Sofia Carson Talks About Feeling Pressured to Appear More Attractive or Trendy in the Entertainment Industry

Sofia Carson‘s rise to fame began with her breakout role on Disney Channel, where she quickly became a fan favorite. She made her debut in 2014 with a guest-starring role on the popular series “Austin & Ally,” playing Chelsea, a confident and ambitious character.

Her major breakthrough came in 2015 when she was cast as Evie, the fashion-savvy daughter of the Evil Queen, in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Descendants.” The film, directed by Kenny Ortega, became a massive success, introducing Sofia to a global audience.

As Sofia Carson’s star continues to rise, she is reflecting on the challenges of staying true to herself while navigating life in the spotlight.

Sofia Carson recently attended her PEOPLE StyleWatch shoot in Los Angeles. With over a decade in the spotlight, Carson has perfected the art of commanding attention. “I love creating a moment out of every time I step onto a carpet,” she shared.

Wearing a dramatic caped dress and towering Christian Louboutin heels, the 31-year-old actress, singer, and dancer leaped effortlessly into the air as the photographer snaps the perfect shot.

“I’ve always gravitated towards anything that feels timeless and elegant,” she said of her fashion sense and style choices. “Audrey Hepburn has always been my guiding light in terms of everything regarding fashion and style. So I always, always gravitate towards timeless, elegance, chic.”

However, growing up in Hollywood, Sofia said it was harder to navigate the fashion expectations. “The second that you step in front of a camera, you learn a whole lot about what suits you, and also about what you feel most like yourself in,” she explained. “For a long time it wasn’t cool to lean toward elegant and timeless, and I was always asked to be sexier or be cooler, whatever that meant,” she says of her penchant for ball gowns over bodycon dresses. “And [my glam team and I] never did, because it just wasn’t me.”

She added, “There is such power in embracing absolute femininity and I love being able to do that often.”

Sofia Carson has dazzled fans with her own Disney magic, but which Disney Princess does she hold closest to her heart?

“My favorite Disney princess was always Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast,'” she revealed. “Growing up, I think she was the first one that I felt looked like me because she was a brunette. And she always had her nose buried in a book and she wasn’t chasing after a prince, and I felt very seen by that as a young independent woman. So Belle was always my favorite.”

Nine-year-old Riley asked Sofia for advice on how to manage stage nerves, saying, “Because I’m a dancer too.”

“What gives me ease is preparing as much as possible, rehearsing with my coach so that everything becomes a part of my muscle,” the actress said. “So when I get onstage, butterflies will always kick in, but when you have control of your muscle, it won’t affect you as much, but recently I was just shooting a movie in London and I had to go straight from that into a couple of very big performances with Andrea Bocelli and I was just a wreck for a few days.”

“And the only thing that I did to help myself was to just lean into rehearsing as much as possible,” Sofia added. “But I think it’s a beautiful thing to have nerves because I think it means that you’re just so absolutely passionate about what you do, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. I think it was Emma Stone who talked about the power of anxiety and using it as a superpower. And I myself have anxiety and thinking of it in that way has been really empowering.”

When speaking on her friendship with her “Descendants” co-stars, Dove Cameron, BooBoo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce, Sofia revealed they are “bonded for life after what we experienced.”

“Filming ‘Descendants’ was a fairy tale. It was a dream come true in every sense,” she revealed. “And we reunite every year together for [the Cam for a Cause] gala to support The Cameron Boyce Foundation.”

Cameron Boyce tragically passed away on July 6, 2019, at the age of 20. His death was due to a sudden seizure caused by epilepsy, a condition he had been managing privately.