Bailey Tippen is entering a major new chapter in her career, with the return of Netflix’s breakout hit “Beauty in Black” and the upcoming Paramount+ drama “Route 187,” putting the rising actress in the spotlight.
Tippen recently sat down with The Blast to chat about her “Beauty in Black” character’s evolution in Season 3, the challenge of portraying a teenager navigating increasingly difficult realities, and what she learned from working alongside Tyler Perry. She also discussed her desire to take on diverse roles, the importance of the powerful storyline of “Route 187,” and the passion that continues to drive her career.
Tippen started her acting journey around the young age of 5. After taking some classes, she started acting professionally at age 7. Through her training, she learned how to get comfortable in front of audiences, all about scripts, how to understand her characters, and more.
When asked what it was that got her interested in acting, she credited the “Disney Channel.”
“As a kid, I really wanted to be on Disney,” she told The Blast exclusively. “I love ‘Hannah Montana,’ so definitely that was it.”
Sylvie Entered The Chat
When the conversation moved to discuss Tippen’s role in the hit Netflix series, “Beauty in Black,” she gave us a little sneak peek into what this season holds for her character Sylvie.
“From Season 2, we really get to see Sylvie hitting her breaking point and on her fight for survival. Then towards Season 3, we see in the trailer, she begins to question her reality and the people she’s around,” Tippen told The Blast. “Sylvie’s been through a lot of emotional heartbreaking moments.”
The most challenging part of bringing Sylvie to life on screen is that she’s a teenage girl and Tippen needs to tap into that “headspace” to remember what it was like being that age.
“Your world seems so big at the moment. Your emotions are so big,” she said. “As you get older, you realize, well maybe I was tripping on that. So just definitely connecting and going back into that mindset.”
Bailey Tippen Shares How Sylvie Has Evolved From The Early Days To Now
When Tippen first began portraying Sylvie, she saw a “young girl who just had dreams and hopes of making it out of her living situation.”
“She had toxic family members and I just wanted to assist her through that journey,” she said. “But as she got older, as the story progressed, we can see more of her; she’s a bit naive with little rose tint glasses on, and as the story progresses, we see the shift of her coming to terms with reality. So it’s been a fun ride.”
Watching the audience connect with Sylvie has been something Tippen calls “amazing.” She loves to hear the conversations the fans are having and learning that so many people support each season.
“Every time it releases, it’s been number one,” she told The Blast. “And that alone is just so outstanding. We’re getting support from all over the world globally and it’s just amazing. I love it.”
Working With Tyler Perry
Tippen said it’s been quite the experience getting to work with Tyler Perry on “Beauty in Black.” She said, “there’s nothing he can’t do.”
“Mr. Perry is just wonderful,” Tippen said. “He wears so many hats in this production, and in his other productions as well. But what I know specifically to this production, so many hats — he’s the producer, he’s the writer, he’s the director, he’s the showrunner – but he also understands acting and he knows how to connect with it. I think that is so magical. I think it inspires me more than just an actor, but just as a creative. You can really pursue any avenue with the passion and the right drive.”
‘Route 187’ And What’s Next For Bailey Tippen
Tippen’s other project, “Route 187” is a bit different from her work on “Beauty in Black.”
“It’s a crime, it’s a drama,” she said. “Totally different [from playing Sylvie]. I am excited to share it with the world. It comes out on the 16th of September.”
She added, “there are murders, disappearances of Black women, and I just feel the time that we are living in now, these stories aren’t too far fetched from reality.”
Tippen said getting these stories on TV screens means keeping necessary conversations alive.
Tippen is known for playing a variety of characters, and enjoys seeking out different types of roles to add to her impressive resume.
“I love playing different characters, different roles. That’s where my heart is – connecting with so many different types of people,” she said. “And I will continue to hopefully be able to do the same.”
As far as what’s next for the actress, she said she’s got some things in the works, but she’s not able to talk about them just yet.
Outside of her career, she’s hoping to one day be able to check the box on skydiving since it’s something she’s wanted to do for a while.
