Chloe Bailey talks about her new film, The Exorcism, and her Atlanta roots

Photography courtesy of Miramax

Chloe Bailey’s accomplishments are seemingly endless. Her career path was written in the stars when, at the age of 5, she played the role of the younger version of Beyoncé in the 2003 musical. The temptations of combat. Since then, the Mableton native has written, performed and produced two critically acclaimed albums with her sister Halle Bailey, released her own solo record and performed on television shows. Growing And Swarmas well as films Jane And Rent this.

Bailey’s latest big screen adventure sees her team up with Academy Award winner Russell Crowe in The exorcismwhich arrives in theaters on June 21. The supernatural horror film follows a struggling actor who begins to unravel as he makes his own entrance into the terrifying genre, especially as the film’s director treats the struggling actor in a humiliating manner, on behalf of authenticity.

Bailey was perfectly placed to play Blake Holloway’s character. An aspiring actress with a musical background, in the film within the film, Blake’s character is a young girl possessed by the demon Molech.

Before the release of The exorcism, Atlanta caught up with the talented multi-hyphenate to discuss the film, how her roots in metro Atlanta impacted her creative voice, her biggest inspirations, and why she had to learn to be imperfect.

Are you a horror fan?
I really appreciate art. Am I looking? No, I’m a fearful cat. I always sleep with some sort of light on. I believe in, you know, I stay prayed. I love God. So I never want to vibrate on that frequency or open myself up to that. But the vibes were great. I stayed in an apartment that was a former funeral home building, which I found out about maybe a week before I left.

What attracted you to The Exorcism?
I loved the script. I auditioned for that. They loved me for Blake, and here I am.

How long did this process take?
From the time I auditioned to the time I got the role, I would say a week.

What stood out to you about Blake’s character?
I loved it. It was a movie within a movie, and I really resonated with Blake Holloway and how she was finding herself and her identity and who she is as a person. This really touched me. I remember thinking, I think I can do it.

What goals did you set for yourself with this film?
I was just excited to push myself. I’m a huge fearful cat. I was like, If I can do this, I can conquer anything. So I definitely pushed myself for that. I hope the audience will be scared while watching it.

Photography courtesy of Miramax

How was your collaboration with Russell Crowe?
I love Russell. He’s such a phenomenal actor and he treated me so kindly on set. I love how he gets lost in the character and in that moment. Even after saying cut, it still stays there.

How often do you return to Atlanta?
I was just in Atlanta, off and on, for about two months filming the show called A night of fighting. I was there the year before filming Rent this. So, you know, I always find my way back.

What is your favorite restaurant when you are at home?
One of my favorite restaurants as a kid is called Siam Square (in Smyrna). It’s still there. I went there last year. It was so nostalgic.

How has being from Atlanta impacted your creative voice?
This is where I grew up. This is where I put down my roots. This is where Chloe was born. And the formative years of my evolution truly began. I lived in Atlanta before I found my voice. When I think about it, I am grateful for those moments because they made me who I am today.

What do you have coming up next?
I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve. I have an album coming called Trouble in paradise. I really like this album. It’s a big ball of pleasure. This sounds like what a summer fling would be like. I just lived my life and worked really, really hard

What do you want to achieve with your career?
I just want to be a better version of who I am today, tomorrow, etc. I want to get out of my comfort zone. God has blessed me with some gifts and I just want to be able to show them to the world. For a positive reason. Even if it’s only for an hour or two. So that a person can get lost in the world of cinema and not worry about their daily struggles and depression. Or, if they tap one of my songs, I hope people can heal through them or even just dance. I just hope that I have some sort of positive impact in the world.

Is there anyone who has inspired your career?
I’m really proud of my sister. I think she plays and sings so well. Who else? There are so many. When it comes to acting, my inspirations are Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett. I fell in love with their work all over again. With the acting projects I take on, I want to be seen as that role and that character. I don’t want people to see Chloe Bailey, the singer. As I get older, I take the profession more and more seriously. I can’t wait for people to see how much I’ve grown this way.

Is it difficult to balance your acting and singing activities?
It’s not difficult at all. When I was younger, my dream was to be a Broadway star. This includes singing, acting and dancing. My mind has always been trained to do everything. I think the reason I love acting even more is because it sucks to be perfect. You play a human being. None of us are perfect. We don’t know what we’re going to say next. So being able to lose yourself in this character is really sick and really cool. Then, when it comes to music, you have to be perfect. You have to hit that riff correctly, execute very precise dance moves, and perform and put on a show. This definitely scratches both sides of my brain. It’s really awesome. I think that’s why I like both.

Did you have to learn to be imperfect in your playing?
Yes. It was so liberating to be able to unblock that side of my brain. It was like, Wait, don’t you have to be perfect? I’ve been doing this my whole life. Since I was little. You weren’t supposed to have a bad day, be a little depressed or anything like that. So it’s nice to be able to do that now with the characters and the roles that I play.

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