Dove Cameron Bio
Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress who first rose to prominence on Disney Channel. She became a household name for her dual lead performance in the comedy series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017) and for her starring role of Mal in the network’s Descendants film franchise (2015–2021). Her work on Liv and Maddie earned her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming.
Since completing her Disney commitments, Cameron has expanded into adult-oriented film and television, taking on parts in Barely Lethal, Dumplin’, Good Mourning, and Vengeance. She has also built a parallel music career, releasing the EP Alchemical: Volume 1 (2023) and charting singles such as Boyfriend, Breakfast, and Too Much. She remains one of the most recognizable performers to emerge from the Disney Channel of the 2010s.
Early Life and Background
Dove Olivia Cameron was born Chloe Celeste Hosterman on January 15, 1996, on Bainbridge Island, Washington, to Philip Alan Hosterman and Bonnie Wallace, who later divorced. She is of French, Russian, Slovak, and Hungarian descent and attended Sakai Intermediate School during her childhood in Washington. Cameron has spoken publicly about being bullied throughout her school years, an experience that she has said sharpened her focus on a future in entertainment.
At the age of eight, Cameron began performing in community theater at Bainbridge Performing Arts, where she first discovered her love of acting. In 2007, she took on the role of Young Cosette in BPA’s stage production of Les Misérables, followed in 2008 by the lead role of Mary in The Secret Garden. These early stage experiences laid the foundation for her professional career.
When Cameron was fourteen, her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she enrolled at Burbank High School and joined the school’s National Championship Show Choir. Her father, Philip Alan Hosterman, died in 2011, when she was fifteen. Following his death, she legally changed her name to Dove Olivia Cameron in honor of the nickname he had given her.
Path to Acting
Cameron’s transition from community theater to professional entertainment began in 2012, when she was cast in a Disney Channel comedy pilot originally titled Bits and Pieces. The project was quickly retooled into Liv and Maddie, with Cameron starring in the dual title role of Liv and Maddie Rooney. The pilot episode of Liv and Maddie premiered on September 15, 2013, drawing 5.8 million viewers and becoming the most-watched Disney Channel premiere in two and a half years.
While building her television career, Cameron continued performing on stage, including a starring turn in the Hollywood Bowl’s 2017 live production of Mamma Mia! and a London staging of The Light in the Piazza in 2019 alongside Renée Fleming. She was later announced as Cher Horowitz in the stage adaptation of the 1995 film Clueless. These live performances helped establish her as a versatile performer beyond the small screen.
Dove Cameron Career
Early Career (2007–2013)
Before her Disney Channel breakthrough, Cameron spent her earliest professional years on stage at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Her 2007 portrayal of Young Cosette in Les Misérables marked her first significant role, followed by the lead of Mary in The Secret Garden in 2008. She later relocated with her family to Los Angeles, where she balanced high school choir work with auditions and small parts.
In 2012, Cameron landed the role that would change her career, signing on to a Disney Channel pilot that would eventually become Liv and Maddie. The series premiered in September 2013, and her work on the show quickly earned her a loyal audience and her first industry recognition, including a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming.
Breakthrough (2013–2017)
Liv and Maddie became Cameron’s defining early project, running for four seasons on Disney Channel and concluding on March 24, 2017. The series spawned several of her earliest singles, including Better in Stereo and Count Me In, both of which reached number one on the Billboard Kids Digital Songs chart. Cameron also ventured into feature films during this period, taking on the role of Liz Larson in the A24 release Barely Lethal (2015).
Her most significant Disney success came with the Descendants franchise, beginning with the original 2015 film, which drew 6.6 million viewers and produced chart-topping soundtrack singles. She went on to reprise the role of Mal in Descendants 2 (2017) and later installments, cementing her status as a leading figure in Disney’s modern musical output. She also formed the band The Girl and the Dreamcatcher with Ryan McCartan, releasing the EP Negatives in 2016.
In December 2016, Cameron played Amber Von Tussle in the NBC live musical event Hairspray Live!, earning critical praise for her performance. By the close of 2017, she had been cast in the Netflix comedy Dumplin’ alongside Jennifer Aniston and had signed on for a recurring role in the fifth season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., playing Ruby Hale.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond her Disney work, Cameron voiced Gwen Stacy, also known as Ghost-Spider, in the Marvel Rising animated franchise beginning in 2018, and she performed the theme song Born Ready for Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors. She also joined the main cast of the Apple TV+ musical series Schmigadoon! in 2021 and was cast as Bubbles in the planned CW series Powerpuff before the project was cancelled in 2023. Her dramatic turn as Sophie in the 2017 Hollywood Bowl production of Mamma Mia! remains one of her most acclaimed live performances.
Dove Cameron Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Dove Cameron has earned a range of nominations across music and television categories, including recognition from the MTV Video Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and the Daytime Emmy Awards. Her nominations reflect her crossover success from Disney Channel star to mainstream recording artist, particularly after the viral rise of her single Boyfriend in 2022.
Dove Cameron Awards Won
Dove Cameron has accumulated a varied collection of awards across her dual careers in acting and music. She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming for her dual role in Liv and Maddie, an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Social Message for Breakfast in 2022, and the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist the same year. She was also named New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards in November 2022.
Dove Cameron Family
Cameron was raised by her father, Philip Alan Hosterman, and her mother, Bonnie Wallace. Her parents divorced during her childhood, and her father died in 2011 when she was fifteen. Following his passing, she legally adopted the name Dove Olivia Cameron in tribute to the affectionate nickname he had given her as a child.
Personal Life
Cameron has publicly identified as queer and has described queer as the most accurate description of her sexuality. She was in a relationship with her Liv and Maddie co-star Ryan McCartan from 2013 until 2016, during which time the pair became engaged in April 2016 before separating later that year. She later dated her Descendants 2 co-star Thomas Doherty from 2017 to 2020.
In 2023, Cameron began a relationship with Italian singer Damiano David of the band Måneskin, with the couple making their first public appearance together in February 2024. David and Cameron announced their engagement in January 2026. Cameron has also spoken candidly about her ongoing struggles with depression and dysphoria, topics she has addressed publicly to raise awareness among her fans.