Lady and The Tramp on Disney Plus – Interviews with the Leading Ladies

So now that my secret set visit to the set of Lady and The Tramp is out, I can share my interview with Yvette Nicole Brown and Kiersey Clemons, the leading ladies in the film. 

Yvette Nicole Brown plays Aunt Sarah, and she expressed to us how difficult this role is for her because she absolutely loves dogs, yet ironically she’s playing someone who is far from a dog lover. 

Yvette Nicole Brown is just hilarious! She has the best attitude and is equal parts sweet and sassy, just like a Latina I know LOL

Kiersey Clemons plays Darling, Jim Dear’s wife, and Lady’s owner. Even though it’s definitely not true to the era, like the set and the costumes, I love that they are an interracial couple!

The relationship between Kiersey Clemons and Yvette Nicole Brown is dynamic and beautiful. They were telling us that when they first met, they did a lot of shopping together.

From the first time I saw her, I’m like ‘she could be part of my family,’ so we bonded immediately.

They (Kiersey Clemons and Thomas Mann) walk with a gratitude and an understanding of the blessing that they have, and that will carry through the rest of your career. If you start with that, you finish like that. It’s a blessing. It’s all a blessing.

Yvette Nicole Brown and Kiersey Clemons were talking about how much they love the sets and working with Thomas Mann (Jim Dear), and just how grateful they are to be in this amazing Disney film.

I especially loved when Yvette Nicole Brown talked about her roots from East Cleveland and how she never expected to end up here.

Everything I get is such a step beyond anything I ever dreamed of. So for me, I don’t ever wanna be the weak link, you know what I mean? I wanna bring some joy; I wanna
bring some laughter; I want everybody to have a good time; I wanna have a good time with you guys because I’m already beyond anything a kid from East Cleveland is ever supposed to been able to do. Of course I’m excited to be here. This is amazing.

We also inquired about the most difficult thing about their roles. For Yvette, it’s corsets. LOL She said they were so uncomfortable you could barely sit comfortably.

 Kiersey Clemons said that carrying a baby was a new experience for her in Lady and The Tramp, and her arms were so sore from carrying the tiny being. I can attest to that, they are little, yet heavy, bundles of joy!

We asked Kiersey Clemons and Yvette Nicole Brown about how they got cast from the roles. Kiersey Clemons didn’t even know it was for Lady and The Tramp!

I assumed it was a general meeting… two months later I got a call, about doing Lady and the Tramp.

Yvette Nicole Brown, on the other hand, was given a breakdown of the audition and her character Aunt Sarah. She was not thrilled, at first, about it. 

They said that she hates dogs, and I said, well, I can’t do it. I’m like, I can’t pretend that I don’t like dogs. I love them. And I also take care of my dad. He has dementia, and so when I found that they were shooting in Savannah, I’m like, I can’t do it. I’m in L.A. I can’t do it.

My mom said, it’s Lady and the Tramp; it’s Disney; you’ll
get to be on set with dogs; you’re going to the audition. And so I went to the audition, and it was one of the best auditions I ever had.

 Kiersey Clemons and Yvette Nicole Brown said they didn’t have any secrets to acting, that they were just ‘winging it’ out here and doing the best they could to write this love letter for Disney. They spoke of how they love the diversity and representation that’s been added to Lady and The Tramp, how everyone is welcome. We all got a bit teary.

We also got to stay in the same hotel in Savannah with Yvette Nicole Brown and Kiersey, which was a really special experience.

Fun Fact: Kiersey Clemons loved Alice in Wonderland growing up, partly because her mom’s name is Alison, and Yvette Nicole Brown is a Cinderella fan because of how hard she worked to build something amazing.

One of the things that stood out to me the most was Yvette Nicole Brown’s attitude of thankfulness and humility, and just a positive outlook she has in everything.

I grew up in a single-family home, my mother, and my brother- just the three of us, and she told us that either everybody’s special, or nobody is. You don’t get to walk around in life as if the sun rises on your doorstep, and everybody else is beneath you.

We all have a job. Some people are in front of the camera, and some people are taking down cables, but everybody matters. Nothing gets done on the set unless everybody shows up and does what their job is. She taught me that. [I try to] take that mindset with me wherever I go.

“Lady and the Tramp” premieres on November 12, 2019, streaming only on Disney+, so you better get your hands on that subscription. I’ve already got mine!

Disney+’s “Lady and the Tramp” is a remake of the 1955 animated classic that seamlessly combines live-action and photorealistic animation.

In this romantic story, a pampered American Cocker Spaniel named Lady and a tough but lovable stray named Tramp embark on an unexpected adventure and, despite their differences, grow closer and come to understand the value of home.

 “Lady and the Tramp” also stars Tessa Thompson as the voice of Lady and Justin Theroux as the voice of Tramp; Janelle Monáe as the voice of Peg;  and Sam Elliott as the voice of Trusty.

The Lady and The Tramp Disney Plus remake is directed by Charlie Bean from a screenplay by Andrew Bujalski and Kari Granlund and is produced by Brigham Taylor with Diane L. Sabatini serving as executive producer.

Remember to follow the “Lady and the Tramp” adventures using #LadyandTheTramp and #DisneyPlus, and like Lady and the Tramp on Facebook, follow Disney+ on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!