The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers premiered on Friday, March 26th, streaming only on Disney+ and we were giving the opportunity to speak with Taegen Burns about the series.
Taegen Burns began her career as a model and commercial actor before booking her first feature film, at the age of nine, as young Shannon in “I Can Only Imagine”. Shortly thereafter, she played a young Paris Jackson in the Lifetime movie “Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland” and filmed “The Gateway”, a thriller starring Bruce Dern, Olivia Munn and Shea Whigham. Taegen can also be seen in “Dumplin’”, “The Right Stuff” and “Blue Ridge”.
BSCKids: Tell us a bit about your role on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers series for Disney+.
Taegen Burns: On The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers series, I play Maya Kasper. She’s a part of the “popular girl” group at school, but just doesn’t feel like she belongs there.
How did you get the role and do you have anything in common with Maya?
To get the role of Maya, I submitted a tape to the casting directors. Then, several weeks after my submission, my agent notified me that I was flying to California for an in-person callback with the director. A few days after that, I received a phone call from my agent and manager telling me that I had booked the role! The only thing Maya and I have in common is that we’re both ALWAYS on our phones. Well, that’s not exactly true. Without giving away any spoilers, Maya and I both care about helping others and being a true friend.
Had you seen the original movies before doing the audition or after?
I actually hadn’t seen the Mighty Ducks movies until I got the audition and then I watched the first one. After getting the callback, I watched the last two because I wanted to be sure that I was completely prepared for my role before meeting with the director and the writers.
How do you get in character on set?
The process of going through hair, makeup and wardrobe every day helped. Putting on makeup (not a daily thing for me) and wearing different clothes helped me start to get into character. Standing in front of a mirror and rehearsing my lines with Maya’s attitude would complete the transformation.
How good at ice skating are you?
I now consider myself to be a pretty decent skater. But when I arrived in Canada for ice hockey training, I had probably only been on the ice for no more than two hours total. After several weeks of intense training though, I felt pretty confident and had stopped worrying about falling all the time. I don’t think I’m fast or aggressive enough to play in an actual hockey game, but I could maybe see myself in a friendly pickup game.
Can you tell us any funny behind the scenes things that happened while the cameras were off?
During one of the last days of filming, I was able to convince one my co-stars that a scarf worn by a background actor was bright pink, even though it was actually yellow. It was funny because the director and other members of cast and crew were all in on the harmless prank.
What would you say is your favorite picture you have on your Instagram and why?
My favorite picture on my Instagram is from January 13, 2020. This picture is from breakfast at Olive’s Bistro taken hours before my callback for The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. It is a sentimental reminder, captured by my mom, of the nerves and excitement that I was filled with that morning.
If you could guest star (or guest voice) on any other Disney series which one would it be and why?
My brothers got me hooked on Gravity Falls, which has hilarious characters and a great plot. We love it and have been watching it together forever, so it’d be really cool to be a guest voice.
Tell us something people would be surprised to learn about you.
I get really nervous speaking in front of large crowds and I consider myself more of an introvert than an extrovert.
Why should everyone tune in to watch The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, what is the message?
Everyone should watch The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers because it’s a great underdog story that shows how much can be accomplished with strong friendships, teamwork and never giving up – no matter how many times you fail.
Thanks to Taegen Burns for speaking with us and make sure to check her out in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
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