Already known for her numerous acting and musical roles, multi-talented artist Bailee Madison released “Chiller” today, the follow-up summer single to her debut release “Kinda Fun”.
As an in-demand actress, Madison is currently starring in the globally renowned franchise and critically recognized reboot Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. She first gained acclaim in the film Bridge To Terabithia and the physiological war drama Brothers. She’s continued to garner many notable roles, such as Just Go With It, The Strangers: Prey at Night, the fantasy film North Pole, Wizards of Waverly Place, Good Witch, and more. With the 2021 Netflix musical hit A Week Away, she has seamlessly immersed herself into the world of music, a passion that has always been in her heart to pursue.
Beyond the spotlight, Madison is a passionate advocate for charitable causes; she supports Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and champions Michelle Obama's Better Make Room campaign, demonstrating a commitment to making a positive impact.
To celebrate the new release we share Bailee Madison’s recent interview with Maxwell from Z100 New York.
[the transcribed interview has been edited for clarity]
Maxwell: Should we start with the idea of you as a young girl who used to crash other people's auditions in order to become the star that you are now?
Star, I don't know, but crash, yes, that is true. I obviously have no recollection of it because I was so little, but I do remember the feeling of going to my mom and my sister's auditions. My sister did films and commercials before she went to college. There's a 13 year age gap between us. And my mom was the Miami commercial queen, but none of the family wanted me to act. I never did classes, it was never a topic of conversation, but I do remember the feeling of going to their auditions and being like, why am I in the stroller?
Maxwell: Knowing that you had a family that was supportive of the shenanigans and the craziness, and the performer you were, how special was it to be around folks who were nurturing of that energy for you?
It was priceless. I mean, I say this whole thing is such a God thing. That's how I have always navigated my life, my steps, and my world, and continue to do so. I'll be 25 this year. I feel like a lot of my last two years have been built on reflection. When I was younger, I obviously held so much gratitude because I was grateful, but I didn't understand the magnitude of so much of what I got to do. And now looking back and being an aunt to nieces and having this family expand, it's really hit me how much my mom had to learn, how much she had to navigate, how scary it must have been for her, how weird it is to wake your kid up at four o'clock in the morning and throw them on set and then watch them scream and cry on camera for hours at a time. But I got to go home every night to love and my mom was so brilliant in the fact that if I had two days off or four days off, we were on a plane, running through the Atlanta airport to get home, to have family dinner, to cook with our family. And so they did a phenomenal job. And I think it's why I get to keep going now. So I'm grateful for it.
Maxwell: What were some of those things growing up that you were so grateful for? Things that pop up into your brain that are like, “these were moments of normalcy for me that I'm so grateful that I had,” to retain that part of who Bailee is.
Yeah, I think Florida was a big thing for me. My mom refused to move to LA. She did not like it out here. My early days when Bridge to Terabithia came out, we lived at the Sheraton Universal, which is gonna sound not normal, but I got to be like Eloise at the Hotel and it was so fun. And I think psychologically, it made me realize LA is not home, Florida's home. So it gave me that stability of a home base whenever I could. I thank my elementary school for putting up with me and letting me go to school for three days out of the year, just to hug my classmates and see them. And family visiting. I think what I like to tell people all the time is that was my normality. So every aspect of my day was my normality. And so I hold a lot of gratitude too, for the people that I got to work with, because I got to work with such kind human beings and I was such a kid. And they didn't have to love on me the way that they did. Adam Sandler didn't have to fly my family in for Mother's Day so my mom wasn't homesick, but he did. I think people really took me in and filled my heart with love and wanted to keep that spirit alive. So I'm grateful for that.
I don't know who the heck I would be if I didn't have the life that I had. Every part of it is in my bones and in my mind and embedded in my spirit. But it's really hard, in such a fast paced industry, to comprehend a lot and to not let things move quickly. You can try to hold onto it, but it's really tough. And I think with writing and with the music of it all, I get to be in control of my story and my narration. And then at the same time, it allows me to have a creative outlet and is very healing and therapeutic for myself as I look back and reflect.
Maxwell: Being a part of some of these iconic brands/shows/movies, how cool was it to be a child in that, or just to be who you were, seeing what you get to do as a character connecting with so many other people? Your art form at that age was making so many people feel a way. That must've been the most rad thing ever.
Oh, it's so cool. I think it gets radder day by day now because now I can really understand it. For a while, there was like this lull where someone would come up to me and they'd be like, you're my childhood. And I didn't really know how to take it. I knew it was a compliment, and I was so grateful for it. But I also was like, what do you mean? And now it's so fun to kind of go back and look at these things. I mean, my boyfriend's bandmate just texted us in our group chat last night. They were like, “we were making dinner in the kitchen and look who's back on our TV again.” It's like the oldest episode of Law and Order SVU.
