Meet the newest Disney princess, 'Nutcracker' star Mackenzie Foy: 'She's just an ordinary girl'
Though it originated as a fairy tale from author E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, The Nutcracker is best known for the ballet performances that have borne its name since 1892. The yarn about a girl who discovers a secret world of toy soldiers and mouse kings now gets the Disney motion picture treatment with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
That means 17-year-old Mackenzie Foy, who stars as Clara, is technically our newest Disney princess. In the film version, she enters the eponymous fantasy land where her late mother was its reigning queen, meaning she’s a royal herself.
“What’s really amazing about Clara is she’s just an ordinary girl,” Foy told Yahoo Entertainment when asked what sets Clara apart from others who’ve carried that torch, including new additions like Moana (the filmmakers behind the 2016 animated adventure distanced themselves from the term) and Shuri (Black Panther actress Letitia Wright embraced the idea of becoming part of the pantheon).
“She doesn’t know that she’s a princess until she finds herself in the realms,” continued Foy, who first broke into movies as the young Renesmee, daughter of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) in The Twilight Saga, and has since starred in such films as The Conjuring (2013) and Interstellar (2014).
“And through her experiences I think she really learns what it is to be a princess,” she said. “That it’s not about wearing a crown or sitting on a throne. It’s about being there for the people that you love, and being strong and kind to people. And being able to trust in yourself and listen to others, and not be afraid to have help.”
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is now playing. Watch the trailer:
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