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Sofia Carson will always carry love in her heart for Cameron Boyce.
Ahead of the premiere of her new Netflix film, My Oxford Year, the star took a moment to reflect on her rise to fame in Disney’s hit Descendants franchise, and the lasting impact of her friendship with her late costar.
“He will forever and ever and ever be one of the most extraordinary people that has ever entered my life,” Carson told Vanity Fair.
Boyce and Carson’s friendship goes back to the set of Descendants, the hit Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) franchise about the children of classic Disney villains. While Boyce and other costars, such as Dove Cameron, had found success and fame on other projects much younger in life, Carson was just breaking onto the scene at the age of 21.
“I had lived a very normal life. I had had a normal childhood, a normal upbringing,” Carson explained. “Fame didn’t enter my life when I was a child. So I have witnessed what a different experience that is.”
The Purple Hearts star credited Boyce with being part of the reason she was able to transition to a life of stardom. “He became a brother to me and my sister. Him and his family took us in like family when we knew nothing about this industry,” she added.
Cameron Boyce’s unexpected death in 2019, due to a seizure at just 20 years old, shocked Hollywood to its core. In the wake of his passing, the Cameron Boyce Foundation was started to raise funds and help further progress in curing epilepsy.
The foundation holds an annual gala, which, in 2024, drew notable stars such as Taylor Lautner and the cast of Descendants, as the gala marked five years since Boyce’s death.
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Earlier this month, Carson posted a throwback photo on Instagram of herself, Boyce, Cameron, and fellow Descendants cast member Booboo Stewart on the anniversary of Boyce’s death. She captioned the black and white photo, “Our Angel. Forever.”
Boyce was also recently paid homage by his Grown Ups costar Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2. During a scene where Sandler’s character walked up to a check-in booth, Boyce’s face can be seen on a TV sitting behind the counter.
