As little known as it is, singing sensation Chloe Bailey has always had a knack for acting. The 23-year-old made her acting debut when she was only five years old as the young version of Beyonce Knowles’ character, Lilly, in the 2003 film The Fighting Temptations.
Bailey’s role as the adorable Little Lilly showed the future star sitting on the front steps of a church chowing down on some candy when her childhood friend, Darrin, asks her if she wants to be his girlfriend. Of course, Bailey, being the budding powerhouse that she is, rejected the offer because she had plans to marry Michael Jackson in the future — mind you, the scene was circa 1980.
Amazingly, 12 years later, Bailey and her equally adorable sister Halle would sign with Beyonce’s artist management banner Parkwood Entertainment as the singing duo Chloe x Halle in 2015. Beyonce mentored the Atlanta born sisters after they released a number of successful music covers on YouTube, including Beyonce’s very own “Best Thing I Never Had” and “Pretty Hurts.”
Over time, Bailey starred in several roles, including Last Holiday with Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, and Grown-ish. Bailey’s history as part of the cast in The Fighting Temptations is coming full circle with her latest venture into film.
A force to be reckoned with, it was announced that Bailey will be starring in the Will Packer and Tim Story produced comedy pic Praise This, a story that follows youth choirs as they compete in a major music competition. Tina Gordon of Little and ATL fame will be directing.
From child actor to superstar, Bailey’s rise is both magical and practical in that her fate aligned with her work ethic, leaving signs of her destiny from the very start.
