Actor, singer, writer, producer: It seems Bailee Madison can do it all — and she's come a long, long way over the past few years.
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00:00Actor, singer, writer, producer, it seems Bailey Madison can do it all, and she's come
00:05a long, long way over the past few years.
00:08Bailey Madison made her acting debut in 2007's Bridge to Terabithia, a movie that opened
00:13all kinds of doors for the budding young actor.
00:16Breathe a peep! Breathe a peep! Breathe a peep! Breathe a peep! Breathe a peep!
00:21Three years later, she recalled,
00:23"...Mom always told me when I was done with Terabithia, you have to stay humble, Bailey.
00:27She continues to say that every day. Bailey, humble. Bailey, humble."
00:31More recently, she's opened up about her mental health at the time, admitting that being a
00:35child star came with its own set of issues. In 2024, she told WonderMind,
00:39"...I had to understand that I could acknowledge things that might have dented me a bit and
00:44understand that there's beauty within that but still allow myself to be like, oh, that's
00:48something that's not healed yet."
00:50In the early 2010s, Bailey Madison established herself as a talented young actor in the horror
00:55movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
00:57"...I don't like bright lights, you know. Those things."
01:02Then, in 2011, Madison appeared in the Disney Channel hit show Wizards of Waverly Place
01:07alongside Selena Gomez, and just like that, she became a familiar face on the red carpet.
01:12Around this same time, Madison's love of fashion became clear, as she never missed a chance
01:16to dress up. In 2011, she told the blog Hollywood Mom that she particularly adored vintage fashion,
01:22saying,
01:23"...I love that whole style, so anything that's vintage for me is great."
01:27The mid-2010s were important years in Bailey Madison's career. In 2013, she joined the
01:32cast of the sitcom Trophy Wife, and in 2014, she became a recurring cast member on The
01:37Fosters. In an interview with Your Teen in 2014, Madison explained that she was still
01:42doing her best to live a normal teenage life despite working in Hollywood. She said,
01:46"...I would go to school, put on my uniform, pack my lunchbox. My involvement in the industry
01:50is like an after-school activity for other kids."
01:53She went on to say that her mom told her that she would have to stop acting if it ever changed
01:57her. Still, while she continued to remain grounded as a person, Madison's style was
02:01becoming more and more grown-up. Her red carpet attire mostly consisted of classic and feminine
02:07dresses, a standout moment being the one-shoulder Walter Mendes dress that she wore to the 2014
02:12American Music Awards.
02:15When Bailey Madison turned 16, her style became even more well-rounded, as the young star
02:19was now ready to explore an edgier side to her fashion. This meant rocking more black
02:24clothes and adding textures such as leather or sequins to many of her looks. Her makeup
02:29also became bolder as she experimented with smoky eyes and darker lipsticks.
02:33Madison's career also flourished. In 2015, she joined the cast of Good Witch as Grace
02:38Russell, a role she would end up playing until 2021. After she departed the show, she wrote
02:42on X, formerly known as Twitter,
02:44"...I feel so fortunate to have been able to bring Grace to life for five wonderful
02:48years and am so grateful to have been a part of the joy that filled homes."
02:53Even though acting remains Bailey Madison's number one love, she has shown interest in
02:57other facets of the industry from a young age. In 2016, she became a producer on Annabelle
03:01Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket, a project she also starred in.
03:05"...possibilities are limitless with this film, and that's why I'm so in love with it,
03:09and I think the audiences will be too, and I'm very excited to see where we can take
03:12Annabelle Hooper."
03:13At the same time, Madison began to explore a variety of different looks. At the 2016
03:17American Music Awards, she showed up in a dazzling Amado Couture dress. In contrast,
03:22she went with a totally different aesthetic at that year's Nylon Young Hollywood Party
03:26— a matching patchwork leather skirt and jacket set with 90s wine red lipstick.
03:32In 2017, Bailey Madison turned 18. She ditched her subtle, light brown highlights as she
03:37embraced a cooler, darker brown tone, and her clothing choices effortlessly switched
03:41between feminine, flirty, and casual with a bit of edge. Around this same time, Madison
03:46began to grapple with the responsibility of being a role model to so many younger fans.
03:50While this position might have frightened some, Madison admitted to The Pop Culture
03:53Principal that she's incredibly grateful for the position she's in. She explained,
03:57"...I very much embrace it, and I am very grateful."
04:00Madison, who has also been active on social media throughout her career, added that being
04:04transparent with her fans is a must. She said,
04:06"...I don't think it's so much pressure as it is just me trying to be as transparent,
04:11open, and honest as possible."
04:13In 2018, Bailey Madison opened up to Shun Magazine about where she stands when it comes
04:18to embracing her own beauty. She revealed,
04:20"...I'm the first to say how much I love being makeup-free and how it's the most confident
04:24I feel."
