In the 2024 Disney release of Descendants: The Rise of Red, Peder Lindell plays Morgie alongside a cast including Kylie Cantrall (Red) and Malia Baker (Chloe), with whom he attended the red carpet premiere and the D23 Expo. Peder has filmed for the short film Scraps as Gus Shepard, with Dorian Giordano as Bridger Owens, and it’s just had a YouTube release and the feature is set for production this summer. Further upcoming work for Peder includes the short film Kilter as Marshall, and Blue Check, in which he will be starring as Elliot. For the past three years, Peder has been training at Loyola Marymount University for a degree in Theatre Arts, and as a theatre actor, he performed in Gypsy in 2016 at the Pantages Theatre. Alongside his acting career, Peder will be starting an interview/podcast series soon, where guests will be joining him on his plane. We talked to Peder about playing Morgie in Descendants: The Rise of Red for Disney, the short film Scraps and his theatre career.

On screen, you’ve most recently been seen in Descendants: The Rise of Red, how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role of Morgie and you’d be filming for a major Disney release?

It was an incredible feeling. I think at the time I didn’t quite know the significance of what I just booked. I was rolling in a wave of shock and excitement, which was followed by something to the extent of, “so what happens now?”.

How much did you know about Descendants before auditioning for the new film and how was it meeting and working with the rest of the cast, which includes Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker?

I knew a lot actually! I vividly remember sitting on my parents’ bed with my sister watching the first film – seeing Rotten to The Core for the first time. I remember having this feeling, and I think this is a feeling many actors get, a feeling of watching a performance and thinking, ‘wow, I could really do this’, or maybe more ‘wow, I really want to do this!’. At that time, it seemed like such an unattainable possibility, but it did happen and I am so lucky to have been given the chance to be a part of such a major franchise. Perhaps the part most viewers look past as the best part of this moviemaking process is the people you get to know. The cast of this film has become my family, working with and meeting them was the just beginning of something so beautiful – love them.

Can you tell us about Descendants: The Rise of Red and your character Morgie, and what was the character like to play?

Morgie is the son of the Arthurian sorceress Morgana le Fay. He’s a VK (Villain Kid) with a love for all things extra wicked. Bringing Morgie to life was so much fun as he is an entirely new character. There was little defined roadmap as to exactly what he had to be. I got to really make the role my own and that was really special.

How did you find the experience on set of the film and what was it like performing the music and choreography?

Looking back on it now, it was all a fever dream! Everyone throughout the cast and crew was dedicated to creating something great, which is the best atmosphere to have on a set. Getting to sing and dance every day for work is really what any theatre kid could ask for.

Do you have any favourite memories from your time filming as Morgie for Descendants: The Rise of Red that you can share?

I really look most fondly back on the time we spent together as a cast sharing Valentine’s Day together, watching the Super Bowl, watching movies, getting food, going to the city, and so much more. Some of my favourite memories from working on set were with the stunt team as they were a group of such kind and fun people – also my type of people; I love a little action and stunts.

What was it like attending the red carpet premiere in July and the D23 Expo in August?

The red carpet was electric! It was great to reconnect with co-stars and crew I hadn’t seen since filming. My favourite part was watching the film and hearing all the reactions from the audience; it was really special to see your work appreciated firsthand. The D23 Expo was sensational! It was amazing to have so many Disney legends in one place. Getting the chance to perform in front of an entire stadium full of thousands and thousands of fans was breathtaking – definitely one to remember.

You have filmed for the upcoming short film Kilter as Marshall, what can you tell us about this?

It is a fantastic new project I joined onto last summer. It is a coming of age horror film about the physical monster created from the silence around mental health in the 1990s. We wrapped production last fall and is in post now. It’s set to do a festival circuit over the next year and then get released sometime afterwards!

How was it working on the short film Scraps as Gus Shepard and filming opposite Dorian Giordano as Bridger Owens?

Scraps has to be one of the most impactful films I have been a part of. Knowing how important the story became to me during production, while now seeing how it is affecting all of the fans who have waited so long for the release, has been so, so special. The short was just released on YouTube and the feature is set for production this summer. Dorian was one of the many great people I got to work with on set, filming opposite him was comforting, stimulating, and fun!

How would you describe your character and how was it telling the Scraps story?

Gus is a new to town teenage artist from Minnesota living in Montana for the summer. Although perceived initially as shy and reserved, there is much more to him than he even knows, as he soon finds himself enamored with skateboarding, skate culture, and skateboarders, he begins a summer of love, adventure, and self-discovery. Telling the Scraps story has been an honour as it is filled with true stories from the director and writer’s lives, making it so much more real to everyone who embraces the film. It’s a gay skateboarding movie set in the early 2000s in a world where being gay, being a skateboarder, or both, were not readily accepted in the world, let alone small town Montana.

We understand you have also worked in theatre, can you say about some of the shows you have been part of, and about training at Loyola Marymount University?

One of my fondest memories of working on stage was my second acting job ever. This was back in 2016 with Gypsy at the Pantages Theatre; I always look back on that run as the defining moment in my life that inspired me to continue as an actor! Since then, I’ve been so lucky to be a part of so many wonderful productions, even a couple of world premieres. My favourite being The Boy and Robin Hood where I got to star in and help bring a new theatre company to life – Trademark Theater – they are doing fantastic work in Minneapolis. Now for the past three years, I’ve been training at Loyola Marymount University and just graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts. My favourite production from LMU has to be the pop opera Bare where I got to play the role of Jason, if you are familiar!

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I’m not sure exactly where it came from, but I do know there is nothing else in life that could truly feed my soul the way acting does. It is a world opened through vulnerability where there is no room to be embarrassed; through this art form I’ve found vivid self-discovery, healing, confidence, and positivity. I started ages ago and I have been acting for as long as I can remember. I began performing in opera as an extension of singing in choir, which led to musical theatre, plays, and more. From there, I learned how to work on screen and am continually enjoying the process. I think my next project will be some feature film or a Broadway show and I can’t wait to find out!

What are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

Top three films go as follows: 1. Interstellar 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King 3. Spirited Away. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway has always impressed me (I’d love to play Albus), likewise to Wicked, and Alice By Heart has an incredible cast recording. I recently watched the TV show Shogun and was really impressed, but How I Met Your Mother is my go-to binge show to watch when I’m bored!

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I’m a bit of a thrill seeker, always searching for a cool spot to skydive, scuba dive, or climb! I also love to escape and fly planes with my friends and family.

How was it being a guest at the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere alongside your Descendants co-stars?

It was so cool to attend an event that was so special! The rest of my cast and I all grew up on the original series and it was a great night celebrating the incredible work David Henrie, Selena Gomez, and many others brought back to life!

Have you been given any advice over your career so far that has stuck with you?

Do the audition and forget about it. Wendy Lehr taught me that one. This has been the best piece of advice I received and return to consistently. I believe a career as an actor is long and is filled with rejection; there’s no point dwelling on what may never be, instead focus on what could.

Do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about and what are you hoping 2025 brings?

Keep your eyes on the horizon for the Kilter release, check out Scraps now, and follow along for the full feature film this summer! Blue Check is another film I starred in which is currently in post production. The story follows my character Elliot as he is wrapped up in the music industry and soon figures out his idols aren’t everything he thought in a thriller music industry film.

Besides those, soon I will start filming on a new interview/podcast series where guests will join me in the skies and fly with me in my plane. I’m workshopping the title, either Inflight Interviews or Conversations in The Clouds. What do you all think?

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