KIARA ROMERO IS
CHANGING THE SCRIPT
As Descendants: Wicked Wonderland introduces Kiara Romero to new audiences, she reflects on her heritage, ambition, and journey.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONNY MARLOW
“WE CAN OFTEN EASILY UPLIFT THE PEOPLE AROUND US AND FORGET TO POUR THAT LOVE INTO OURSELVES.”
KIARA ROMERO, ACTRESS
Kiara Romero’s path to Descendants: Wicked Wonderland started in a dance studio, not on a film set. Before acting became the focus of her career, she trained for years at New York’s prestigious Joffrey Ballet School, where dance first shaped her as a performer. That path eventually led to roles in The Prom, The J Team, and Family Switch. Each project moved her forward, but none carried the reach of her latest role. In Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, Romero plays Hazel Hook, the daughter of Captain Hook, joining one of Disney’s most successful franchises in the biggest role of her career to date.
The role introduces Romero to a global audience through a franchise that continues to resonate with young viewers around the world. For Romero, it’s a chance to become part of a story that has already found a devoted audience while bringing her own interpretation to a new generation of characters.
Romero is taking that momentum on the road as part of Disney’s Worlds Collide Concert Tour, performing alongside fellow stars from Descendants, ZOMBIES, and Camp Rock across arenas in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For Romero, whose career began in dance, the tour represents a return to live performance while introducing her to fans far beyond the screen.
Born and raised in New York, Romero is proud of her Colombian and Puerto Rican roots, which remain an important part of who she is. While Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is introducing her to millions of viewers, her journey has been shaped by years of training, auditions, and a determination to keep growing with every role.
Below, Romero discusses becoming Hazel Hook, the lessons she carries from dance, the importance of her heritage, her experience on the Worlds Collide Concert Tour, and what she hopes this new chapter holds.
“I CAN BE VERY HARD ON MYSELF BUT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS REALLY TAUGHT ME TO TRUST IN MY ABILITIES AND INSTINCTS.”
Before audiences meet Hazel Hook, we’d love to introduce them to Kiara. Who are you beyond the roles you play, and what do you hope people discover about you through this next chapter?
A little bit about me… I was born and raised in New York. I am very proud of where I am from and deeply value my heritage. I’ve had a passion for singing, dancing, and acting for as long as I can remember. I was always so clear about what I wanted to do growing up and I am blessed to have parents that nurtured my dreams. So much of my childhood revolved around working towards my goals. The dance studio was my second home. Anyone who knows me well knows that family is important to me. I remember when I first moved to LA, I was really homesick. I genuinely consider my parents my best friends. I call them every day and I know how lucky I am to have that bond with them.
Random things I enjoy... coffee, traveling, reading, and Letterboxd. I’m trying to watch 100 movies this year. I’m at 62 right now. We’ll see how that goes!
As for what I hope people discover about me through this next chapter, I hope they see that I lead with passion. I will give my all to whatever is in front of me. I love what I do and I hope my work will inspire others.
Dance came before acting for you. When you look back now, what do you think those years gave you that you still carry with you today?
Dance has laid such a strong foundation for me. I had to pour so much of myself into all those years of training and I feel like I can now do the same with acting. Dance taught me the value of discipline and resilience. I try to carry all of those lessons with me onto every set and especially on tour! Little Kiara wouldn’t believe where her hard work and dreams have led her. It all feels very full circle.
Growing up in a Colombian and Puerto Rican family, what’s something your family taught you that you find yourself coming back to today?
Work ethic. My parents led by example. Seeing them work so hard has always impacted me. “Be the hardest worker in the room.” That advice continues to guide me today in every professional setting. I’m grateful they instilled that in me.
Joining the Descendants universe is such a big moment in your career. Has anything about the experience surprised you about yourself?
This experience as a whole has just given me more confidence in myself. During the audition process, I went through five rounds of callbacks and for the last one I had to sing in front of all the executives. I hadn’t sung in front of anyone since middle school, so to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I chose to sing “Creep” by Radiohead even though that wasn’t necessarily the type of song they asked for. I trusted my intuition and clearly it was the right decision. I am genuinely proud of all the work I did in bringing Hazel Hook to life and I don’t have enough kind words for how Disney has embraced me into the family. I can be very hard on myself, but this experience has really taught me to trust in my abilities and instincts.
“LITTLE KIARA WOULDN’T BELIEVE WHERE HER HARD WORK AND DREAMS HAVE LED HER. IT ALL FEELS VERY FULL CIRCLE.”
As your career continues to grow, so do the expectations that come with it. How do you stay grounded and protect your sense of self through it all?
Surrounding myself with good people is everything. When things start to feel overwhelming, I have an amazing group of friends in my life that help ground me and can remind me of who I am outside of my work.
You’re performing across North America on Disney’s Worlds Collide tour. What are you most looking forward to when you step onto the stage each night?
How could I pick one thing?! It still feels surreal to be on tour. I am looking forward to it all… sharing the joy I have for performing, looking out and seeing my family, connecting with all the fans, seeing kids dressed up as their favorite characters (Hazel), the list goes on and on. Everyone I share the stage with is so talented! I can’t wait for you all to see what we’re doing.
Success can look different at every stage of life. As you begin this new chapter, what does success mean to you today?
Success to me right now is enjoying this moment and celebrating all the years my parents poured into me to be living out my dreams. To think they will go from watching me perform dances I made up in our living room to arenas?! It’s unreal. There is so much more I want to achieve in my career and I know how I define success will continue to change over time but for now, I want to take this in. Booking Descendants and being a part of the Worlds Collide Concert Tour specifically feels like a culmination of all the hard work I put in growing up. It’s like oh so this is what it was all for. It truly is special.
If a young girl reading this interview is quietly chasing a dream of her own, what would you want her to remember on the days she begins to doubt herself?
To remember to speak kindly to yourself. It is so important how you talk to yourself daily. Someone once told me you should talk to yourself the way you would talk about your best friend. We can often easily uplift the people around us and forget to pour that love into ourselves. Never let anyone discourage you from dreaming big, not even your own inner critic in your head.
