Sandra Oh, star of the original The Princess Diaries, desperately wants to return for the upcoming The Princess Diaries 3. The Princess Diaries follows the life of Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) as she realizes that she is secretly the heir to the kingdom of Genovia. Mia is forced to work with Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) as she comes to accept her role as a future monarch. The sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, explores a potential marriage for Mia, but it doesn’t look like it will be the end of her story.
The Princess Diaries 3 is in development and will continue to explore Mia’s adventures as Genovian royalty. While Hathaway is ready to return for The Princess Diaries 3, she isn’t the only one. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sandra Oh, who played Vice Principal Gupta in the original film, emphasized that she would love to reprise her role.
“I am ready for the Queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world.”
Oh’s Gupta doesn’t appear often in The Princess Diaries, but she makes an impression. The character’s dedication to honoring her royal guests adds humor to even the most tense scenes she appears in. It doesn’t hurt that she is absolutely fascinated by Mia.
Could Gupta Appear In The Princess Diaries 3?
Gupta’s role in The Princess Diaries is to emphasize the differences in how Mia is treated before and after the revelation of her royal status. Prior to the discovery, Gupta largely ignores Mia, considering her as little more than a tagalong in the school. After, she fawns over Queen Clarisse and extends that attention to Mia. While Gupta’s love for Clarisse is as charming as it is funny, it also serves as natural evidence of just how much Mia’s life is about to change.
Should Gupta appear in The Princess Diaries 3, she will likely need to serve a similar role by showing just what the average citizen thinks of Mia now. Unfortunately, a major appearance isn’t likely. Gupta serves as a Vice Principal — a role that just isn’t particularly necessary once Mia has graduated high school. It is the same reason that Gupta never appears in any major way in The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement. If there is no need for the character, there will not be space in the film to add her. A random appearance without any real necessity for it would just be jarring.
Of course, it has been nearly 25 years since The Princess Diaries was first released. After so much time, The Princess Diaries 3 could very much serve as a way to reunite the original cast and offer a chance for quick cameo appearances along the way. Sandra Oh may very well get her chance to reprise her role in The Princess Diaries 3, but it will likely be restricted to a minor appearance, given Gupta’s initial role and limited prominence.
Source: EW