Madison Bailey: From Outer Banks Star to Music Sensation
You may know Madison Bailey as the free-spirited Kiara on Outer Banks, but the 25-year-old actress possesses another skill set you haven’t yet seen on screen.
From Acting to Music
Growing up, her true passion was creating and writing music. But then she “kind of fell into acting” as a teenager, landed a recurring role in the DC superhero drama Black Lightning, then skyrocketed to fame with a starring role in Netflix’s hit series Outer Banks, which releases its fourth season on Oct. 10. She also has her movie, Time Cut, dropping on Oct. 30.
Returning to Her Roots
Now, five years after Outer Banks first premiered, Bailey is returning to her first love, sharing her voice with the world. She released her first single, “The Grey,” last month, a song she describes as being about “your true self and living life as free and without the world’s limitations as possible.”
Navigating Success and Identity
Below, Bailey gets candid about navigating the spotlight after the success of Outer Banks, why it’s important for her to be “unapologetically me and unapologetically queer,” and where she hopes to take her passion for music and acting in the future.
Interview Highlights
On Acting
What made you want to be an actor initially?
I realized that it could be something that I could love forever after visiting my first acting class. When you’re 15 and you’re a teenager, everything is embarrassing at that age. And I remember sitting in this room, like a class of eight people and they were doing an airplane scene. So they’re just sitting in this room pretending they’re on a plane. And I was like, this is a little silly, but there’s not a single person here that’s embarrassed. I’m more embarrassed watching it. And I was like, if I could be even half as comfortable as these people, like that for me was what I think drew me to it. It was just like a group of people just shamelessly expressing themselves.
On Music
Jumping over to music, what has it been like entering a new creative space with your first single, “The Grey?”
It’s been incredible. For me, it’s less of jumping to it and more of revisiting this lifelong dream before acting was even in my mind. Music is honestly the passion that raised me. I saw myself as a storyteller and for the majority of my life, music is how I wanted to tell my stories and to express myself and getting the opportunity in between projects and all of the craziness to make it happen, it’s a dream come true to even be making the music, let alone sharing it with the world, which is crazy and something I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to do.
Challenges and Growth
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome to get to where you are now?
My biggest thing that I’ve overcome is myself, like your own self-doubts of feeling like there are other people that are more talented than you, other people who might know someone who knows someone and fighting that. And getting validation along the way via Outer Banks, via the other projects that I’m doing, have really just shown light to that. Once you get yourself out of the way, you’re like your own worst enemy.
Disconnecting and Self-Care
What are ways you kind of disconnect from social media, work and life overall?
I’ve gotta be split down the middle, introvert and extrovert. I love my alone time, like my TLC time. I think the look good, feel good expression will be as timeless as it feels. And I would say that my family and my friends are a huge part of that, but it’s also not just about decompressing but to reground yourself. Like what we were talking about earlier, I am a real person, like I call my family and and I’m like, oh, I’m just y’all’s little sister or I’m to 10 kids, someone’s really corny auntie (Laughs). And that is like the most refreshing thing and these kids will humble you.
Conclusion
If you had to describe what makes Madison Bailey, Madison Bailey, what would you say?
I would say passion and family has just made me who I am. My family is a huge part of me and a huge part of pushing me to be myself. And I think growing up where I didn’t have to apologize so much for being a loud voice, benefited me in ways that I didn’t even understand at the time.
FAQs
What is Madison Bailey’s first single?
Madison Bailey’s first single is “The Grey,” which she released last month.
How long has Madison Bailey been on Outer Banks?
Madison Bailey has been on Outer Banks for five years since the show first premiered.
Credit: www.hollywoodreporter.com
