Dove Cameron understands that being called “too much” often just means being forced to dim your light for others. Name-calling is one of the oldest power-plays in the book: It’s just as cutting in the boardroom as it was on the playground, but since it never causes physical harm, it’s easily dismissed. And while we all know the “sticks and stones” rhyme, anyone who’s been called a bitch or a slut (or stuck with any label she doesn’t identify with) understands just how damaging name-calling can be. In Mislabeled, Glamour talks to some of the most interesting women we know about the role name-calling or labels played in their pasts—and how it’s shaped the women they are today.
Identity versus the self is a concept Dove Cameron is intimately familiar with. In May the actor and singer posted emotional images to Instagram that laid bare her struggle with depression and dysphoria, asked questions about what it means to find your worth, and explored the conflicting idea of balancing who you appear to be with who you truly are. “We all deserve a life unburdened by the societally created identity, we all deserve to unlearn self-abuse and self-hatred,” she wrote. “I am on that journey now, and I’m sharing so that we may all feel more comfortable in a conversation that may be confusing, and we may navigate something that feels difficult to put to words, together.”
Vulnerability and self-awareness are traits the 26-year-old has become known for among her fans, especially having come out as “super queer” in 2020 and releasing a provocative music video for her pop song “Boyfriend,” which was swiftly hailed as a queer anthem, one that ushered in a side of Cameron that was rarely seen.
At 26 years old, Cameron has a career that’s, frankly, pretty remarkably in its diversity. It’s not often you see such a young actor excel at genres as varied as children’s programming (Disney Channel’s comedy series Liv and Maddie, for which she picked up a Daytime Emmy), musical theater (NBC’s Hairspray Live!; off-Broadway’s adaptation of Clueless; and a stint as Clara in the London production of The Light in the Piazza), animation and action (Marvel Rising; Descendants), and heartfelt drama (Netflix’s Dumplin, alongside Jennifer Aniston). And that doesn’t count her alternate career as a genuine pop star.
But with success often comes inner turmoil and apparent free rein for the public to say and write what they please, accuracy be damned. Here, we talk to Cameron about blocking out the noise, being a young woman in Hollywood, the role she wanted and didn’t get, and more.
Glamour: When you were young, was there a label that you were given that you now feel is actually a mislabel?
Dove Cameron: “Intense,” “fiery,” and “too much” were my labels as a child that made me feel like I had to dim my light for others to feel comfortable around me. It took me until recently to realize what those labels usually mean: “too much for me to keep up with,” or “by comparison, I feel less than, so I’m going to make you feel like you are too much.”
When I was first working as a teenager, I got to a point where I greatly diminished who I was so I could fit in and not overwhelm peers or adults I worked with, as well as the growing audience around me. I felt like I was then labeled “stupid,” “bubbly,” “shallow,” when, in fact, the reality was that I had gone to such great lengths to hide my intensity, my emotion, my trauma, and my intelligence as to not threaten or upset anyone around me, that I just ended up as someone or something that was the farthest thing from who I was.
I had done everything I could to stay safe, make everyone happy, that I ended up more miserable than ever. I think the lesson here is: Honor yourself and do everything you can for yourself and your growth, find your people as soon as you can, and have firm boundaries. Judgment from other people is their own insecurity being projected. Don’t buy what they’re selling.
As you’ve grown into a public figure, what’s something you’ve seen written or said about you that made you uncomfortable or genuinely surprised you in its nonaccuracy?
I’ve seen a lot written about me, 99% of which is inaccurate. Pretty typical stuff: “a diva” on set, “mentally unwell,” assuming things about how I behave as a professional or a partner. It’s a surprise because people will come up with these lengthy stories claiming to have witnessed something in my work environment, and it’s behavior that is so out of character for me—and that would literally never be tolerated on a set from anyone, even if they were the lead in a franchise.
There are a lot of misconceptions about Hollywood when really, sets are as much a workplace as an office building, and I am as much an employee of these studios as other employees at other jobs. I am perpetually on time, social, and I always stay later than I have to because I love my job and I love humans. So, that’s always been funny for me to read.
