When Disney Channel premiered its “DuckTales” reboot in 2017, fans were excited to return to Duckburg for more sprawling adventures (and money-pit dives) with Scrooge McDuck and other fan-favorites such as Huey, Dewey, and Louie. What they also got was the grand debut of an important character who answered questions to decades-long mysteries: Della Duck, Donald Duck’s twin sister. Voiced by “Criminal Minds” star Paget Brewster, Della finally made her leap from Disney lore obscurity to major player in an animated series.
While the mother of Huey, Dewey, and Louie and niece to Scrooge McDuck was first referenced in a 1937 newspaper comic strip and a 1938 animated short (referred to as “Sister Dumbella”), Della was virtually absent from modern Disney animation. Not only did she never appear in the beloved 1980s “DuckTales” cartoon series, her name was never even mentioned. That changed dramatically in the 2017 reboot.
If you ask Brewster, taking on a figure with so much missing history was a bit of an intimidating task. “I play the character Della Duck who, so far, has been obscure, not written about much,” Brewster shared during an interview with Disney Channel. “So, it’s very exciting to be able to be a part of the creation of this whole backstory and who she is.” Brewster admitted that joining the cast also brought its fair share of nerves, mostly due to the presence of some high-caliber vocal talent. “I was very afraid of playing Della Duck because she’s supposed to be Donald Duck’s twin,” she said.
2017’s DuckTales explains why Della was absent from the lives of Huey, Dewey, and Louie
“I thought I might have to do that voice, and I could not pull it off,” she continued. “Tony Anselmo, who is like ‘the’ Donald Duck, voices this Donald Duck, so it’s a little overwhelming and exciting, and I really wanted in on this.”
The show gave Della an incredible narrative arc that also explained her glaring absence in the lives of Huey, Dewey, and Louie. After crashing her rocket ship, she spent a decade trapped on the moon, doggedly rebuilding her craft to get home to her boys. Beyond her adventurous spirit, Brewster found “deep” meaning in how relatable the character remains for younger viewers.
“Della Duck is an extraordinary example of a strong female character because she also is flawed,” Brewster pointed out. “This isn’t a perfect line-drawing of someone… I think it gives kids the opportunity to see that you don’t always have to be right or perfect or a superhero. You can have strengths and you can have weaknesses and they’re both of equal value if you are honest with who you are and do the best that you can, and I think that Della Duck sort of embodies that.”
The “DuckTales” reboot ran for three seasons and 69 episodes, but that wouldn’t be the last time we saw Della Duck in modern animated form. Following her big debut in “DuckTales,” she made appearances in Disney Channel animated shorts like “Chibi Tiny Tales” and the crossover series “Chibiverse.”
