to fill in for an extra who had gotten pinkeye. After seeing what life in front of the camera was like, she realized she wanted in…legitimately.

Backed by a superhero single mom who carted her an hour each way to the city for auditions, Malia landed her first big break: the part of shy and sweet Mary Anne Spier in the Netflix hit 2020 series The Baby-Sitters Club. Not only was it her first major role, but it led to her finding a bestie in castmate Momona Tamada, who played Claudia.

“We’re pretty much attached at the hip,” shares Malia. “I could literally go grocery shopping with her and afterward feel like, I really needed this. I needed to buy milk with you. This is really special. Having a person you know will support you no matter what, I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Of course, then, it was Momo who was Malia’s first call after her Descendants: The Rise of Red audition for Cinderella’s daughter, Chloe Charming. But what you’d never guess? It was more of an SOS than a celebratory debrief.

“I called Momo and was like, ‘I need you right now! I said ‘Auroradon’ and not ‘Auradon!’” Malia recalls, wincing at the memory. “I thought that cost me the job. I was walking around in the rain with my hood up, headphones in, feeling so emo.”

The wallowing came to a sharp halt, though, when Disney’s team asked her a life-changing question: Are you ready to be a princess? Cue the happy tears, recording “Fight of Our Lives” and getting fitted for that iconic baby blue wig.

Flash-forward to 2026, and Malia is now preparing for another wave of Descendants mania. The fifth installment, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, takes the franchise somewhere entirely new, dropping a fresh crew of VKs into a reimagined Wonderland, where the stakes are higher than ever.

“It feels Goonies-esque,” Malia says, as a new entourage—including Liamani Segura as the perky Princess Pink and Kiara Romero as the fierce Hazel Hook— treks through Wonderland together. “It’s almost like a road trip movie,” she adds.

The story follows Red and Chloe as they attempt to hide a powerful magical pocket watch inside the Royal Vault. But their plan quickly unravels: Maddox Hatter (Leonardo Nam), now a ruthless villain, is on the hunt for the watch to bend time…and take over Wonderland.

Stepping into her character after almost two years away felt like an IRL twisty time jump. “When I put that Chloe costume back on, I was instantly 15 again,” Malia remembers. “She’s a character that’s so reflective of who I was at the time I was cast. Coming back to her was like a nod to my past self, like, ‘I got you, girl, I’ll make ya proud.’”

While we don’t have an enchanted pocket watch on hand, we’d bet that younger Malia would appreciate how much current Malia has grown from Descendants round one.

“One of the ways that Chloe and I are so different is that she’s a big people pleaser,” she says. “And I like to say I’m a ‘recovering’ people pleaser.” (See: Malia’s bathroom mirror, currently sporting a “You’re human, too!” Post-it note.) “It’s like how, on an airplane, they tell you to put your own mask on before helping others,” she explains. “If you’re not OK to show up for yourself, there’s no way you’re going to be able to do that for other people.”

A self-protective mindset becomes non-negotiable when you’re the subject of the internet’s curiosity—and when those aforementioned fan theories go way beyond just dissecting Descendants Easter eggs.

Malia hints that, since The Rise of Red, “so much has happened” in her personal life. Although she hesitates to say more, it’s not hard to imagine it has something to do with the fact that, as she’s become more famous, there’s also been more speculation about everything from her friendships to her love life.

To protect her peace, she schedules her social posts in advance and avoids reading comments. “I never respond,” she says. “It’s been the greatest tool for keeping my sanity intact.”

Beyond the movie and all its magic, there’s also a future move to L.A. with soon-to-be roomie Momo (“We’re looking for places now! The dream pad would have a hot tub…”) and her ambitions to produce her own film someday soon.

“I love exploring with my camcorder,” she says, showing off the Sony Handycam she totes everywhere. “It’s like a journal, but better. I know I’ll want to remember this time, for real.”

Hey, girl! Just to let you know, this originally ran in our June/July 2026 issue. Read our print mag for *free* today when you click HERE!

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Styled by Coco Emery.
Hair by Kat Thompson.
Makeup by Bobbie Riley.
Photo 1 Outfit: Dress, ASTR the Label. Sunglasses, Sojos. Necklace, Berricle. Enamel bracelet, vintage. Ring and gold bangles, Vieyomn.
Photo 2 Outfit: Dress, ASTR the Label. Shoes, Lulus. Bracelet, Berricle. Necklace, Hnlugf. Rings, Vieyomn.