A Critics Choice Movie Award nominee for her work on the feature, “Brothers,” Bailee Madison starred in Guillermo del Toro’s thriller, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and in the comedy “Parental Guidance.” She has also appeared in “Letters to God,” Hallmark’s “A Taste of Romance” and she earned rave reviews for her work in Columbia Pictures’ comedy, “Just Go with It.” Other works include her role of “May Belle Aarons” in Disney’s “Bridge to Terabithia” and the independent film, “Phoebe in Wonderland.” In the dark thriller “The Strangers: Prey at Night,” Madison is Kinsey, a teen who fights for survival when three masked psychopaths threaten her and her family in a secluded mobile home park. In this one-on-one interview, Madison reveals what drew her this film, the challenges she faced, and how she brought the character of Kinsey to life.
This is not exactly the Disney film we’re used to seeing you in. What attracted you to this tense thriller?
Bailee Madison: Exactly for that reason. I wanted to remind myself that I could scream and cry and be scared. So I was looking for something that would let me do that. I had so many horror scripts coming my way, but none were right for me. So when I got the script to “Strangers,” it lit this fire inside me. I said I have to be a part of this movie. I was recovering from surgery and they said we can do this, just get your voice back. Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson were involved and I was a fan of their work. I had written a letter to them saying I promise you, I got this girl, I need to bring her to life.
Did you audition for the role of Kinsey? What was that like?
Madison: I read the script and I was sitting there not able to talk much due to my recent operation. But I was fortunate to meet with casting. I went in and I said let’s just do this thing. And I had a blast doing the audition. I think we talked about the script for five minutes and the rest of the 30 minutes, we talked about life, people, and jokes. Afterward, I wrote a letter to them saying how much I appreciated the script and how I felt the need to bring Kinsey to life. Lewis Pullman and I were both fighting for our roles. I had a feeling they would cast us together. We had this brother-sister bond since I had worked with Lewis’ dad some time back. I remember walking into this room on a Sunday with Lewis and we got our parts right then and there.
You do a lot of screaming, running and falling in this film, what did you find most challenging about playing Kinsey?
Madison: She has so many complicated layers. She also smokes and I had never picked up a cigarette in my life. Everyone on set made fun of me. That’s why they put in that part where Kinsey is told, you know, you have to inhale. I did have to push myself physically. The stunt team let me do as much as I could. After filming, our stunt coordinator, Cal Johnson, who is a genius, gave me a t-shirt that said: Stunt Team—The Strangers. He said you are officially part of the stunt team. That meant more to me than anything.
How are you different from Kinsey and how are you alike?
Madison: I think we’re incredibly different people. I just couldn’t see myself in her at all. When Kinsey’s in these situations and fighting back, I honestly think I would just freeze and probably just cry in a corner. I don’t know what I would do. To me, Kinsey was a stranger. Someone I had no clue how to connect with. That’s why I was so excited, because I’m usually able to find something in a character that I can relate to, but here, I had nothing. So I just tried to figure it out and luckily, I had an amazing team to help me.
What did you draw from internally to portray a teen who summons the strength to survive against seemingly all odds?
Madison: I had the help of director Johannes Roberts and the rest of the cast and crew, who were a complete joy to work with. The night before a big scene with Christina (Hendricks), we sat down and talked and played Scrabble together. We did this little game of cat and mouse, like in the film; we’re kind of like trapped mice. Also, when you have an amazing hair and makeup team and you’re filming something you’re supposed to be afraid of, it helps so much. I was covered in all this fake blood and dirt. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out her backstory and what makes her tick with everyone. Then during filming, I just let myself go and not worry about what I looked like.
Can you go into your favorite scene?
Madison: There’s a scene between Lewis and I. It’s one of the quieter scenes. Our characters have both been through hell. It’s a scene he and I both dreaded filming because we knew how important it was to the film. But when it came time to filming, we just both lost ourselves in the roles. I was crying and hyperventilating so much and Lewis was so freaked out. And just to do the scene over and over again, that was exhausting but a blast to do. And then stunt-wise, when the car was on fire, that whole sequence. It was emotionally and physically demanding. I fell out of that car so many times, my knees were bloody and my elbows were so raw, I couldn’t move anything when I went home that night.
Are you in school? What are you studying? And what else are you doing?
Madison: I graduated from high school and I’m looking at my college courses now. I’m also dipping my toes into all these different areas. I have my clothing line and my fiction novel, Losing Brave. So I’m using this opportunity to try as many things as I can.
Check out the trailer for “The Strangers: Prey at Night”
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
