STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.

Julian Bailey: The Vital Importance of Giving Yourself Room To Fail

January 31, 2023 Season 8 Episode 5
STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.
Julian Bailey: The Vital Importance of Giving Yourself Room To Fail
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Show Notes Transcript

Canadian actor Julian Bailey is currently a series regular and part of an exquisite cast on Amazon Prime Video’s brand new original series, ‘Three Pines’, where he plays the complex and enigmatic artist, Peter Morrow.

Lisa & Julian do a deep dive into what it means to follow your heart, trust the process,  lead a life that is aligned with your values, purpose & passion.

https://www.instagram.com/iamjulianbailey/?hl=en

https://www.piventheatre.org/


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Lisa Hopkins:

This is the stop time podcast. I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins, and I'm here to engage you in thought provoking motivational conversations around practicing the art of living in the moment. I'm a certified life coach, and I'm excited to dig deep and offer insights into embracing who we are and where we are at. So my my next guest, Canadian actor Julian Bailey was discovered during a citywide Talent Search at his elementary school in Montreal, subsequently cast in a CBC Christmas film special at the age of 11. Bailey would go on to lend his voice to such beloved animated characters as Mowgli in The Jungle Book anime series, and Pepito, the bad hat for the original HBO musical specials. metalline. In his later teen years, Julian was granted a scholarship to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts West in Pasadena, California. When a gut feeling led him to decline an invitation to join the third year Academy company, Julian chose instead to leave the LA area on a Chicago bound Greyhound bus. Surviving his first job in the Windy City as a bicycle courier and following a brief homeless phase, Julian was cast in a handful of critically acclaimed plays before getting his sag card, thanks to that old Taft Hartley rule. Returning to Los Angeles Julian lived out of his car and auditioned for two years without a booking, before deciding to try his hand at stand up comedy. Following his first performance at the Comedy stores belly room, Julian was contacted by an agent which led to some better opportunities. Occasional TV jobs on shows like NCIS to shoot me in the young and the restless, among others. were supplemented by dressing up in character for weekend birthday parties across SoCal as Pikachu Scooby Doo at Teletubby among others, as well as going door to door in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills where Julian would sell gourmet salads and sandwiches out of a portable cooler at a high end hair salons. Currently a series regular and part of an exquisite cast on Amazon Prime videos new Original Series Three Pines, Julian plays the complex and and Matic artist feeder Morrow. Welcome Julian. It is such a great pleasure to have you here with me today.

Julian Bailey:

I'm so happy to be here with you, Lisa, thank you for having me.

Lisa Hopkins:

It's just awesome. I mean, just to stop and you know, just literally stop time and live in the moment with me for a bit. I really appreciate it.

Julian Bailey:

Alright, so do I. Thank you so much.

Lisa Hopkins:

So, you know, although we're meeting for the first time today, I learned a lot about you through our email exchanges. Did you really? I really did. What do you think about that?

Julian Bailey:

I think that's awesome. I'm super curious now. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Well, it's funny, and I wanted to share this with you, I remarked on Well, here's here's what three words come to mind. thoughtful, creative, humble. And actually those four words kind.

Julian Bailey:

Wow. Thanks. Those are, those are pretty nice words.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, you came across that way. And, you know, I'll tell you why. You know, part of it was even in how you responded to me asking for your bio, which was unique in its own, you know, and I, you said to me, and I quote from an email, I included things I thought might be more interesting than just rattling off credits, etc. Which I think is awesome.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, yeah. Thank you. I listened to your podcast with my friend Anna from the show from Three Pines. And I took note of the fact that she had mentioned that she lived on a boat in London. And you seem to really appreciate that. So I thought I'll, I'll include some of the, you know, the in between stuff, which is really most of the stuff you know, in life and in my career so far has been mostly a lot of rejection, a lot of struggle, a lot of nose, and a lot of just having to hang in and and make it to the next job. I guess you could say, yeah,

