At the young age of eleven, Madalen Mills is poised to be a star thanks to her lead role in this season’s holiday hit Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. As Journey, a brilliant young girl meeting her inventor grandfather for the first time, Mills is endearing and vibrant. And not just her acting skills are on display in the soon-to-be-classic film—she also sings and dances her way through the movie musical.
In fact, Mills is no stranger to musicals; she got her start in the Broadway tour of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at eight years old and then went on to be on Broadway in School of Rock.
Needless to say, she’s got a ton of talent and we were excited to chat with Madalen about her career, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, and what it was like working with Forest Whitaker.
PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Madalen: Growing up, I would sing and listen to music all of the time. My entire family loves music and the performing arts, so music has been a huge part of my upbringing—however, I never really knew that I wanted to act or dance until I was in first grade and my school did a production of The Jungle Book. The only reason I wanted to audition was because my best friend told me that she was auditioning, so I decided to do it, too. I ended up getting the lead role of Mowgli! During this production is when I realized that this was something that I really loved doing.
PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Madalen: Music has been one of the biggest influences on my career. I started out in musical theater. Additionally, I always try to pick projects/auditions that I know I would enjoy doing, and those decisions have led me to where I am today. Ultimately, I just want to have fun and learn. I have been blessed enough to have enjoyed everything I have done in my career thus far.
PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Madalen: I don’t think that there is a particular moment that stands out when I look back right now. I think that all of my projects have shaped me to become the person that I am today. I think my school and community theater performances helped me to be a better performer professionally, and I believe that my year-long run in School of Rock on Broadway helped prepare me for Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. So, I am very thankful for all of the amazing experiences that have led me to be where I am today.
PC: Tell us about Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Madalen: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is about a toy inventor named Jeronicus Jangle, who loses his creativity and imagination after some bad things happen to him. Then, one day, his granddaughter, Journey, comes to visit him and helps bring back his imagination, creativity, and ability to believe in himself and in his inventions, so he can finish his new invention just in time for Christmas! This movie is filled with magic, wonder, the power of possibilities, and belief…and most importantly, love.
I played the role of Journey, Jeronicus Jangle’s spunky and adventurous granddaughter. She loves to create toys and inventions just like her grandfather.
The script for Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey was truly what drew me to this project. The first time I read the script, I loved how magical, mystical, and joyful it was! I especially loved the character that I was auditioning for because of how similar we both were. Overall, the script, my character, and the amazing messages in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey are what drew me to this incredible project.
PC: This is your film debut. Did anything surprise you about the process? What was the biggest takeaway from the project?
Madalen: When I first started filming Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, I was surprised at how many times I would have to re-do the scenes. Even if Mr. David E. Talbert [director] was happy with the takes, we would have to do the scene again for safety, which is basically like a back-up take if something ever happened to the original. If I had to guess, I probably did at least five to ten takes per scene, maybe even more if the scene was a long one!
My biggest takeaway from this project was to let loose and to continue to be creative with no limitations. I say this because the entire creative team on set and in the recording studio were always full of innovative, creative, interesting ideas, suggestions, and different ways to just spice things up! It was truly inspiring to watch and learn from all of these incredibly talented people.
PC: You’re starring opposite Forest Whitaker. What was that collaboration like? Did he share any words of wisdom?
Madalen: It was so amazing to work with Mr. Forest Whitaker! He is so kind and soft-spoken, and he is so serious about what he does, which is so cool. Mr. Whitaker was always so focused and into his character on set, which also inspired me to try to be a better actress, too. Plus, Mr. Whitaker would play games with me like “Guess the Movie”, and we would even race each other to get to his chair, and I would always win. [laughs]
PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audience’s takeaway?
Madalen: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey has a lot of great themes and messages that audiences might take away. Some of these messages and themes include being yourself, never giving up, the importance of family, love, magic, and hope. I think that these messages are especially important with everything going on in the world right now. Also, I hope that audiences can have a good time while they’re watching this movie, and I hope that everyone will have a Merry Christmas!
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Madalen: Dance Moms! I’ve watched the entire show, all eight seasons, plenty of times, and I could literally binge watch Dance Moms forever!
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Madalen: Definitely The Greatest Showman! I watched this movie a million times when I was in London filming Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey!
PC: Favorite book?
Madalen: Although I’ve read quite a few books this year, Midnight Sun by Ms. Stephenie Meyers is my favorite right now.
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Madalen: My favorite musical is Mean Girls on Broadway! I saw this show and absolutely loved the music, choreography, and acting.
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Madalen: I listen to the Sirius XM Hits 1 channel, where they play pop, R&B, and a little rap. Some of my favorite artists are Billie Eilish, Tones and I, Tate McRae, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, and Khalid.
PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Madalen: I have absolutely no clue, but maybe that would be a good question to ask me later in my life!
To keep up with Madalen, follow her on Instagram. Watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey today.
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