Actress Baliee Madison On “I Am Second”
“I am second because God is the mighty Lord. He is the most powerful and I am second because I put myself as second. You have to put God first. You cannot always be in first place. I think it’s very cool to say ‘I am second’.” – Baliee Madison
In this video from the “I Am Second” Baliee Madison, a talented young actress you may have seen in movies like Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia talks about what her faith means to her and how she puts God first in her life and acting. It’s awesome to see young people shining for God on the big screen:
Baliee On I Am Second (From IAmSecond.com)
One of my films, Letters to God is based on a true story about a young boy named Tyler who is struggling with brain cancer. He begins to write letters to God not only about himself but about other people that aren’t choosing the right path toward God. In particular, he helps this mailman named Brady who’s just totally off the path. So it is basically about faith and hope but mostly it’s a message about God.
I had never read a film about God. While mom and I were reading it, we just looked at each other and we knew that this was what we came here to do and that this was God telling us, “You wanted this film and this is being put into your hands now.” I knew it was a film that would give hope and that families who have been affected by cancer or even families who didn’t could relate to that film. They would walk out of the theatre feeling God and saying to themselves, “I want to try being a part of God.” I feel blessed and it’s an amazing feeling to give back to people with a wonderful film like this…
I basically read the script, auditioned and I walked out of there not knowing really what was going to happen. Soon after I got the phone call that I would do it! My mom and I were just very, very, very happy! We just knew that this was our time to give back.
Usually we read the script and if we feel the film is for a more adult crowd or if it has grown-up content, we decide against it because we know that God doesn’t want us to do it. We just tell my manager, “We’d rather pass on this one.” We like to accept good ones that families can come to and little kids can feel good about watching and want to watch it over and over again. It’s very, very special having kids walk up to me and say, “Hi, can I have a picture with you?” You know, you just feel very, very, very pleased with what you did and you feel very happy that that film made kids interested.
My mom and I are very, very close. She guides me through everything and she’s very supportive of me and I love her so much. Everyday we pray that God’s light will shine through me and us and we can make a difference together. I write notes to her every night telling her how much I love her.
Acting is a way you can speak words that other people wrote about God. I can pray to God in this movie and I never thought that I would have a chance to do that. My mom always said, “If you ever have one bit of change, we can always go back home.” I just really love acting!
But it is challenging. It’s a challenging business and it’s a hard business but it’s also fun for me. You know, people say “Oh, that’s so hard,” and I’m just thinking, “Yeah, it’s fun for me, though.” I have a great time doing it. It’s very cool going on new experiences and playing different roles each time.
I don’t get nervous. When I was a little girl and I had to do crying scenes, I thought of my dog Scampi who we put down like 3 years ago was probably the best dog! He would run around with hoagies in his mouth chasing it. He would eat 20 cupcakes – chocolate cupcakes – and never get sick. And he was just the one that I thought of and missed. Acting is fun, but I don’t get nervous much. I always just say to God let your words come through me and let me just get all my nerves out of the way and just let me feel You inside of me.
This was the first movie where I’ve actually had prayer warriors on here. And this is the first time that I could actually walk up to them and say, ‘Could you pray for my sister?’ or ‘Could you pray for my brothers?’ Everyday the cast would come together and have a big prayer and I love that very, very much. But even if other movie sets don’t do that, mom and I always pray on our way there to just ask God to be with us.
Sometimes people think, “Oh, our life is so bad; we have so many worries on us.” But really, God is taking care of them. I always joke with mom, saying, “He has little remote controls where He types in what I’m going to say.” You know? He’s controlling us and He makes sure that we have the right path. We need to make sure that we’re going on the right path. That’s really the most important thing that I want to share to everyone who is hurting inside and they feel as if they don’t have anyone to relate to. I think you have to know that you can talk to God even though you can’t see Him, even though you cannot hear Him when He says things back to you. You can pray and you can look up to Him. He will hear you and He will fix things.
Other kids should know that even though you have an earthly father, God is your Father that you can look up to and you can say to Him, “God, I’m not feeling too well today.” Or if it’s just little things like, “I feel homesick” if you’re, somewhere else. Or, “I need you, Lord. I need to feel happiness in my heart.” It’s just little things like that. They need to know that you have God up there, a heavenly Father who’s looking down at you and is answering your prayers. And if you receive God and you say, “I’m ready to commit myself to You,” that you will have no worries. You will have struggles in life, but you will know that God is watching you. And the most important thing is you have to have hope, you have to have faith, you have to commit to what you’re doing.
It’s a big thing for God to tell us, ‘I’m very, very happy with what you did.” And He’s amazingly happy with things that people do. And He’s happier when we do the right thing. You know, when we choose to tell the truth. Even if you break something and you tell your mom or dad, “Hey, I broke something,” God is happy about that.
I can remember when I worked on a film in New Mexico and the Director was very, very strong. It was a very challenging thing. I needed God. I would go home at night and I would cry everyday. I would get scenes that were written for me and scenes that I was excited about, get taken from me by another kid. Honestly, I had a bit of evil in me because upset that the girl got one of my parts. God showed me, He helped me through that. But now, we are best friends and we talk to everyone and God’s shown me to be nice.
My mom always told me when I was done with Bridge to Terabithia, “You have to stay humble Baillee.” And she continues to say that everyday “Humble, Bailee, humble.” She just wants to make sure I’m humble. And it’s not about me, it’s about God. He chose for me to do this and he can choose for me to stop. And I have to be okay with that because He knows what’s best. And I have to continue to be humble and follow God. If it ended, I would be disappointed. I would be very disappointed. But I would know it was for a reason and that God would protect me. I have to follow what He would want. I have to be okay with it.
I am second because God is the mighty Lord. He is the most powerful and I am second because I put myself as second. You have to put God first. You cannot always be in first place. I think it’s very cool to say “I am second”.
