Nearly 16 years after Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), the latest installment of the Camp Rock film series premiered in August 2026, reviving the powerhouse franchise and ushering in a new generation of promising stars. Canadian dancer, content creator, and actress Ella Lucas contributes to the profusion of talent on the Camp Rock 3 set, portraying Danielle, the sidekick to the film’s antagonist, Madison (Ava Jean).
With the franchise’s narrative and composition among her favorite entries in Disney’s young adult catalog, Lucas described how the opportunity to audition came as a complete shock during a Zoom conversation with EnVi. “[The movies] shaped my childhood in a way … I love the message of all the characters being like, ‘This is me,’ or ‘Here I am;’ it tugged on the heartstrings. So when I got the audition, I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ like, ‘There’s no way,’ ’cause I had just watched [the movies] like two months before that.” Throughout the conversation, the highflyer detailed her journey into acting, shared insight into her audition process for Camp Rock 3, and highlighted recent projects.
Conquering Performance in Many Forms
Before learning the ways of screen acting, Lucas spent 15 years mastering gymnastics. Because the sport can require about as many hours as a full-time job, typical obligations such as schooling had to be forfeited. However, despite not having a traditional education experience, Lucas noted that her time as a gymnast gave her the mental attributes that have helped her maintain a steady pace in life, both then and now. “I started [gymnastics] in grade four, so for the majority of my school life, I didn’t do a full day of regular school,” she explained. “I’m not regretful over it; I learned so much. I mean, determination, ambition, I think a lot of the things that I can get through now are because of gymnastics … it made me very mentally strong.”
As Lucas’s mental strength grew, her physical strength gradually declined, leading her to bid farewell to the sport in 2019. Yet her passion for performing didn’t end there. Since childhood, another form of expression close to her heart was dancing. “[It] is something I’ve always done even before I did gymnastics,” she explained. “I was dancing while I was in gymnastics, but it was more for fun. And then in 2019, I was like, ‘I definitely wanna do dance more full time.’ I also knew, ‘If I quit gymnastics and I just have nothing, I’m gonna go crazy.”
Wherever Lucas goes, magic happens. Just a few years after beginning intensive dance training, her first breakthrough came when her dance crew, GRVMNT, earned a Golden Buzzer from YouTuber Lilly Singh on Canada’s Got Talent in 2022. Since then, she has competed in several high-profile competitions, including The World of Dance and Hip Hop International, and further sharpened her skills through conservatory training in New Zealand.
Before turning 20, Lucas was already laying the foundation for a multifaceted career. Shortly after her dancing career took off, the budding multihyphenate began dipping into acting. Although her first on-screen debut was in The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (2018), she earned her first credited role in 2021, appearing as a dancer in the musical drama film The J Team. Since then, Lucas has worked on several productions, including the 2023 Canadian drama film Re: Uniting. However, a three-year standstill unexpectedly followed.
Like her transition into dancing, the decision to fully commit to acting didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it came as a gradual epiphany. “I had done some acting here and there, but I was not taking it super seriously,” she explained. “But [after Re: Uniting] it had been years [since] I had done acting. So Camp Rock really brought me back into it. Being on set … being back in the acting world, I was like, ‘holy shit,’ like, ‘This is really what I wanna do now.’”
While explaining how the pivotal moment came to be, Lucas said the audition process moved faster than it did for her soon-to-be co-stars. While other cast members went through several rounds of auditions to find the perfect fit, Lucas revealed she sent in her self-tape and received an offer within a week. It could have been pure luck, but it’s more likely thanks to impeccable sibling synergy. Within the film’s narrative, Danielle is joined by her counterpart, Daniel, portrayed by Lucas’s real-life brother, Orlando. “To me, the role goes hand-in-hand with Daniel … and [the casting] wanted two people that looked alike, [so] I was like, ‘Well, Orlando, we could do this,” she said. “I know we put out good auditions, but we got the role because of each other, which is really cool. If he wouldn’t have auditioned for Daniel, I probably wouldn’t have gotten Danielle, because it would be hard to find someone that looks like me.”
Camp Rock: A Seedbed for Confidence and Growth
Being on the set of one of her favorite franchises felt like a dream for Lucas, but the experience was further heightened by interactions with inaugural cast members and new faces. When describing the energy of the original cast, Lucas emphasized that they “were so welcoming,” before further explaining: “You know, it’s their franchise. They could easily be like, ‘Oh, this is our movie. We don’t want new people.’ But no, they were like, ‘Please! We wanna pass it down.” As she continued, Lucas said she learned a lot from the original cast, but what stood out most were her exchanges with the Jonas Brothers, who discussed balancing family relationships with show business. “I’m working with my brother going into this industry, so I had really insightful conversations with [them] about working with siblings, which was really cool. [They were] like, ‘It’s a ride. They will be the worst, but also without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.’”