Lisa Hopkins:

no, that's brilliant. And it's, you know, talk about talk to me about that gut feeling you mentioned right. You mentioned in your bio that I think it had you leaving la on a Chicago bound bus right to Chicago. Talk to me about that gut feeling.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, yeah, that was interesting. Couple things happened. I graduated from the academy, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California. So it was the West Coast branch of the school, and I got an invitation to the third year company and I was honored, you know to be to receive that, and I sat on it for a bit, and then I accepted, got an apartment lined up for that next year, and something wasn't sitting right with me about the thought of coming back. It's almost as though something hadn't settled in me about the thought of coming back. And doing the third year as cool as I thought it would be. I had this voice in the back of my head kind of bouncing around of an old mentor of mine who had talked to me in the past about Chicago before I ever went to California. And he had said, if you want to do theater, Chicago is sort of an underrated place that you could go and really stretch your legs creatively, and do some cool things. So I remember it was one day, I just realized I need to go to Chicago. And I told my girlfriend at the time, and she supported me, I didn't have any money, though. So as a matter of fact, she helped pay for my Greyhound ticket to get there, I probably had maybe $25, or something like that left in my pocket. And the first night I got to Chicago, I slept in the Greyhound station and my grandfather, my mom's dad had actually recently died. And he didn't have a lot of money. But he had left me like $600 or something like that. So that 600 bucks, somehow wound up in my account a couple days after I got to Chicago, and that was able to kind of get me off on my feet, which which was sort of meaningful. But yeah, gut feeling. I mean, it just something wasn't, I guess you could say I didn't have total peace about it. And, and the idea of going to Chicago and actually following through on that sort of itch at the back of my head or in the back of my soul, if you will, felt more right to just kind of dive into my career dive into the world, and not be sort of held in by the the safety of my school and guaranteed subscribers come in and watch our plays and all that kind of thing. I just felt like I needed to break out.

Lisa Hopkins:

No, it's super interesting, because you trusted your gut. Where else does that show up in your life where you've where you've just trusted your gut? Because it doesn't sound like I mean, did you also leave your girlfriend behind? Or did she come with you?

Julian Bailey:

No, she stayed behind because she had a plan and follow through on it to go to a really great liberal arts college in Massachusetts. And so she moved to Massachusetts, and I moved to Chicago. And we stayed together. Like we stayed in touch. And she was tremendous. You know, during that time, but eventually, you know, we took a little break, just kind of have a breather, and she met someone and she ended up marrying him. So that was

Lisa Hopkins:

well, yeah, and I'm not trying to get into your love. Like what I was actually what I was actually aiming towards. But it was it was really interesting that you were willing, and and also that, that she was able to support you, which is sidebar was is pretty amazing. But, but that you were willing to literally leave everything based on on a gut feeling. And this sort of, you know, memory, you said of a mentor sort of saying, Yeah, can you talk to me about the moment before the gut feeling like something must have been? Were you feeling complacent? Were you feeling bored? Were you feeling unfulfilled? Like, what was it that allowed you to, to? To find that? To listen to that ping?

Julian Bailey:

That's a really good question. You know, I don't know if I have an answer. For that, you know, when you're going and you're you're studying, you're going full speed and then just stops. And then you're like, Okay, what am I doing now? And you're still in, I was still in LA for that summer. And I was kind of like, trying to decide what to do. There is there's definitely a sense of After The thrill is gone kind of thing. And just wondering, you know, what am I doing now that that space in that time, I guess I was able to take, you know, time to sort of meditate or pray and just kind of feel, feel things out as far as you know, what, what lay ahead? That's kind of just the way I Yeah, the way I would describe it, I don't know, it's just, it's just a feeling you have you know, so I've always moved through the world, I think pretty intuitively Not that that's always seemed to land me in great spots. But But I think, I don't know, if I have a fear, I would say one of my, my fears might be regret. And I think just not acting on something that scratching at you might might be the thing that I was sort of, you know, afraid for lack of a better word of, of, of doing is, you know, is not doing something. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Interesting. super interesting. And you were really young man, right? I mean, that was right at the beginning of your career.

