Entertainment
Bailee Madison Is Keeping All The 'Pretty Little Liars' Secrets
The actress talks bonding with the original cast and her favorite fan theories so far.
Bailee Madison knows “how to keep a secret pretty well.” The 22-year-old actress, known for her roles in movies like The Bridge To Terabithia and shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, has been holding details of the highly anticipated Pretty Little Liars reboot closely, even as fan theories have proliferated online.
“I've seen the theories about A, and who they think it might be,” Madison tells NYLON over the phone from Nevada, where she’s staying with her boyfriend, Blake Richardson, while his band, New Hope Club, is on tour. “I have seen that my baby could possibly be A, and that's been a fun one to watch the internet take over.”
Being cast as Imogen Adams in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a spinoff set 20 years after the events of the original murder mystery show (that Madison was a fan of), has been “overwhelmingly surreal.” Madison has received lots of love from the original cast, saying, “All of the women have just somehow entered my life in different ways. They just have always been so lovely and kind and supportive to me. And Lucy [Hale] is a dear friend of mine and someone that just means so much to my heart. And so she has been definitely by my side through this whole journey.”
To celebrate the premiere of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (now streaming On HBO Max), Madison took the NYLON-19 questionnaire. Read on for her answers:
What’s your astrological sign (and do you believe in it)?
I'm a Libra. I follow it because they say they're good people. So I like to think that's a good sign. They also say they're really indecisive, and I can't make a decision. I can make work decisions like no problem, but personal decisions, I can't sometimes.
Do you believe in ghosts, (and have you ever seen one)?
I feel like it's wrong to say I don't believe in ghosts. I feel like if I say that, watch me just meet a bunch of them. I feel like I've yet to experience that, is what I will say.
What is your go to drink order? And if it's boozy, what's your go to hangover cure?
Water guys, really. But if it's not water, it's going to probably be a black iced tea unsweetened. And then boozy, I guess just champagne. Just a glass of champagne. That's enough for me. Just one.
Who would be the three headliners of the music festival of your dreams?
Chris Stapleton, New Hope Club, and Catfish and The Bottleman.
Describe your worst date in three words.
There's no plan! When you're just like, so what's next? That, I guess. Not that I need, like, a plan-plan, just like, a thought of something.
What was the last DM you received?
I received a DM from my father two hours ago and he said "looking amazing dear." Those are the DMs I want, that's what you need in your DMs. So thank you, dad.
If you could be in any music video, what would it be?
My God, this is really hard for me. I need to really think that through. I mean, I would still do like old, old school Taylor Swift. One of her early music videos. “Teardrops On My Guitar.” Or “You Belong With Me.” That would be sick. Just like OG era, to get to be there for that.
What was your first concert and what are your memories of it?
My first concert was Rascal Flatts. I was four years old. It was in Florida. I went with my older sister and our cousin and I just remember it was pouring down rain before the show started and our clothes got soaked. So I got an oversized Rascal Flatts T-shirt, and I had a pink cowgirl hat on with a tiara and I had the time of my life.
What was your favorite movie as a kid?
I was obsessed with Shrek growing up. I used to make my older brother Connor watch it with me all the time. And then Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff. I had a little DVD case that I traveled with, so it was like Shrek, Cinderella Story, and this movie called The Sleepover, I'm pretty sure. It's just this early 2000s movie.
What's a piece of clothing from high school or just the past that you wish that you had kept?
Well, here's the thing. I go back to my sign, which is indecisive. I keep a lot of things because I do this thing where I'm like, well, if I have a daughter one day, I want to be able to pass on outfits that meant something to me. So for the most part, I've actually kept some of my early premiere looks, or the first time I was on Jay Leno, or outfits that wardrobe departments have made. So the stuff that means something, I have refused to throw away.
What is your go-to sad song?
Oh, you know what got me? “Tolerate It,” that just broke my heart at one point, off the Folklore album. I used to just listen to that and be like, this is so depressing. That's a good one.
Or there's a song called, “I Wasn't Expecting That,” by Jamie Lawson. And it's like the most beautiful love story. And it's a story through the song. But you experience every emotion, and then it ends and just like gut-wrenching heartbreak. I remember the first time I listened to it, I bawled in the car, like, that's so messed up that they would do that. That he would break my heart like that.
What is one question that you never want to be asked again?
I don't know. I feel like I just get asked all the time, how I got started, and I do love the question, because the start was what allowed me to do what I love. But I feel like I just have gotten the story so condensed now to the Spark Notes version.
Which reality show would you most like to appear on?
Honestly, I would like to stop by the Selling Sunset offices and just see what everyone’s deal is. Just sit everyone down. I think the offices need me, to be fair. I think I would go in there and I would shake things up. Like, come on, come on guys, we got this.
What is your best beauty tip or trick?
Always clean your face at the end of the night. It’s something that sounds so expected, but I know what it's like to get into bed and just have a day, and you're just exhausted and you want to sleep. So I would say just drink lots of water, always wash your skin and sometimes, less is more. Don't feel like you need to have a really big step routine. Just find what works for you and keep sticking with it.
And do not pluck your eyebrows. Well, I mean, like, you can get the unibrow, you can get the crazy hairs. But let your eyebrows live.
What is your favorite pair of shoes that you own and why?
I just love a good sneaker, to be honest. I think I have a pair of white Air Force Ones, and they're just really classic and easy to slip on. I'm pretty basic now. I honestly have a shoe obsession. I love all my little shoes. They all mean something.
What is a bad habit of yours that you've been meaning to fix?
I still pick my nails. I would say I’m such a fidgeter, especially when I'm thinking. I don't know when I'm doing that and I'm over it. I need to stop it, but it's my New Year’s resolution every year. So maybe finally.
What is your favorite internet joke or meme currently?
Everyone calls me Grandma Bailee online. This the stuff I'm not good at. I don't think that's a meme. Is Spider-Man a meme? The pointing Spider-Man one.
What is your favorite fast food place (and what’s your go-to order)?
Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich with a chocolate frosty.
What is one thing everyone should buy that's under $10?
A hug a day, because it's free. And HBO Max.
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