When it came to the newer cast members, Lucas admitted that she was concerned about how interactions would go at first, since most of the cast were in their teens while she was in her early 20s. However, as she spent more time with them, her worries proved unfounded. “Literally, in week one it was established, oh, these kids are so mature, [and] so much fun. And by week two, we’re all best friends. We hang out outside of set all the time … I’m like besties down with these people.”
The respect and admiration for her fellow cast members were palpable as Lucas unreservedly gushed about each of them. She praised Liamani’s angelic voice, commended Malachi Barton for his humility, gave a shout-out to her fellow Canadian Casey Trotter, and expressed awe toward newcomer Hudson Stone, who took on his first acting job with ease. “He handled it so well, too. And now he’s on tour. His life changed so quickly, but he’s the same Hudson … he is a rock star, that kid,” she said before continuing, “And there’s Lumi [Pollack] and Ava [Jean], everyone I worked with was so amazing, and it’s not all the time where a cast gets along, but we genuinely did. There was no drama ever … I feel like it’s a family that we will always stay close to forever.”
Beyond bonding with her on-set family, the rising actress also had the unique opportunity to revisit familiar ground. While discussing some of her favorite filming moments, Lucas said the “Start the Party” dance scene was especially meaningful because she got to work with dancers she grew up with. “It was not only fun to be able to dance with the whole cast, but also dancers that I’ve been best friends with too,” she explained. “I just liked how everyone was in that, and I think the concept was funny, [with] Lark (Sherry Cola) tapping people out, and everyone’s face is like ‘No!’ when they get tapped out.”
Another standout moment for Lucas was the paint fight scene, which she revealed was the last scene shot for the film. After weeks of conventional acting, the cast finally got to let loose during their final few takes, which brought excitement and some chaotic moments. “I think [it] was fun ’cause it actually wasn’t acting. They were like, ‘Just go crazy. Have a paint fight, and throw everything you see.’ I wanted to laugh and smile the whole time. But I was like, ‘Oh, I’m supposed to be, like, a mean girl,’” she said before continuing, “[I remember] one of the takes, I literally slipped in paint, like one of those cartoon banana peel [moments]. It was painful, but it was … No, that day was so much fun.” As much fun as the experience was, the moment was also bittersweet. Once the cameras stopped rolling, reality set in, and a tender exchange of hugs and tears followed before the cast officially parted ways.
The World is Your Oyster
Starring in Camp Rock 3 may have been deeply fulfilling, but Lucas remains ambitious as she moves forward. “As an actor, the beauty of it is you could be so many things. So I just wanna fully embrace it and do it all.” While discussing other endeavors she hopes to pursue, the promising talent mentioned one bucket-list item: working on a horror movie and experiencing all the classic tropes, from the screams to the inevitable falls. Beyond exploring specific genres, Lucas explained that while she still can, she is interested in continuing roles that require younger characteristics, similar to her role in Camp Rock. But of course, as time goes on, she desires to take on more age-appropriate roles. “I think I’m at a place now where I still kind of have a younger vibe, but you know, as I get older, it’d be nice to start getting into more young adult kind of shows,” she says before continuing, “I mean, I’m currently doing that … cannot talk about that at all, but it’s nice getting into an older genre.”
While some of her current projects may be under wraps, there is one recent project to check out right now. Alongside her brother Orlando and dear friend Humuza Bazira, Lucas appeared in the eighth episode of Netflix’s Hollywood Arts (2026), the spin-off series of the teen sitcom Victorious (2010). In the eighth episode, titled “Subway Showdown,” the hip-hop trio dubbed the Blue Dragons gets caught in a heated dance battle with some of Hollywood Arts’ newest students.
Don’t miss out on what Ella Lucas has coming up next! Follow her journey on Instagram and TikTok!
Talent: Ella Lucas | Makeup: Jada Arriola | Hair: Sam Kronstal | Style: Quincy Batke | Style Assistant: Marilyn Iskander | Interview: Ebonie Mustipher | Photography: Cassidy Chen
Looking to discover more promising Gen Z talents? Check out our conversation with the “Best of the Best” cast!
