Bailee Madison
Bailee Madison is an American actress and singer. Beginning as a child actress and later expanding to mature roles and horror, her accolades include three Young Artist Awards, with nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Saturn Award.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Madison began acting at just two weeks of age, appearing mostly in television commercials for the first few years. Her film debut, as May Belle Aarons in the fantasy drama Bridge to Terabithia, brought her early praise. She gained wider acclaim for starring in the war drama film Brothers, for which she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. She had commercial success with starring roles in the comedies Just Go with It and Parental Guidance, though the critical reception of these films was mostly negative.
Madison transitioned to television in ensuing years, first with recurring roles in The Haunting Hour: The Series, as young Snow White in Once Upon a Time, and as a teenager with multiple mental health issues in the drama series The Fosters. She played the leading roles of Hillary Harrison in Trophy Wife and Grace Russell in Good Witch. Madison gained further praise and resurged her status as a scream queen with her leading role as Imogen Adams in the HBO Max slasher horror series Pretty Little Liars, a spinoff of the eponymous original series. She subsequently debuted her solo music career with the release of the pop single "Kinda Fun".
Early life
Madison was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Patricia Riley and Daniel Hotte. The youngest of seven children, she has four brothers and two sisters. Her elder sister, Kaitlin Vilasuso, is also an actress. She has Canadian citizenship through her father.Madison began her career when she was two weeks old, appearing in an Office Depot commercial. Since then, she has appeared in several national commercials for major companies including Disney, SeaWorld, and Cadillac.
Career
2010s
In 2010, Madison starred in her first leading role in the supernatural horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. She starred alongside Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, portraying the role of Sally Hurst, a lonely withdrawn child who is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film stars out of 4, calling it "a very good haunted house film" and adding that it "milks our frustration deliciously."In 2011, Madison portrayed Maxine Russo in some episodes of The Wizards of Waverly Place at the time when Max Russo was turned into a girl.
In 2013, Madison began playing Hillary on the TV sitcom Trophy Wife, replacing Gianna LePera who played the character in the pilot.
In 2014, she began playing the recurring role of Sophia Quinn in the ABC Family drama The Fosters.
In 2015, she began playing Grace Russell, the daughter of Cassie Nightingale, in the Hallmark series Good Witch. Madison continued in the role until the end of the fifth season in 2019.
In 2017, it was announced that Madison would star in an adaptation of Rachel Bateman's novel Someone Else's Summer.
In 2018, Madison portrayed the role of Kinsey, a rebellious child in the slasher film The Strangers: Prey at Night. She starred alongside Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson, as her parents. Although the film received a mixed response from critics, Madison's performance was praised and was relatively successful at the box office.
2020s
In 2021, Madison played the female lead in a teen Christian musical drama, A Week Away, alongside Kevin Quinn. Netflix released the film on March 26. The following year, she played Imogen Adams in the HBO Max horror-thriller series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a spin-off of Pretty Little Liars, to critical acclaim. In 2024, Madison signed a deal with Red Van Records, releasing her first single, "Kinda Fun", on January 12, and her second single, "Chiller", on July 26.Personal life
Since 2019, Madison has been in a relationship with Blake Richardson, from the band New Hope Club.She is an avid supporter of Manchester United Football Club.
Other ventures
Since 2010, Madison has served as the national youth spokesperson for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a childhood-cancer charity organization that encourages kids to fundraise and spread awareness of pediatric cancer by running their own lemonade stands. In January 2018, Madison's first novel was published, Losing Brave, a young-adult mystery which was co-written with Stefne Miller. Since November 2018, she has co-hosted the podcast Just Between Us with her sister Kaitlin Vilasuso.Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Lonely Hearts | Rainelle Downing | |
| 2007 | Bridge to Terabithia | May Belle Aarons | |
| 2007 | Look | Megan | |
| 2007 | Saving Sarah Cain | Hannah Cottrell | |
| 2007 | The Last Day of Summer | Maxine | |
| 2008 | Phoebe in Wonderland | Olivia Lichten | |
| 2009 | Brothers | Isabelle Cahill | |
| 2010 | An Invisible Sign | Young Mona Gray | |
| 2010 | Conviction | Young Betty Anne Waters | |
| 2010 | Letters to God | Samantha Perryfield | |
| 2010 | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | Sally Hurst | |
| 2011 | Just Go With It | Maggie Murphy | |
| 2011 | 25 Hill | Kate Slater | Cameo |
| 2012 | Parental Guidance | Harper Simmons | |
| 2012 | Monica | Monica | Short film |
| 2012 | Cowgirls 'n Angels | Ida Clayton | |
| 2013 | The Magic Bracelet | Ashley | Short film |
| 2013 | Watercolor Postcards | Cotton | |
| 2016 | Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket | Annabelle Hooper | Also producer |
| 2017 | A Cowgirl's Story | Dusty Rhodes | Also producer |
| 2018 | The Strangers: Prey at Night | Kinsey Roberts | |
| 2019 | Love & Debt | Melissa Warner | |
| 2021 | A Cinderella Story: Starstruck | Finley Tremaine | |
| 2021 | A Week Away | Avery | Also co-producer |
| 2022 | Play Dead | Chloe | |
| Kate | |||
| Leah Jones |
Publications
- ''Losing Brave''