Julian Bailey:

Sure. Yeah. I would have been just turned 20 years old. So

Lisa Hopkins:

it's super interesting because because there's that sort of burden of proof that we have or we seem to feel like we have when we're young, right? Okay, now you've gone there and you've done your school now what do you got? They do. Okay, there. So, yeah. Where are the gangs? What's going on? Yeah, it's

Julian Bailey:

a good question. The first my first full day in Chicago, I remember, it took us two days to get there was like a 48 hour bus ride because of all the stops. And so I slept in the Greyhound station my first night. And then I walked out into the streets near near the Greyhound station, and I'm walking, walking up the street, you know, when you kind of trip and you think you're cool, because you're listening to Pearl Jam on your yellow Walkman. And, and this would have been 1997 August. And, and I sort of tripped, I remember tripping on the street, kind of like with my toe on the on the little, you know, the crack in the sidewalk. And, and I'm kind of looking around to make sure nobody noticed me, you know, and there's this guy smoking a cigarette across the street, and he's just like, Eagle eyeing me, you know, and he just beelines over to me, you know, flicks his cigarette down, stomps it out, steps right up to me. And he's like, Hey, kid, he goes, you need a job? And I was like, Yeah, as a matter of fact, perhaps I may, in fact, need a job. Yeah. He's like, you know how to ride a bike? And I was like, Yeah, I actually do. And so, so he, he said, Come with me. So I followed him. I mean, probably not super wise of me. But this is what happened. I followed him into a building. And he walked into sort of a ratty little office and takes out another cigarette, lights it up, kicks his feet up on the desk, you know, blows a puff of smoke and just sort of squint his eyes at me and says, So where are you from? And I said, Well, I'm originally from Canada, but I moved here from Southern California. And he's like, California. He's like, Why? Why in the hell would you move here to Chicago? And I was like, Well, you know, I'm an actor, and I just wanted to do theater and stuff like that. And he's like, so where are you staying? And I was like, Well, for now I'm staying at the Greyhound station. And he said, he said, Well, that's, that's not very sustainable. Isn't I said probably not. And he said, Well, there's a kid who works for me who might be able to help you out. He'll be here in about an hour, you can talk to him. So this kid comes in and he was a bike courier for the company and and he said, Well, I don't exactly live in I don't remember what he said Paradise Island or something like that. So I took a bus to where he told me he lived and I walked up the street and I was like, you know, sort of concern for my life, I guess at first and, and I stayed in a little room that was probably the size of a well a medium sized closet. It was it was a real, you know, shift and culture shock coming from basically Calabasas, California that's number to that. And yeah, it was but it was it was cool. And then I was doing the bike messenger stuff and and eventually we got evicted because he wasn't giving the money. I was giving him to the landlord. So after about a month, we got evicted. I was homeless, literally homeless, like I, I slept under a tree across, like right by the Chicago River one night. And at the time, I was going through the trades looking for auditions. And a friend of mine said, Where are you staying? I said, I'm staying across from the Doubletree Hotel and they said, Oh, with the Hyatt and I said, No, at the single tree. You know, I slept under a little tree. Just a stupid joke. But and so that next morning, I remember I got up and I, I went to, I called an ad for a play. And it was Reservoir Dogs that was auditioning, and I met the lady who was the producer. She was temping in the financial in the I guess, what is the financial district in Chicago, I met her and she said, Come to this guy's house tonight. So there'll be a reading of the play. I don't know if they'll be part for you, but just come. Where are you staying? By the way, I said, Ah, she could probably tell I wasn't, you know, bathe or whatever. And I hadn't had a shower, probably in over a month that they had a bath that it was ready and dirty. And there was a black hose I'd have to hold myself down with and I was really going, Oh, what am I doing here in Chicago. So I went that night to a friend of hers house, and he was hosting this reading for Reservoir Dogs to play. And this guy was from Las Vegas, and he was a recovering heroin addict. And everybody kind of filed out. He said, Hey, man, where are you staying right now? So here we go again, you know, I said, I might try to check into a shelter. I don't really have a place right now. And he said, Look, if you can help me move in a week and a half, you can stay with me. And you know, I can at least help you out for about 10 days. So I had a shower that night. I put on some of his Colonia in the bathroom. He's like he put on my cologne didn't she? I said yes. Sorry about that. He said, No, it's fine. He gave me $10 for a burger. And I went up to a restaurant called Clorox and I had a burger and I was just in heaven. I was like, Well, this is the nice part of Chicago. This is North Side, Linkin Park. And yeah, so then I stayed with him for a bit he moved to the Gold Coast. I stayed there for a few days, so probably more like two weeks altogether. And then I got a little place up in uptown, down the street from the Green Mill. If anybody's familiar with Chicago. I grew up down, there was a Christian commune down the street called Jesus people USA. And they would, they offered me free meals and stuff. And I would go there and eat and and audition and just go through the trades and had my two little monologues prepared. And so I would do those and then eventually started booking some little plays and then eventually got an agent, through a guy I met at the commune, who was a fashion agent, he introduced me to a talent agent and, and then I got a part in a Carlsberg beer commercial, and I got a movie and sort of back to back. And that was the whole Taft Hartley thing. I guess. I love

