Life & Work with Xander Bailey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Xander Bailey.

Xander, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in New York City, where I started acting in the theatre after returning from college in my early twenties. It was around that time that I wrote my first screenplay. I also had the good fortune to study with the renowned acting coach Bob McAndrew, which laid a great foundation for me as an actor. I did give a shot at a “real” job at an advertising agency for a minute, but that wasn’t gonna do it for me. So, I moved to Los Angeles in 2001, not for any real strategic reason, though I had been told there was more acting work in LA than in New York. But it was more of a “Let’s take a chance and see what happens” mentality. It was true; there was a lot of work in LA. Most of my neighbors and people I’d met were in the business in one way or another. In New York, you kind of had to seek out the creative community, but in LA it seemed like it was all around. And it has been quite an adventure. I’ve gotten to work with some really incredible people as an actor over the years and I now have six feature film screenplays written, one of which I’ve also published as a novella.

Talking about this reminds me of when I was still in New York and bartending to save money for the move to LA. I had the day shift at a Mexican restaurant, one of the few we had in Manhattan at the time. There was a guy who would come in on his lunch break and order a couple of margaritas every day. He knew I was an actor AND a writer and one afternoon he said “It’s such a tough business; don’t you think it would be better to pick just one.” I remember thinking, yeah that sounds logical but I enjoy both so, no, that wouldn’t be better. He may have been right in terms of expediting career advancement but I can honestly say I’m very glad I didn’t sacrifice one for the other. And as Dante Alighieri wrote in ‘The Divine Comedy’: “Segui il tuo Corso e lascia dir le gente.” Which means follow your own path and let the people talk. I’m not saying I didn’t appreciate this guy’s offer of advice, I certainly did, but some advice is best to be contemplated and not necessarily followed.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think one of the biggest challenges is getting out of your own way. There are some things we can control but a lot more that we can’t. When we accept that and go with it, we can start to see it as a good thing and then good things actually start to happen. When we feel like ‘I must have this’ or ‘it must be this way’ we close ourselves off to other possibilities that may, in fact, provide us with a smoother ride. Obstacles are a vital component of the journey, and thank God for that, otherwise that journey would probably be very short and boring. You learn from the things that seem to go wrong or don’t go your way, which I suppose is an integral part of the process. I think it’s also helpful to try and enjoy the ride as much as possible. You never know when it’s going to end so make the most of it – whatever that means to you as an individual. That being said, I don’t think being in a rush is a good idea. I’ve found that things tend to go a lot better when you’re dedicated, determined and excited but not desperate, controlling and impatient. As actors, we’re trained to “be in the moment” and let things happen, I think it’s useful to apply that to life also.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been acting and writing for over twenty years and something I’ve realized through the characters I’ve played as an actor and the characters I’ve created as a writer and my own life experiences is that we’re all on a crazy journey of discovery. When I look back at scripts I wrote before I had that clear in mind, all the characters still have that going on, even if I didn’t really know why at the time. That tells me it’s inherent in all of us, whether we know it or not. When we do finally know it, it makes the journey easier and maybe quickens the pace a bit. Then it allows us to go even deeper into the characters we bring to life as actors or writers because we can see that those characters are on their own journey as well, and we get to go on it with them and vice versa. I know that may sound a little nutty to some but that’s how I’m seeing it.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happy when I’m working and creating. I’m always ready to work as an actor or get one of my scripts going, but I don’t just mean creating professionally – I also mean in life. We are always creating our future and I keep that in mind a lot these days. I also think collaboration is important. Embracing and allowing for true collaboration reveals great things that nobody could see coming – the happy accidents, the intuitive choices that seem to come out of nowhere. That’s when you can really strike gold, artistically and personally.

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.me/xanderbailey/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xanderbaileyofficial/
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/xander-bailey-42a4aa231