Why ‘Outer Banks’ Star Madison Bailey Doesn’t Mind Fame ‘Happening a Little Slower’
Outer Banks quickly became the latest Netflix craze. Madison Bailey, who plays Kiara in the series, feels like fame is “happening a little slower” for her — and she’s okay with it. Find out why.
‘Outer Banks’ is a show about social class
Outer Banks is about a group of friends who go on a treasure hunt to find $400 million in gold (think Riverdale meets The O.C.). At the heart of it, the show is also about wealth, privilege, and social class and how those aspects divide society.
Outer Banks compares the lives of the privileged with the lives of the people from the less affluent areas of town. John B’s (Chase Stokes) crew includes people from all walks of life, including Kiara, who comes from a wealthy family, but chose to adopt the hard-working ideals of a Pogue.
Madison Bailey loves her role on ‘Outer Banks’
Bailey told Harpers Bazaar how fortunate she was to have as much influence as she did with her role. Any time she suggested a change to her lines, writers heard her out and made revisions. Kiara is from both worlds, so Bailey had to inject both attitudes into her role without detracting from the show’s overarching themes.
“It’s nice to have a fun show where we’re also like, ‘But the class divide is real,’” Bailey said of the showrunner’s ability to touch on the themes of friendship, privilege, and wealth. “We’re still talking about [those themes]; we’re just making light of it. Because sometimes you do talk about heavy things in a lighter way.”
Quarantine has allowed Madison Bailey to enjoy her rise to fame
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has most of the country on stay-at-home orders. To help prevent the spread of the virus, the cast of Outer Banks have been quarantining. “I think sometimes when a show comes out, not in quarantine, you go from ‘I left my house, and nobody knew who I was’ to ‘Everybody knows who I am,’” Bailey explained.
That instantaneous fame isn’t what Bailey has experienced thus far, and she’s grateful for that. “I feel like with the quarantine, I’ve gotten to let things sink in a little before it just hits me head-on. I’m gradually leaving my house, and everything’s happening a little slower, and I get to process things on social media. I have plenty of time to sit here and read everything.” Her rise to fame has been gradual, but Bailey is starting to be recognized in public.
Regardless of how fame is coming to Bailey now, it’s only going to skyrocket after the coronavirus pandemic ends. Fans are eager to see more from Bailey, whether it’s in another project or a second season of Outer Banks. Season 2 isn’t confirmed, but showrunner Jonas Pate told USA Today he was already writing another season.