Lisa Hopkins:

that. What do you recognize now? In retrospect, like, what would you what would you know, Julian now, say maybe that Julian then might have liked to have heard?

Julian Bailey:

Wow, okay. Yeah, just keep hanging on, just keep hanging on, because it's going to get better. And whatever is not good, or doesn't seem good. Will will be great material for you down the road, and will be, if nothing else, fuel for the fire. And, and will help shape you and teach you, I think, you know, experiences a great teacher pain is a great teacher. And suffering and comfort can be your worst enemy. And I think, I don't know, I mean, I think something in me sort of recognize that, to be comfortable. And to not really lay it all on the line and go for it, so to speak, would be, would be to waste an opportunity that I was afforded. Being that I was young, of course, my parents lived in, in Montreal, but my father had a crazy upbringing in life. And I think he kind of, I don't want to say relish, but I think he kind of appreciated the fact that I was struggling a bit. And he definitely didn't want to give me any handouts, he realized that I needed to sort of, you know, kick my way out of the out of the shell, so to speak, and develop that, that wing strength, if you will.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah. So would you say that at the time, if there's so many different ways of perceiving your situation? I'm sure. I'm sure it varied, obviously. I mean, just like when you play characters, there's so many ways you can approach them. But would you say that the sort of general tenor of your mood during that time and like the energy behind the fight the stay, that the stay the course was that? What was that fueled by? Was that fueled by like, I know, I can do this, or was it, you know, kind of, you know, I win, you lose system, or whatever it is, I'm gonna get through what was it like what?

Julian Bailey:

You asked really good questions. Yeah, you know, I'm sure there, there was some aspect of it that was like, I'm going to make it, I'm going to do whatever it takes. And I'll be, you know, seen, or I'll be appreciated that, in that sense, maybe that wasn't the healthiest motivation, or whatever, but. But there was also just a belief, I just had faith somehow that I had something that was worth offering. And that people would appreciate, I just believed, I don't even know if I can fully explain how or why, but I just believed that I would have success somehow. And looking back, I'm like, wow, that was really some sort of brazen faith. Because, you know, when I even look at my, you know, pictures of myself, let's say from back then, or if I even if there if there's any tape on me, or anything that I did say early, early in my career that I'm able to watch now, I'm like, wow, like, I was pretty green, you know, like, as an art as an actor, as an artist. And probably, I mean, obviously, as a person, too. So yeah, I think I think I just was hungry to sink my teeth into something. And to express myself.

Lisa Hopkins:

Do you remember your, your earliest experience of sort of thinking that acting was something you'd like to do?

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, I do. So my mom was a pianist, my mom's from London. And she went to the Royal Academy of Music. So what happened was, you know, I was doing the piano lessons. And it was very, a very classical kind of, I guess, you could say, rigid approach, which didn't really work for me and my mom was teaching me which also didn't really work because I couldn't sit still, you know, with my mother and she was a teacher, she would teach other people privately as well piano. So there was a friend or a friend and acquaintance who went to school, my elementary school, and he was on a on a Canadian TV show, and he was somewhat of a little star. And, and I remember thinking that was really cool, you know, and he was an actor. And I thought, you know, I could I could do that. Like, I can definitely do that. I could, I could sort of make believe and pretend and convince people. You And so yeah, so So then then I told my mom, I was like, I'd like to do this children's theatre thing, because I want to act, you know. And so I started doing that children's theatre of Montreal, which was an old school company, some of the alumni. This is how old it is. Christopher Plummer went there, apparently, as a kid, William Shatner went there. And so the people that started it, were now pretty elderly. Yeah, so I started doing that. And then and then they referred me to a dubbing house. And I auditioned to dub a cartoon, and I ended up booking, that to be in this ensemble of little snowman was called Billy Billy. And we dub dub that and then I got a lead in another project that was another kind of animate Japanese thing. And that was called bumpity. Boo. And I did that. And then it just, it just kind of went from there. And then I ended up getting the metalline thing, and Pepito and then metalline blew up. When I was in Chicago. In fact, four or five years later, it man line was absolutely the rage. It was just crazy in the late 90s. And but unfortunately, they bought me out. Sony bought me on. I didn't get any any residuals whatsoever from the music. And I'm on it. I'm on it. Yeah, so that's kind of

