Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
I am Samantha Bailey. I am a 20-year-old actress, model, and dancer based in Los Angeles California. I started acting at the age of 4 1/2 years old.
I have been in a variety of movies, TV shows, and commercials. Some of those include the soap opera The Young and the Restless, where I played Summer Newman for 3 years, I was Young Becky on the Amazon Prime series Just Add Magic, and Bryce in Emerson Heights movie that can be found on most streaming platforms.
The latest film that I have out is One Night in San Diego where I played Bennett alongside the amazingly talented actresses Jenna Ushkowitz, Laura Ashley Samuels, and Alexandra Daddario.
My favorite part about acting is getting to create characters that have an effect on the audience. Whether that effect is emotional, thought-provoking, or something else, it brings me joy to know that was because of my work.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
What makes me different and unique compared to others in this same industry is that when I share off-screen life on social media, my followers know that it is my true self.
There can be so much out there that tries to pull people away from the truth but my goal is to always be completely real and genuinely me no matter what situation. I know I have a lot of younger followers since I have been working since a young age, so something that I really want is to do is inspire them to never give up on their dreams.
I also teach Princess Ballet to toddlers at a dance studio near me. There is something about working with the little ones that inspire me too. They have no fear! Jump off the stage? Yes. Sing at the top of your lungs? Yes. They go for it without holding back so I think that working with them has brought out my creative and adventurously bold side that I can bring to my acting work too.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
Since I started, there have been so many moments that were so special to me!
One that I remember very clearly is one day shortly after Just Add Magic came out, I was at home with my family and I saw that a Just Add Magic fan page reached out to me on Instagram. This girl introduced herself to me saying how she was from the UK and had just finished watching the whole season and my character was her favorite.
Before this, I knew my characters spoke to people but I hadn’t really ever been told directly by anybody directly. It brought me so much joy to know that she took her time to look me up and message me.
That is the moment it truly set in that what I do has the ability to make the audience feel things that they might not ever get to feel in their everyday lives.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
Challenges come up for me practically every day. I do my best to not let it get to me before I am able to work it out.
The biggest challenge I have had to face in my career is learning to accept rejection. Since I have been in the industry for so long, I can not tell you have many times I have been “No” or that I am not the right person for the role. The hardest thing was learning to not be upset over decisions that I don’t have to ability to change.
I know that the best thing I do after being turned down is to take it and let it inspire me to do even better when preparing for my next audition. This also makes the point when I finally get that “Yes” to be even more special because I know that I have truly worked for it.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
I would love to meet Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and Steven Spielberg. I consider these three the most amazing film directors in history and would love for me to get a chance to just talk to them.
It is my dream to be cast in one of their projects and get to work with any one of them someday. I think each of their film styles is unique and truly captivates their audiences so to be part of something that powerful is something I would love to experience.
Drop your social media links.
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SamanthaABailey1