Leonardo Nam never expected to sing in a Disney movie. In fact, the actor was once convinced that singing professionally simply was not in his future.
Now, Nam is commanding the screen with his villainous musical number “Mad” in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, streaming on Disney+.
The fifth installment in the hit franchise follows Red and Chloe as they confront the consequences of traveling through time and venture deeper into Wonderland. Waiting for them is a newly villainous Maddox Hatter, played by Nam alongside returning cast members Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Brandy and Rita Ora.
For Nam, stepping into the franchise meant embracing a darker side of Maddox while confronting one of his own biggest fears.
From Choir Dropout to Disney Singer
“I was kicked out of choir as a kid, and so I definitely had reservations about ever singing in public,” Nam told Gayety.
A particularly difficult musical audition later reinforced his belief that singing was not for him. When he joined the Descendants franchise, Nam even confirmed with his agent that his role would not require it.
“This is the one role that doesn’t require singing. They just want the actor,” Nam recalled being told. “And I thought, great, I can do that.”
That changed when Maddox became the central villain of Wicked Wonderland and was given his own song. Nam said he was terrified before entering the recording studio and worried the creative team might reconsider his role after hearing him sing.
“I’ve never been, frankly, more scared in my life than before I was going in to record the song,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh, for sure, I’m going to get fired.’”
With support from the film’s creative team, Nam pushed through the fear. But it wasn’t until he saw the audience’s reaction at the premiere and the enthusiastic response online that he finally believed the compliments he had been receiving.
“I was like, ‘Oh, no, they weren’t lying. It’s actually OK. People like it,’” he said. “I felt like that Sally Field moment. They like me. They really, really like me.”
His co-star Brandy, who returns as Mother Cinderella, also offered some encouragement for any future musical performances.
“Brandy says to me, when I explained to her how nervous I was, ‘Leo, just call me next time. I will help you. I will essentially coach you through it,’” Nam recalled. “I was like, ‘How sweet is she? How lovely is that?’”
Nam joked that he plans to take her up on it.
“Ms. Brandy, I’m going to call you next.” I’d have her on speed dial if that was me.
Finding Freedom in a Disney Villain
In addition to taking on a new song, Nam explored a darker side of Maddox in the film. The character’s villainous transformation gave him the freedom to dig into the anger, isolation and longing hidden beneath Maddox’s theatrical exterior. Rather than treating him as simply a new threat to Red and Chloe, Nam found humanity in an outsider searching for a place to belong.
“I think one of the reasons why people love villains is because villains are always searching for a place to belong,” he explained. “It comes out in this strange, rageful, mad, crazy, darker side.”
That feeling of being on the outside connected with Nam’s own experiences. Born in Argentina to Korean immigrant parents and raised in Australia, Nam grew up navigating several cultures while also discovering his queer identity.
“I grew up in Argentina, then Australia, and grew up looking the way that I do, and being someone that is queer,” he said. “I’ve always found ways, and I think so many people will resonate with this, to fill in the cracks for other people because you want to keep the peace.”
Playing a villain allowed him to throw that instinct away.
“Being a villain, you get to just be like, ‘Nah, it doesn’t matter about filling the cracks. I’m going to break the cracks,’” he said.
Nam brought those feelings into Maddox’s larger-than-life performance, including his opportunity to sing from a chandelier and unapologetically tell everyone “how bad” he is.
A Family Moment He Will Never Forget
While playing Maddox offered Nam a chance to embrace his theatrical side, attending the premiere with his husband and two sons gave the project an even deeper meaning.
“I never thought growing up that I would be a father, be married,” Nam said. “I’m so grateful that I can, and I can share it with my kids.”
During the screening, Nam turned toward his family as his musical number played on the screen.
“I looked at my husband and my two kids. I’ve got two boys, and I could just see the movie reflecting in their eyes,” he recalled. “I just thought to myself, ‘Right, Leo, remember this moment.’”
Nam also intentionally brought his entire family to the premiere, recognizing that simply being visible could resonate with other LGBTQ+ families.
“It was important for me that I stepped out with my whole family because it was important, I think, to see that exposure out there for everyone in the community,” he said. “I’m really glad and proud that, as a family, we’re able to do that.”
His children are now old enough to ask questions about his marriage and the period when same-sex marriage was not legally recognized across the United States. Nam and his husband recently celebrated their 12th anniversary.
“We’re having these conversations now, which I really, really appreciate,” he said.
For an actor who once struggled to imagine marriage, fatherhood or a place where all parts of his identity could coexist, Wicked Wonderland became more than another franchise role. It allowed Nam to bring his work and family together in a story about outsiders, belonging and second chances.
“To find that not only at home in my own life, but then also the marriage of it in work, where my family is there celebrating the work that I’m in that is about family and second chances,” he said, “it was just such a wonderful, wonderful moment for me.”
Beyond Wonderland
Outside of Descendants, Nam is continuing to explore new genres. He recently wrapped The Rift, a short film directed by Michael Lei that marks his return to science fiction six years after his role in HBO’s Westworld. He is also working on A Vintage Crime, a film about the largest wine heist in FBI history.
Behind the camera, Nam recently launched Good On Ya Productions to develop globally minded, character-driven stories. One of those projects is a deeply personal film inspired by his experience building a family through surrogacy.
“That journey really solidified for me what it means for me to be part of a family and what that journey of a family really entails, and that love is the stitch that binds that,” Nam said. “It’s a very personal story, but there are other stories out there that I’m also championing and amplifying.”
Disney’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland is now streaming.