Meet Alexandra (Ali) Bayless

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra (Ali) Bayless.

Alexandra (Ali), please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a house full of artists. My mom runs a very successful children’s theatre back home in North Carolina, my dad is an Emmy award-winning makeup artist for film and TV and my brother works in production. Halloween was and still is my favorite holiday for obvious reasons.

After spending many years performing at my mom’s theatre, I chose to audition for the BFA acting program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I was accepted into the program and spent the next three years of my life preparing to move to NYC and conquer the Broadway stage. During my fourth year, I took an acting for the camera class with an amazing professor named Michael Flannery. I fell in love with film acting and became enthralled with the idea of moving to Hollywood. I ended up taking an independent study with Professor Flannery which consisted of us meeting once a week for an hour to discuss life in Hollywood and movies (the dream class). Right before graduation, I got an audition for one of the leads in an indie feature being shot in South Carolina. I booked the job, shot “The Hobby Stop” that summer and as soon as production wrapped, I packed my car and moved to LA.

My first year in LA was tough to say the least. It took me months to get a survival job (waiting tables) and even longer to find a solid group of friends. Luckily I found an acting school that focused a lot on community building and there I met many of the friends I still have to this day.

While trucking along in acting class and juggling odd jobs (hostessing, waitressing and working as a criminal for the LAPD’s interrogation training course) I managed to book some professional acting jobs. I booked co-stars on “Day’s of our Lives”, “Criminal Minds” and “Halt and Catch Fire”. I landed a guest star spot on the ABC show “In an Instant” (such a fun shoot…tons of cool special effects with fire). I also produced and created several shorts and web-series and also acted in plays.

Even though I was working as a professional actor, I remained in acting school. It was in class that I realized what I loved most about acting…the physical character work; deciding what this person looked like in the mirror. How they did their hair, what kind of lipstick they wore, did they have scars or tattoo’s and what parts of the story supported these choices. Word quickly spread that I had a knack for makeup and hair and pretty soon, I was getting personal makeup and hair requests from classmates for their scenes. Eventually, this grew into me doing makeup and hair for friend’s short films. And then I started getting paid. The makeup and hair work soon outshined the acting jobs and I had to make a decision. I went home to North Carolina and spent some time studying beauty makeup and special effects makeup with my Dad.

I put acting on the back burner about a year ago and haven’t looked back. I’ve been extremely lucky with word of mouth getting me jobs. Two years ago, I got hired to work as department head on my first feature film “Blush” starring Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, The Goldbergs, Reno 911). I had no idea what I was doing but I hired a great key MUA (Ashley Stansbury) and we made it work! This film ended up premiering at Sundance in 2019. Since then, I have department headed two feature films, worked on many shorts and web series, one called “The Ride” produced by the Duplass brothers that also went on to Sundance and many commercial and print shoots.

The most rewarding makeup job so far was a movie I worked on last December called “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” starring Jessica Chastain. I got to work alongside my hero, my Dad. It doesn’t get any cooler than that.

I’m currently working on getting into the local 706 Makeup Union and would love to one day work on a union show doing special effects makeup. I love anything in the Horror and Sci-fi genre!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are so many ups and downs. Freelance is hard. Sometimes it drizzles with work and sometimes it pours. My first year in LA I was so broke that I would wait to eat till I got to my restaurant job because we got free soup and bread during our shifts. I’m so grateful to have come so far from that.

Right now, it’s been especially tricky. When quarantine first started, I was going out of my mind. Work had finally become steady and I was making my hours to get into the union and then it was all gone. I had just signed on to department head my third feature (a horror movie) and poof! Production was halted. In order to not lose my mind, I started doing a makeup challenge with fellow artist Ashley Stansbury. We basically would pick a theme and create a makeup on ourselves and post it to social media #quarantinemakeupchallenge. I do a similar challenge every October where I do a different Halloween makeup for 31 days…incredibly exhausting but totally worth it! I’ve taught myself so much!

Things are starting to pick up again in our industry which is great but also scary. I’ve had to invest in more products and PPE in order to keep myself and clients safe onset. Things take longer because we have to be very meticulous about sterilizing stations and tools. There can be no crossover when it comes to germs. Picking and choosing jobs based on whether or not I trust the production has also come into play. When you are in the Union, at least you have that to protect you. When you are working on the indie side of things…you truly have to just go with your gut. I haven’t experienced a set yet where I’ve felt uncomfortable or that my safety is being threatened. But I encourage everyone out there, talent or crew, if something doesn’t feel or look right, say something and you can always walk offset.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a professional Makeup Artist. I am skilled in Beauty and Special Effects Makeup and Hairstyling. I love doing any makeup related to the Horror/Sci-fi genre.

Since I spent so much time breaking down scripts for acting I have a real affinity for breaking them down for makeup. I had no fear stepping on set the first time as a makeup artist because I knew what to expect. I understood the language, the tone, how to read a room, how to pick up social cues, basically how to behave on a professional studio set. I also understand what it’s like to be the one in the chair. Sometimes you’re feeling anxious or tired or chatty. As Makeup Artists, we have to be able to read our clients. This is something that will most certainly get you hired again or not.

I love what I do and love problem-solving. One of my favorite parts of the process is sitting down with the director for the first time and talking about the characters and ideas we both have about everyone’s looks. It’s all such an exciting process to see come to life.

Overall I’m very easy to work with and have been told regularly that I have great, positive energy. This is so important. You want the makeup trailer to be the safe zone. The place actors can come to relax and feel good. I love that I have become known for this!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is being happy with what I’m doing. Working as a Makeup Artist makes me so happy!

I’d love to get into the Union as soon as possible and continue learning. My dream is to be working alongside the best in our industry.

I was lucky enough last year to be invited to the Local 706 Makeup artist and Hair Stylist Awards. My incredibly talented friend Julie Callihan was nominated and she took me as her date. Being in that ballroom, with all those talented people was just incredible. To work alongside that kind of talent would be such a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alexandramua.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @alexandrabayless
• Other: http://www.imdb.me/alexandrabayless

Image Credit:
Clint Childers, Micah Coate, William Carnahan

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