Rita Ora was told to stop apologising by Brandy on the set of ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ set

Rita Ora was told to stop apologising by Brandy on the set of ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’ set.

The 33-year-old pop star - who plays the Queen of Hearts in the upcoming Disney+ flick - revealed she struggled to pretend to be rude to the 45-year-old singer, who will be reprising her role of Cinderella after debuting as the character in the 1997 eponymous flick, because she idolised her growing up.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Rita said: “I would be like, ‘I’m so sorry, I don't mean it’, and Brandy’s like, ‘Can you stop? You are in character, do what you need to do.’

“And I was like, ‘But just remember, I love you!’ And then we’d get back into it. It was great.”

The ‘Anywhere’ hitmaker gushed over working with Brandy, and emphasised the actress’ portrayal of the beloved princess in ‘Cinderella’ “made [her] believe” in herself.

She said: “Oh my gosh, it's crazy — I did a movie with Brandy!

“I mean, I love her so much. I loved her music growing up. She was one of the vocalists that I would try and imitate every day in my bedroom. And watching her Cinderella with Whitney Houston was so iconic for so many reasons.

“It made me believe in myself — like, ‘Oh my goodness, I can do this too.’”

Rita added watching ‘The Boy Is Mine’ chart-topper seamlessly blend her acting and music career together inspired the budding singer to continue working in front of the camera as well as in the booth.

She explained: “That's something that I love to do and that I aspire to be: a musician and an actor at the same time, and she was able to balance both, and that's a huge priority for me.

“This was so fun, and she gave me so much advice, and we sang together. I love her.

“I think I was more fanning out than she was, but it's fine.”

Reflecting on the picture, Rita emphasised she has a “newfound love for card magicians” after spending hours honing her shuffling skills to properly play the Queen of Hearts.

She recalled: “There was a magician on set, literally teaching me how to hold cards. A lot went into this. It's definitely become my party trick.”