04:25However, she also said that the photo shoot for the magazine wasn't easy for her, saying,
04:29"...The creative team wanted my skin to be fresh, and I was feeling very self-conscious
04:33and not photogenic at all. I left the shoot feeling insecure and feared that when people
04:37saw those pictures, they would think that I wasn't pretty enough to be in a magazine
04:41spread."
04:42While the 2018 red carpet appearances remained, it's certainly comforting to know that behind
04:46all the glitz and glamour is a person who is relatable and honest, insecurities and
04:50all.
04:51"...I think I'm at a point right now where I'm just looking for stuff that speaks to
04:55me."
04:56By the time Bailey Madison turned 20, she had already honed her sense of style, often
05:00gravitating toward a darker lip and subtle eye makeup. Her fashion choices frequently
05:05included statement pieces during this period, too. For example, she was no stranger to combining
05:10sparkly glitter pants with an edgy black lace top, both of which are eye-catching pieces
05:14in their own right.
05:15Around this same time, Madison appeared to find her voice often speaking out about the
05:19issues of the day. The previous year, she had stressed to Shun Magazine the importance
05:23the younger generation holds when it comes to the political landscape. She said,
05:27"...young people need to know that their voices make change. They matter and that they are
05:31paving the way to a better future for not just our generation, but for generations to
05:36come. It's up to us and we can't back down. We need to continue to educate ourselves and
05:40speak up."
05:41In 2020, the entertainment industry came to a standstill, and Bailey Madison's career
05:46got stuck in lockdown. Once everything eased up a little, Madison began shooting HBO's
05:51Pretty Little Liars spinoff. Speaking to WonderMind in 2024, she recalled,
05:55"...I remember having this moment of, I'm doing a show that has always been a dream
05:58of mine and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm also the lowest I've ever been. I didn't
06:03necessarily know what to do with that."
06:05During the pandemic, Madison's style became more streamlined, as she mainly gravitated
06:09toward simple clothing pieces, which she combined with subtle accessories. A great example of
06:13her style at the time was the oversized suit dress with puffy shoulders that she rocked
06:17to the 2021 National Memorial Day concert.
06:21In 2022, Pretty Little Liars' original sin premiered, and forever altered the trajectory
06:26of Bailey Madison's career. Being a longtime fan of the original Freeform series, Madison
06:30was thrilled to be a part of the new series.
06:32"...I was the biggest fan of the original. It was like the show that I was obsessed with
06:36growing up."
06:37Madison began attending industry events as the world gradually became normal again. In
06:41this new chapter of her life, Madison dyed her hair lighter. Meanwhile, her style choices
06:45remained chic and fun, as she matched her fashion sense to her new hairstyle.
06:50In 2023, Bailey Madison began to have some serious fun with her hair, as the actor not
06:54only chopped her locks into a chic bob haircut, but also went blonde and occasionally a bright
07:00pink, too.
07:01Of course, 2023 being the year of Barbie, it seems she couldn't help but jump on the
07:05Barbie-core trend.
07:06"...Hi Barbie."
07:07"...Hi Barbie."
07:08"...Hi Barbie."
07:09"...Hi Barbie."
07:10"...Hi Barbie."
07:11"...Hi Barbie."
07:12"...Hi Barbie."
07:13"...Hi Barbie."
07:14"...Hi Barbie."
07:15"...Hi Barbie."
07:16"...Hi Barbie."
07:17"...Hi Barbie."
07:18This haircut and color showed off a more carefree side of the star's style, while proving that
07:19there's no need to limit yourself to just one aesthetic.
07:20In an interview with Numero at the time, Madison displayed just as much versatility when it
07:24came to taking care of herself. She said,
07:26"...I love being intentional on my off days and listening to what my soul and body need.
07:30However, it would be wrong to say that I can completely turn my creativity off. It runs
07:34through me whether it's an on day or an off day, so I enjoy embracing that and resetting
07:39my mind."
07:40In her mid-20s, Bailey Madison has been taking pains to ensure that she does everything right,
07:45not only for her career, but also her personal life. The star continues to advocate for self-care.
07:50As she tells WonderMind,
07:51"...I've started doing breath work in the morning before I get out of bed, which is
07:54something I've always wanted to do but have really struggled with because I find it really
07:57hard to be still and, quite simply, to breathe."
08:00She's well aware that her mental health is a work in progress, however. In the same interview,
08:04she said,
08:05"...it's constantly going to change, and my mind and my heart and my body are going to
08:08need new things as I continue to grow."
08:11Clearly, Madison's approach to her own mental health has matured alongside her career. From
08:15acting to producing to dabbling in music, she has grown into a talented young artist
08:19over the years, and we can't wait to see where she goes next.
08:24Here's what's next!
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