HM #23 – Interview Kayden Muller-Janssen

Retrouvez l'interview VF dans HypnoMag #22, pages 4 à 7.

1. You are a member cast of The Villains of the Valley View, a comedy broadcast on Disney Channel and Disney+. Can you tell us about this this series of “super-villains”? 
The Villains of Valley View is about a family of super villains that are on the run from the biggest Villain of all. They end up in a little town called Valley View to hide out. During their stay in this new town, the Madden family meets Hartley who is played by me. Hartley is their super friendly and energetic neighbor that cares for everyone, including the new villain family next door. As the Madden family is settling in, they are trying to learn how to become a normal family while staying true to their villain ways with the help of Hartley.

2. You play Havoc’s best friend Hartley, who meets you as she arrives with her family in Texas under a new identity “Amy”. The entire Madden family must hide their powers and become “normal” so as not to arouse suspicion. Do you have anything in common with your character and her friendship with Amy?
Hartley reminds me of my younger self so much. She is very bubbly, outgoing, and just an overall people person. I have always been that way since I was a kid. The relationship between Hartley and Amy is almost identical to me and my best friend, Isabella. We clicked really well after meeting and the chemistry was just there. That’s why I think it’s so easy for us to play these characters and show their friendship with ours shining through.

3. After the success of the first season, the series was quickly renewed for a season 2. What can you tell us about filming this season and discovering the adventures that await the characters for the new season?
The end of Season 1 leaves off with a pretty big cliffhanger. It left a lot of people very excited to see what’s going to happen next. With that being said, Season 2 is filled with many more interesting stories. There are more villain fights, stunts, chaos, overall crazy adventure, and character development.

4. Can you tell us about a memorable moment behind the scene with Isabella Pappas, Lucy Davis, and James Patrick Stuart? 
I have many memorable moments behind the scenes with my cast. They are like family to me. Lucy is so funny, she is always cracking jokes in between scenes. She is such an outgoing woman and always has me laughing. James is so great to work with. He is also very funny with his jokes. I do have one memory that really sticks out and is probably my favorite. When Isabella and I were doing a scene, I was supposed to move forward but I tripped over my own feet and fell on the floor. Everyone thought it was really funny so they were all laughing.

5. Hiding her identity and talents reminds me of another Disney Channel series, Hannah Montana. You are also a singer, did you watch the series or other Disney series that inspired you? 
I grew up as a Disney kid. Hannah Montana was absolutely my favorite show growing up. I also loved That’s So Raven and Wizards of Waverly Place. I wanted to be a singer before I was an actress. Seeing Miley Cyrus play a character that was living in two different worlds was so inspiring to me as a kid. I always looked up to her and felt like I related to her character. One day I’d be going to school and hanging out with my friends at home. The next day I’d be on a plane to LA, going across the country for auditions and studio sessions.

6. You are a singer and songwriter under the name of Kayden and you released your first EP Unraveled where everybody can discover some of your musical tracks. Why is singing important to you in conjunction with your acting career? 
Singing was my first love before I even discovered acting. When I realized I could do both, I knew I was where I was meant to be. Although, singing is more personal to me. When you’re acting, you play a character, whether it’s fiction or portraying someone else. Your personality can shine through of course, but it is not as personal to me as my music. Songwriting and singing has always been an outlet for me to express my feelings and emotions. The careers go well together, especially in case my character has a singing part in a film too.

7. You recently finished filming Classmates, alongside Anjelica Bette Fellini. Can you tell us about this project which is again about switching identities? 
Classmates was such a blast to film. The characters that Anjelica and I play have a really funny dynamic. They are completely opposites, but somehow find a way to relate to each other and become good friends. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say there are some crazy and funny things that happen throughout the film. Good memories that I most definitely won’t forget were made during filming.

8. Do you have any future projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I have a few things in the works right now. I have a couple singles coming out in the next few months as well as an album. Hopefully after that I will be touring. I also have a few other acting projects coming together that I am excited to share more about soon.

9. Have you ever been to France? What would you like to say to your French-speaking fans?
Bonjour! I would love to come to France someday. I hope it’s soon, it is absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to come explore. I would love to perform as well, maybe I’ll be touring so I can do a meet and greet. The only time I have been to France is when I was three months old. I don’t have any memory of the trip, but my mother said she took me to the Eiffel Tower.

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Credits:
Photographer: Tim Schaeffer Photography @timschaefferphoto
Hair: Matilde Campos @tildebymatilde 
Makeup: Anton Khachaturian @antonmakeup             
Stylist: Honey Ayala @everybodywantshoney
Gold Pants: Andre Emery @andreemeryofficial