We’ve all had those overachieving friends, classmates or coworkers who basically overachieve at overachieving itself. Meanwhile, we’re left wondering how they’re able to seamlessly strive for their personal or professional goals (or both), especially when there seem to be setbacks in everything we do—even when we’re just waking up in the morning (like the comfortable weight of our blankets tempting us to just stay in bed for another 10 minutes, or 20). However, sometimes that innate difficulty can help guide us through life, or at least guide us to our goals.
Multifaceted professional Bailee Madison, who’s an actress, author, fashion designer, producer, and so much more, tells us that sometimes that natural push and pull of life can help guide you to your true passions. Beyond her useful and inspiring advice, Bailee told us all about one of her latest films, The Strangers: Prey at Night, where she portrays Kinsey. The horrifying sequel to The Strangers doesn’t disappoint because it’s full of suspense and family-fueled character development and it’s based on true events (because we’re all about iconic collabs).
Even if horror movies aren’t your thing, Bailee Madison, who’s been in a plethora of films and television series from Bridge to Terabithia to Good Witch to playing Sophia Quinn (Callie’s biological sister) in The Fosters, gave us some relevant advice about finding our dream jobs, philanthropy and life itself.
Her Campus: You’ve portrayed a variety of on-screen characters, from May Belle in Bridge to Terabithia to Sophia in The Fosters. Do you find that you’re constantly growing and learning from your on-screen characters and each role you take on?
Bailee Madison: I think that’s definitely the goal when it comes to selecting new projects or characters. I never like feeling too comfortable. I think that the cool part about what I’m able to do is to be able to live in a completely fictional world that I can’t relate to at all in my normal life. I feel very, very grateful to the writers, to the team and to the projects that I’ve been able to do. It’s allowed me to step in and take risks and try a different world. For me, I think I’ve just been able to grow as each one has past and each role has truly become a big part of my life, and I’ll always hold in near and dear to my heart. I definitely think that yes, that’s the goal: that I never get too comfortable and that I’m able to kind of push myself and see how far I can take it.
HC: That has to feel really refreshing to kind of get a new experience every time you take on a new role.
BM: It’s very refreshing and very nerve-wracking, too. [laughs] But, it’s so exciting, and I think that’s why I truly did love playing Kinsey so much in The Strangers: Prey at Night. If I had to pick a character that was the complete polar opposite of me, it would be her. I literally could not relate to her at all. She was a complete stranger to me, and I was so excited to get to dive right in and try to figure her out and give this the best shot that I’ve got. And, that was the most gratifying and fulfilling experience.
HC: Since The Strangers: Prey at Night is a horror film, how do you prepare for a role like this one? Is there anything you had to do differently?
BM: Definitely. There were a lot of different things that I was trying to do before we started filming. When I got to Kentucky—Kinsey smokes in the movie—and I’d never picked up a cigarette in my life, so I didn’t know how it worked. So, I walked up to Johannes [Roberts] and I was like, ‘I don’t know how to smoke, but I’d love to try and practice on the herbal cigarettes. I don’t want to look to silly.’ He totally thought that I was joking. When he realized that I wasn’t, a look of terror just flashed over his face because nothing is more distracting on camera than someone who’s picking up a cigarette but doesn’t know how to smoke. That’s what I actually get made fun of for because I did not look good at all doing it.
And then a lot of the times, there’s a fatality in the movie. Even though I tried to prepare for it, which was me just trying to run like crazy four of five days before we started filming, because a lot of it is just running for your life. But once I got to set, I realized that in no way prepared me for what was actually ahead. But I tried to just do my best beforehand. I think on the emotional level, I tried to do a lot of research into Kinsey before we started, before we fine-tuned the movie. What I’m grateful for is that I feel like we are given a chance to set up the relationship with the family before the killings start happening. For me, it was like, ‘What kind of music does [Kinsey] listen to? How does she dress? Does she have a notebook? Does she sketch in that notebook? What does she write about?’ So those are fun little go-to’s that I’d be looking into beforehand that I thought were helpful before we started filming.
HC: Definitely, and I think those personal elements will really resonate with the viewers as they watch the movie and make Kinsey’s character more relatable.
BM: That’s really sweet. Thank you, thank you. I will say that I feel so fortunate, Johannes Roberts, who is our fabulous director, is just so incredible. Lewis Pullman is such a force to be reckoned with. I literally cannot wait to see him accept his Oscar one day, so I can say, ‘I know him!’ And Christina Hendricks is obviously is just so incredibly talented and unbelievable. And [Mike] Henderson is fantastic. I was surrounded by such talent and grace and love and excitement that I was able to kind of feel it every single day for the six months that we filmed. I feel very, very grateful to all of them in a way and I had a really great time.
HC: That’s amazing. Would you say after starring in a horror movie you’re less easy to scare now?
BM: Oh no, no, not at all. No. I just went and saw a horror movie the other night, and I was literally just that annoying person who couldn’t stop gasping. I think that’s why I love horror movies so much—it just gets you out of your world, and it makes you scream; it makes you gasp; it makes your heart rate go up. It’s a very interactive experience when you’re watching the movie—unlike anything else. It just teleports you to this different world. Even though I know when the jump-scares are going to come—like I can see it on the script written in my head, like I know, I still get so scared. I think The Strangers is the first movie that, even though I got so scared, I just enjoyed it. I really loved it. It’s kind of like a really great rollercoaster at an amusement park. When you’re really, really scared, sometimes you’re able to weirdly enjoy the scare and you want to get scared again. When you have to get off, you want to get back on. To me, that really makes it fantastic to watch.
