Bailee Madison was born on October 15, 1999 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the youngest of seven children. Her mother is Patricia Riley. She began her career when she was two weeks old in an Office Depot commercial. Since then, she has appeared in several national commercials for major companies including Disney, SeaWorld and Cadillac. She also serves as a national youth spokesperson for the childhood-cancer charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
She made her major motion picture debut in the movie Lonely Hearts, in which she plays Rainelle, a girl thrown into the midst of a world of crime. Madison also has a significant role in the Disney movie Bridge to Terabithia, based on the children’s book. She plays May Belle Aarons, the younger sister of the lead male character played by Josh Hutcherson. She also appears in the independent film Look as Megan, a girl who is being watched and followed by a kidnapper. Madison had a small role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles during the season 1 finale entitled “What He Beheld” as a girl who becomes apart of a short-lived hostage situation.
Madison also appeared in Nickelodeon’s made-for-TV movie, The Last Day of Summer. She plays a girl who helps a friend during a difficult time. Another Nickelodeon production she had a role in was the television Christmas special Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh. She played a girl who lived with a foster family.
Madison is seen in a featured supporting role in the 2009 film Brothers as Isabelle Cahill, the older daughter of Captain Sam Cahill and Grace Cahill. She is also seen in the film Conviction playing the younger version of Hilary Swank’s character, Betty Anne Waters. She can be seen in the episode “Locum” from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Mackenzie Burton, a girl who was adopted and feels as she is only filling the place of her parent’s older daughter who was abducted years ago. She aslo appeared in three episodes of the children’s horror series, R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.