Biography
Date of Birth
15 December 1999, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Birth Name
Bailee Rose Madison
Nickname
Bail
Bailes
Bay Bay
Height
5' 6" (1.68 m)
Mini Biography
This young actress has worked with a number of the industry's biggest stars in a variety of diverse and challenging roles. She won rave reviews and a Critics Choice Movie Award nomination for her powerful work on the feature film, Brothers (2009), opposite Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. She played the young "Betty Ann Waters" in Fox Searchlight's Conviction (2010), with Hilary Swank and Minnie Driver.
Most recently, Bailee had a starring role in producer Guillermo del Toro's thriller, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010), with Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, Bailee was recommended for the role by her Brothers (2009) co-star, Natalie Portman. She played a withdrawn child being haunted by insatiable demons; the film was released in August 2011. Bailee starred as the daughter of Marisa Tomei and the granddaughter of Bette Midler and Billy Crystal in the film Parental Guidance (2012), a co-production between 20th Century Fox and Walden Media.
In 2011, Variety named Bailee an honoree for her philanthropic efforts with "Alex's Lemonade Stand" at the "Variety Power Of Youth Awards", which pays homage to the industry's most talented young activists. A driven and talented young actress, Bailee is equally committed to using her public profile to raise awareness for those less fortunate. Between filming major motion pictures, Bailee has been devoting her time and energy to "Alex's Lemonade Stand", an organization that encourages children, nationwide, to raise money to find a cure for childhood cancer through running their own lemonade stands.
Her other feature films include Letters to God (2010) and Hallmark's A Taste of Romance (2012) with Teri Polo. For her role in Columbia Pictures' comedy, Just Go with It (2011), with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, Bailee earned rave reviews with "The Wall Street Journal".
Bailee captured audiences hearts with her role of "May Belle Aarons" in Disney's Bridge to Terabithia (2007), and has left lasting impressions with her performances in the independent film, Phoebe in Wonderland (2008) (starring Felicity Huffman and Elle Fanning), and on television in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). She appears as "Maxine Russo" in Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place (2007), for its fourth and final season. When Bailee isn't working or studying, she loves cooking with her family.
When Bailee's not traveling, she loves spending time at home with family and friends, barbecuing, swimming, and playing on her swing set. Of course her dog, Maddy, is always by her side.
Trivia
Younger sister of actress Kaitlin Riley.
Comes from the same part of south Florida as Bella Thorne and Victoria Justice.
Was on a show, prior to Once Upon a Time (2011), with Jennifer Morrison. She played "Lucy", while Jennifer played her doctor in the House M.D. (2004) episode, House M.D.: Act Your Age (2007). They shared no scenes in Once Upon a Time (2011), because Bailee is the young version of Jennifer's character's mother.
Gets frequently confused with Maia Mitchell.
Bailee Madison played Maia Mitchell's sister on the show "The Fosters" and people often think they're real sisters, because they look alike.
Quotes
God has just given me such an amazing journey and able to play; it's been so much fun. I'm having a blast!
What do I love about acting? I love traveling, meeting new people, exploring and just doing what I love.
There is a reason for everything.
Work is so much fun that it doesn't really seem like downtime when I'm not. But cooking, spending time with my family, friends and dog are what I'm usually doing when I'm not working on something.
I want to be the coolest aunt in the entire world.
I did Bridge to Terabithia (2007) when I was around 6 years old, but for my first movie, I was 5.
I love South Florida; this is where I am from, so I don't think there is anything more rewarding than knowing that where you grew up is standing behind you and supporting you.
I honestly don't even know how I got into acting. It happened so quickly because my mom and sister used to do commercials, and apparently when I was little I would unbuckle myself from the stroller and crash their auditions.
I'm very, very blessed.
Something my mom and I have always said to each other is: 'We're not here for interviews. We're not here to get your picture taken. We're here to make a difference, and this is our opportunity to.'
I would love to have the honor to get to work with Meryl Streep. I love her and I love her work.
I'd like to follow in the footsteps along like Jodie Foster and Natalie Portman, who got their education.
I'm originally from Fort Lauderdale: that's my home town in Florida. So when I'm on location, I just get the packets from schools in Florida. And when I go to Florida, I go to Christ Church School.
One of my favorite traditions is that my sisters and I, we all wear the same pajamas. I've even still got some from when I was 6. Also, I'll always remember cooking together in the kitchen and that no matter how busy our schedules are, we are all together for Christmas.
Katie Holmes is really amazing.
When you have a movie, you know who they start out as and where they go. But this is constantly changing, and you're growing with the character.
My mom got me into some commercials, and I basically, I guess, just got out of my shell I was in at the time because I can't remember. I've just been blessed ever since.
My mom really inspired me. She has always taught me it's not about us, it's about what we can give back.