HC: And speaking of transporting to different worlds, you recently published your young adult novel, Losing Brave, which came out earlier this year. Are there any lessons you hope readers gain from your novel? Where did your passion for writing come from?
BM: Yes, Losing Brave came out earlier this year, which was just such an exciting mark for me. Stefne Miller is a dear friend of mine. And I just saw it on real bookshelves in real bookstores. Writing has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I was young, I was always craving stories. Even like now especially, I think that writing is such a wonderful way to escape and imagine and to kind of go into these different worlds that are part of your mind. It’s also a very healing and kind of just wonderful experience as well. So, I always knew that I wanted to write something, but I never really knew what. And then when the book I did came out this past May, it was a no-brainer that’s why I did a to-die novel for my first book.
In terms of lessons, we deal a lot with grief in the book. We deal a lot with forgiveness and hope and being true to yourself. And I think these are all elements that we can all carry and feel with us, in a wonderful, but sincere, and great way. I think, depending on the type of person reading our book, I feel like there’s a message for everybody, and it’s going to be a positive one. That’s really exciting for me. You know that a book like that will hopefully get into the hands of someone and change their day and make it a little bit better, hopefully.
HC: I think that’s the best wish to have for any piece of literature or any piece of work. Since you’re well-versed in a multitude of careers—you’re an actor, you’re a producer, you’re an author, do you have any advice for professionals who are still trying to figure out what their dream job is?
BM: Oh my goodness, absolutely. I think for me, I believe that I was put into this world not really knowing it was going to happen—not asking it to happen—but I think I just got out of high school and was figuring out where my life is going and that’s been the case for a lot of people. I think it’s just about listening to yourself and not being afraid to try and find what makes you happy. And, I think just trying things. I think for me, I’m always just trying different things to see if I love it, to see if I have a passion for it. So, my advice would be to try an array of things to see what makes you happy, what brings you joy, what makes you excited to wake up in the morning and go for it. I think if it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be. I truly feel like life is too short to be doing something that you don’t love, so focus your time and energy on something that brings you joy and happiness.
HC: Definitely. I think letting joy guide you through your journey through life is a great motto to live by, in general as well.
BM: I love that, absolutely!
HC: You also have a passion for philanthropy, even being honored at the Variety Power Of Youth Awards for your work with Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Do you have any advice for college women who are volunteering in their community or advocating for a cause, but they’re currently experiencing some philanthropy burnout?
BM: I think, fortunately, in this day and age we have a lot of tools that weren’t even around when I started [getting into philanthropy]. To give back is such a powerful tool. If used in the right way, it can really do wonders. Even with anything in history, there was always some huge setback. There was always something that would make people say that things weren’t going to get better or things weren’t going to change. Most of the times, things changes. Most of the times, things got better. Most of the times, even in the history books—people look back and can celebrate. I think my advice is, when things kind of push you back, you just push back at it harder. And you’re going to move mountains, you’re going to make changes, you’re going to raise your voice even louder. I’ve always lived by the idea that if something pushes you in life, then it’s not time to stop. Focus on trying to touch individuals—focus on the people, you know.
HC: Definitely. That’s a good way to get through a difficult time, not even just with philanthropy. And you’ve also recently released your first fashion line, Nowadays X Bailee. What was some of your inspiration while you were designing this line?
BM: I’ve always, always, always wanted to do something in fashion. So, I was really excited that [Macy’s] were really wanting to delve into things that made me happy. So there’s a lot of West Coast inspiration of my life, and just taking things from the beach and making kind of flowy pieces. But there’s also these kinds of tomboy, military aspects too, because it’s what I’ve always dreamed in my mind when it comes to what I love about fashion. We wanted to be sure we had pieces that could be mixed and matched for different people to find their own unique style.
HC: Just having the versatility, so that anyone can wear it.
BM: Yeah, and I always change my mind, so it’s nice to have different things in your closet that you can mix and match.
HC: I do too. Do you hope that this fashion line will kind of help women channel their own creativity, whatever that might mean, in their own lives?
BM: Absolutely. I think that fashion is a way to kind of showcase who you are and what you believe in, or how you’re feeling that day. The clothes that you wear kind of tell a story. The hope is that you wear something and you create good memories, and it can give you the idea to do something that you love, or feel confident about yourself and the ideas that you have. I think that would be a great hope.
HC: Where do you hope to be in the next five years?
BM: I cannot predict the future. I have no clue what’s going to happen in five years. In terms of my career, hopefully doing something that I love, whether that’s in front of the camera or behind the lens, writing, or directing, or producing. I really do love the creative world and the things that I’m able to do, and that’s this power in my life. And hopefully, that can transpire into the next five years of my life. But, I’ve always kind of focused on the personal aspects as well. Hopefully, in five years, I’m beginning to grow a family, and spending time with them, and enjoying a bunch of memories. And just living life in a loving way.
The Strangers: Prey at Night is currently out on Blu-ray and DVD.
time to prey.
The OFFICIAL TRAILER for my new film THE STRANGERS: #PreyAtNight has arrived!!!!! see it in theaters march 9!!! @TheStrangers https://t.co/XZuhpywiZn pic.twitter.com/gmh4nGysTi
— Bailee Madison (@BaileeMadison) January 5, 2018