Actress Ruth Righi has a passion for acting that could be traced back to her early days on the Broadway stage. Her first lead role was Mulan in a community theater show. The first theatrical performance she saw was School of Rock: The Musical with her mother, a show she later performed in. 

“I saw the kids up on the stage dancing and playing music and being so free,” Righi said,  “and I saw them and I turned to my mom and I said ‘I’m going to do that. And she’s like, Yeah, whatever.’ But that was truly what inspired me, was seeing that show and seeing that kids my age were able to do that at such a level.” 

It’s the love of the stage that the 16-year-old actress feels prepared her for her first animated voice project. Righi is the star of the new Disney Junior animated preschool series, Eureka! Set in the prehistoric world of Rocky Falls,  the series follows a young Black girl inventor who is ahead of her time when it comes to innovation. Eureka designs and creates contraptions that will move her prehistoric community into the modern era. 

The series premiered on Disney Junior on June 22 and can be watched on Disney+. 

Righi voices the main character. Her previous credits include the Disney series, Sydney to the Max and the 2017 movie, Happy. She tells RoyalTee that singing every night on Broadway gave her the vocal endurance she needed to fulfill the role of Eureka! 

“I didn’t realize until I did Eureka,” she recalled about the experience.  “But sometimes you’re recording for four hours and you’re singing a lot, and you’re talking a lot and yelling a lot. So, I think that singing so much before helped keep my voice be able to get through some of the scripts and songs and do them justice.”

Legendary Royal Woman cast

Then there’s the motivation of your legendary co-stars. Emmy award-winning actress Loretta Devine, iconic artist Sheila E. and ballet dancer, Misty Copeland round out the leading women voice cast. Due to covid restrictions, Righi did not get the opportunity to communicate with her castmates but just knowing that her voice and talent would be aligned with theirs s a magical realization. 

“ I hope that being a part of Eureka! will bring us together in person,” she said.  “I don’t know what I’d say to them. I’d probably cry or hug them.”

Also starring in the series are Free Guy’s Lil Rel Howery and Hamilton’s Renée Elise Goldsberry, who voices Eureka’s parents.

Righi has aspirations to get back on the Broadway stage in the future sometime. Other artistic aspirations on the vision board include screen time with Zendaya, Jenna Ortega, and a comedy movie with Tina Fey. In the meantime, she’s looking forward to senior year, enjoying her summer break, and basking in the success of Eureka! Its message of representation is one she hopes will resonate with young girls of color, specifically in the area of STEM. According to Pew Research,  Blacks and Hispanics represented only 11% of the STEM workforce, with African Americans representing about 9%. 

“I think that audiences and young girls and young kids will hopefully just feel empowered or inspired by Eureka and secure in their ability to do great things,” she said.  “And whether that’s in STEM like Eureka! or not, but just kids and young girls, young black girls will see that representation in Eureka! and it feels like something that’s very possible for them.” 

For teens like herself who aspire to go after their dreams, Righi said to be confident in knowing those goals are possible and knowing their passions could make a difference and not be overwhelmed by self-doubt and fear of the unknown.

She added,  “I would just tell them [teens] to trust themselves and work towards whatever it is, whether that’s in STEM, whether that’s acting, whatever it is, if that’s your calling, and you’re passionate about it, then you’re meant to do that.”

The first season of Eureka! is streaming on Disney Now.