Born in Botswana but raised in Vancouver, Canada, Malia Baker made her acting debut in “Hope at Christmas,” a TV film she was not credited with.
“I was an extra,” she told BET. “This one girl got a pink eye, and thank God she did, because I was chosen to fill in for her. And there I was, two lines in. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, thought it was gonna be my big break. It was not. But my kindergarten teacher came up to me afterward, and she said, ‘I saw you in the Hallmark movie,’ which was just so sweet.”
Baker said her mother gave her a one-year deadline to find a bigger gig in order to continue with her acting career, or she would have to assist her with other errands.
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“It’s because she’s a single mom,” 17-year-old Baker explained to BET. “I have a younger sister and we were both doing a ton of activities. The city was an hour away and that’s where all the auditions were held.”
Her hard work eventually paid off. In 2020, she starred as Mary Anne Spier in season one of “The Baby-Sitters Club” on Netflix. She returned to the second season of the show before its cancellation.
Also, she starred in season 2 of Nickelodeon’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?’s” second revival series and the Lifetime TV movie “Caught in His Web.” Baker’s latest movie is the Disney+ musical fantasy “Descendants: The Rise of Red” released this month.
In the movie, the daughters of the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella travel back in time to prevent a coup in Auradon Prep. Baker worked alongside Brandy, who she describes as a fan. She also worked with Paolo Montalban.
“I played Chloe Charming. I’m the daughter of ‘Cinderella,’ played by Brandy, and Prince Charming, played by Paolo Montalban,” Baker said. “She’s a people pleaser. She’s a perfectionist. She’s learning a lot about herself. She’s blue until the day she dies. She loves glitter and playing sports. She learns a lot throughout the entire film about who she is, and how she defines black and white and what’s good and what’s wrong. I think a lot of kids can look up to her because I know I have, as I’ve gotten to know her better over the years.”
Baker turned down the audition for Descendants: The Rise of Red twice because she didn’t think she had what was needed for that role. “My younger sister got so mad at me for turning the first two down that she was like, ‘You need to do this. This is the thing that I’ll think you’re cool for,’” Baker told Teen Vogue.
Before landing the role, her casting process included a catalog of songs she had to sing on video and a Zoom chemistry test with co-lead Kylie Cantrall. And to play Chloe (Cinderella’s daughter), Baker said she rewatched Cinderella many times.
“The joy of playing Chloe is that there’s never been a daughter of Cinderella before, so I had so much creative freedom with the people that helped me form and mold her into who she is,” said the Disney star.