We always ask the talent we interview this question and have gotten some really interesting answers: Was there ever a role you really wanted but didn’t get?
I was supposedly close to booking [2010 Western drama] True Grit back when I was 13 or so. There have been others over the course of my 14 years in the industry, but that was my first big heartbreak.
Do you feel your gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality has ever memorably hindered you from a job, an opportunity, or a promotion? How?
I don’t feel that my race or ethnicity has ever hindered me considering I'm someone for whom the scales have historically been tipped in gross favor of, and I recognize this privilege. It’s yet to be seen if my sexuality affects much of the roles I book, as I’ve only publicly been out for a year or so. I would say my gender has affected how people treat me, as opposed to losing opportunities. I’ve definitely been treated with less respect or diminished or taken advantage of as a woman in the industry, lots of trauma from being a young, sexualized female growing up on camera, lots of harassment. But none that I’m ready to talk about publicly.
You’re extremely natural and charming in musical projects like Hairspray Live!, Descendants, the off-Broadway production of Clueless. Is Broadway a goal?
I love combining music and drama and acting, but I find that impulse fulfilled in my recording career these days more than onstage in a role. I’ve really found myself in my own music, and I’ve realized that was a lot of what I was looking for in musical theater. I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of stage work in my young career, but I’m not sure Broadway is part of my dream anymore. If I were to go back to the stage, I think I would pursue a straight play above a musical, as I enjoy separating straight acting from my recording career. I’ve found such a home in both, and I think the separation has become important to me.
When does criticism most bother you?
Only when I’m burnt out or when I feel like I don’t have enough of myself. I’ve personally reached the point in my life where I know who I am and who I am not, so anyone’s view of me, accurate or skewed, positive or negative, doesn’t affect my day-to-day. My private life is private, and my public life is only a small sliver of who I am. When I start to be bothered by criticism or hate, it’s usually because I feel like I don’t know where my center is anymore, and it’s a great indicator that I need to take a day and tap back into my connection with myself and re-up my discipline around my personal boundaries.
Do you have a habit or routine that helps you hit “reset” mentally when you start doubting yourself?
Space. I am a true introvert and I reset with quiet, lack of stimuli, energetic boundaries, stillness, alone time. I usually turn off all my lights at night, light all the candles and open up all the doors and windows and listen to the city sounds while I lie naked on my wooden floors. Stretching, writing, meditating, anything that clears the energetic cobwebs. It doesn’t take much, but it’s absolutely crucial. I usually come out of these six-hour breaks having written 10 poems and solving three big issues and having released some physical ailment.
What’s the song you play when you need to snap out of a bad mood?
Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is a great one. I find levity to be the thing that reminds that me nothing matters. We’re all going to die. Might as well laugh. I need music and television and poetry that reminds me how silly it is to take any of this seriously. I also love intense music, some metal, dubstep, anything that mimics a wall of sound effects. “Internet Friends” by Knife Party, “Zombie” by Black Tiger Sex Machine, “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us” by Sparks. Noise and intensity. My issue tends to be that I need to get out of my head and into my body.
What do you wear when you want to feel your most confident?
All black, covered head to toe, huge boots, my black trench that touches the floor, hair slicked into a low bun, sunglasses on, and noise-canceling headphones.
As we know, sleep is incredibly important, and it’s not always easy to get. What are the products or routines you rely on for a truly good night’s sleep?
Melatonin and magnesium are my best friends. I’m a terrible sleeper. I also love the Headspace app!
What's your favorite low-stakes treat after a productive day?
I’m a chocolate-covered strawberry girl. I love macarons, but those are a once-a-week, tops, kind of treat for me. I like a bit of bougieness, something you can experience rather than just inhale. The act of melting chocolate and dipping it and drizzling different things on it feels like care, rather than just indulgence. Bubble baths!
What’s your standard email sign off?
I tend to tell everyone I love them as a sign off, but if that feels inappropriate, I tend to go with “best,” as it feels like the perfect balance.