@baileemadison The strike has allowed me to do some nesting/organizing… which has given me the time to find these priceless memory filled gems. It’s a funny thing when you reach an age where you are older and aware enough to be able to fully look back at a time in your life… it’s been like opening a time capsule for me. So many emotions, and so much gratitude for the people I got to be surrounded by as my little heart and self grew.. Just had to share a little bit (for now, more to come trust me haha) with you all 🤍🤍 Ps. So many memories in Hawaii… who I have been holding so deeply in my heart these past few weeks ❤️❤️
♬ Long Live (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
Maxwell: I just wanted to reiterate the idea of you being able to find art forms to express who you are. From leaning into a character in a movie or a TV show and bringing to life this particular character, and seeing the value in that and how that works and connects with so many people. And now to write and to create music and kind of share your story through that way. When did the songwriting and music bug kind of pinch you? At about what age were you thinking, “Let's go, I wanna do this.”?
Here's what's funny about this, is I never said I wanted to be an actress, but my family can recall for the longest time me saying that I wanted to sell out arenas and be a singer. I would put on performances, I have song books from when I was three or four, I'd be on set and be writing songs. My best friend, McKaylee and I were laughing the other day. She's known me since I did Wizards [of Waverly Place]. We did an episode together. So a really long time. And McKaylee was always my song sounding board, because I would just send her a rogue voice message and be like, I don't know, it's probably terrible. And she'd write back and be so encouraging and excited. So it's not by any means a strategic move, or just like a next step business move. It's genuinely for myself. I've always wanted to do it. I didn't know if I could do it and didn't know how it would be embraced. That was the thing that was scary. I'm so grateful to have the team that I'm working with.
Maxwell: All the stuff happens for a reason. And I've sat and I've talked to a lot of artists who have created their best stuff: it's when you're writing for yourself and you're just being true and genuine to who you are, that's when everything connects. So you found something special right now.
Thank you very much. It feels really special. It feels really sacred. It feels very, very fun. And just the way that it came about: “Kinda Fun” was created in the middle of an actor strike. So I was very much creatively unfulfilled and confused. It was the first time except for COVID, but I was fortunate enough to get to work through COVID, that I had ever been told, “No, you can't do the thing that you love.” And then life somehow pulled me and my long distance relationship of almost five years together in the same state for the whole time. We had a lot of family stuff going on. Mr. Jonas had been very patient for a long time because I signed with him right before I started PLL. And that show, you really have to just absorb yourself in it when we film it. I really give all of my emotional and physical self to that show. But Blake was like, “Let's just go in the studio and see if we can laugh and smile and just take our mind off the stuff that's going on.” And I was like, okay, okay. And it was funny cause he and I had like this other idea for a song for a while and we just couldn't crack it. And he went to stop and I was like, you can't stop. He was like, let's just stop for a second. And he started strumming his guitar, and I was like, okay. And this song was written that night. And then we listened to it and we were like, “Okay, maybe we should send it to Kevin and maybe we should send it to the team so they know that I actually am taking this seriously and I do want to do it.” And he wrote back and he made our nights. And then we went in and we woke up and we had like four hours of sleep cause we just were up so late.
Maxwell: Was there some wine flowing?
No, yeah, there was wine. There was definitely wine. Yeah, no, it was a Pinot Grigio night. And that was why the song was so funny, too, because so much of our conversations, he was even saying to me, “I feel like over the summer, you've learned so much about yourself.” I think people's opinions now don't really faze me as much. I think, for so long, I was so aware in my body of the fact that I'm not a kid anymore and then I wasn't a tween anymore and I'm not a teen anymore. And what does that look like? And so yeah, no, the wine was flowing and it was great. But then the matcha was flowing the next day. You know, everything's about balance. It's all about balance.
Maxwell: What's special about that story is that it was organic. It was just the way that it was supposed to happen. To know that you were able to tap into that creative space, that the two of you were just able to just do what just felt natural and to have this gem of a record come about—how proud were you after the fact?
It was just life doing life. And I loved every second about it. I hadn't been going in and out of sessions, we hadn't been trying to write, we weren't trying to find something, it wasn't even a thing. And then this song was born with someone that I adore and I love that I felt really safe with in a setting that is very out of my comfort zone. And then we got to just have everything be very protected, which was nice. And my manager, they wanna hold onto that, which for me means everything. They want me to be creatively involved, which, as a young woman, it's so kind. We went up the street to the studio, which is like three minutes away from our house. And we spent two days there. Kyle, who mixes a lot of [Blake’s] stuff and works on all of it with him, he did the song for us, which meant so much. He's so talented. My dog was running around and we were laughing and we were having a great time. And even the cover and everything for it was done with people that I trust in my life and my little circle that wanted to just creatively be a part of it. So every step of the song really is filled with love. So anyone that wants to embrace it, it means a lot.
Maxwell: I love that. And the reason why I gasped there is because I wanna stay on the idea of how important it is to have that circle around you. Similarly, like we said, in the very beginning parts of this conversation, to have those people around you that are there to lift you up when you're down. They're there to call you out on your bullshit when sometimes it happens. They're there to also be the ones that pick up the camera and can create a flick for a cover shoot that is exactly what embodies and embraces what you're feeling with this particular song. What must that mean for you as a creative and to have control of that, but to also just know that you can lean on those people that you love the most to be there for you?
It's safety. And it makes me emotional, honestly, thinking about it. Cause I really do love the people in my life. And I'm a big lover and I'm very loyal to a T and I, you know, I'm very, very good at being like, what can I do? And I don't think I'm very good at filling my cup sometimes. And so to have the love that I have around me to tell me that that's okay, and then to fill my cup back up again with love—I'm the luckiest little thing in the world. And then you look at a cover that was shot by a dear friend of mine who I've known for years, who I'm such an admirer of. And I just know the backstory was Blake holding a hose to make it look like it's raining and her snapping a photo and my hairstylist Scott cracking up cause a wave completely took me out. We were trying to shoot a picture in the ocean. So you need to laugh, life is too short. This business is about creating. It's about being storytellers. It's about doing the thing that you love, everything else is BS. And so, you've just gotta have fun and enjoy life and they helped me do that. So I'm very grateful.
@baileemadison Out at midnight ✨ #kindafun #newmusic ♬ Kinda Fun - Bailee Madison
Maxwell: What about this reboot [of Wizards of Waverly Place], girlfriend? Are we gonna get a Maxine? What the heck is going on?
I did see that Jake posted something that he was so [happy] being back with everyone. I don't know, I do know that my phone line's open. I would love a second go around at a multicam show because Lord knows I needed help when I was younger. And I think it'd be so fun to be able to go back to that nostalgia, like nostalgia as an adult now and actually understand all of it. But yeah, so far I don't know, but I do know that they're in great hands. Andy Fickman, who is a friend of mine, an incredible director-he directed me in a film called Printed Guidance-he's doing the pilot, he's a part of the show. So I've been talking with Andy and I was like, Maxine's here if you want her. Yeah, I've got no shame, I'll go.
Maxwell: Oh my gosh. But in all seriousness, what I do want to end the convo with is, as we look forward to more in 2024, more love, more joy, more challenges, what are you excited to share with the world? Is there more music? I mean, obviously you're not gonna leave acting aside because that's what you're born to do. But what are some of those things that you're really excited to accomplish this year?
To put it simply, I think I'm just excited to share myself. I'm so eager to do it that I'll be pissed if I don't. I'm just looking forward to letting people know Bailee now: what she’s like, the good, the flaws, the imperfections, the humanity behind a screen, behind a phone, behind a social media account. And doing things that I love and being creative. Music: a hundred percent, I don't want to stop. I feel like now that the first song is out there, I can let it go, let go of the stress of tiptoeing in. Cause now I'm in, I'm here. I can do it and I can have some fun. And if anyone wants to be a part of the circle, I would love to have them there. I'm also really excited for PLL to come out. We're very close to the second season airing. I wish they would just tell everyone when, because we've known forever and it's killing me. I am really proud of my cast and my crew. And I am proud of myself this season. I think it's a really good season and I'm excited to share. Last season was tough because I was the pregnant girl in Pretty Little Liars. So it's nice to finally feel like a woman on the show, I feel like a PLL. But yeah, just having some fun, being uncomfortable, making sure I never get too comfortable and getting to come see you in the office.
Maxwell: We're gonna make this happen. That's a pinky promise for sure, for sure. I guess the last thing is, harping on that word, that giant P word: proud. How proud are you of you, Bailee Madison, how proud are you to be in this space?
So this is a thing: it’s tough giving myself compliments. That's something I've learned about myself, I'm not great at it. I'm working on it though, because I do think that every human has to be kinder to themselves. And I think we live in a day and age where there's just a lot of commotion. There's a lot of comparison. I don't know how you don't compare yourself to people or get it in your head about things or feel like you're not doing enough. And I also feel like maybe we're less inclined to share when things aren't going well, because I think we want to have it all together. The reality is no one does. We walk down the street and whoever your shoulder brushes, they've got some stuff that they're dealing with and that they're working through that you can't even imagine. But I am proud of myself for recognizing that. I'm proud of my little self, especially, for her fearlessness, for her confidence in spaces, for her little voice that wasn't afraid to speak or tell a joke. For the fact that, if I didn't get a project, I would cry and then be like, “Well, something better is on its way.” I was on that dream set that blew up a box office. So I am proud of her and proud of myself for wanting to reach back to that girl and introduce her to me now and bring the kid back into my life. I think I'm growing pretty decently and I think I'm trying to do the work to do that. And so, I'm proud of that. If you can wake up in the morning and not hate yourself in the mirror, then you're doing okay. And so I think I'm doing okay and that's good for me.
Maxwell: And that little girl is having kind of fun right now.
She's having kind of fun. Kind of a fun time. Kind of fun.
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