Lisa Hopkins:

Oh, that's cool. No, that's really interesting. Thank you for sharing that everyone has a different sort of, you know, reason for why they're doing it or how they found it. And it sounds like you had it modeled early on, which is really cool. You saw that it was possible to be done. Right. So that's really cool that you met that young young kid and go, Huh, wow, people can do that, you know, until it was modeled that someone kind of, you know, can do it. It's IT people miss that. That opening, right? They're very close. It's really an interest.

Julian Bailey:

So you're sort of tied in and referring to the boy that went to school with me. Yeah, fact that he was successful. Yeah. And I was able to see that kind of sort of firsthand. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

And you were lucky that you had a parent that understands the arts. So when if she didn't know I have any art she would go, she would probably think that was cute and interesting. Oh, but maybe she wouldn't know what to do with it. Right. But she was an artist. Oh, you want to acting? Okay.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, that's really good. And, you know, that's a great point. And my mother, you know, her her dream was to be a mother and, and to have a family. And so she was happy to, to, you know, be a music teacher in England at a school. And then after she met my dad to teach privately, she didn't have the those, you know, intense ambitions to be like a superstar or whatever. Her brother, on the other hand, has made a tremendous career. And he's, he's a pretty well known organist in England. And he's, he's a composer and just a super brilliant and successful musician, in England. And so yeah, there was that context where it wasn't like, sort of like, Oh, be careful. You know, like, I mean, yeah, be careful. But yeah, it's very much possible. You can do this if you apply yourself. And you know, of course, if you keep your head screwed on straight, which was the kind of thing my dad would drill into me who was who was a stockbroker. So he was very, you know, he was like, a numbers guy. Real academic type of guy and I was super, super right brain, you know, you know, head in the clouds kind of artists. But yeah, it's interesting. You do you kind of grew up just believing that, you know, it's possible to have a career, especially when you start, you know, booking jobs when you're quite young cartoons and you're like, Okay, I'm getting jobs. I'm making money. That's fun. And apparently, I'm pretty good at it. And why not? You know, why not keep doing this?

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, no, it's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. And I was gonna ask you what, what teased you back to LA? Because you were in Chicago doing pretty

Julian Bailey:

well. Right? Yeah. That's also very good question. Yeah, I was doing okay. In Chicago. What happened was, I had gotten linked up with a wonderful group of people in Evanston. And it was the pivot Theatre Workshop with burn and Joyce pivot burn and Joyce pivot and became like, in a way almost like adoptive, adoptive parents to me during this very pivotal period of of my time in in Chicago and I got involved with with their workshop, he was letting me take classes, you know, for you know, for cheap or or for nothing, I don't exactly remember, but he would always just, you know, make sure that I could attend the class. And I had an opportunity with the Steppenwolf Theatre, which is a great theatre company that Terry Kenny, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise had found in Chicago, and I remember, you know, reading plays in California when I was studying and going, well, you know, I'd love to do I'd love to do something, you know, off Broadway or with the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, you know, and that was like a dream of mine to work with one of those guys. So there was a play that they were doing called One Flew Over the Cuckoo's cuckoo's nest that was going to go to Broadway. And I got this audition. And I was so excited. I just really believed I was gonna get this part. And I did the audition, you know, and I felt really good about it. I thought I really nailed it. When I walked out a friend of mine also from heaven, was waiting to go in this guy, Eric, and he was a he was a super actor. And I went out to get in the elevator and right, then the elevator doors closed. And there's John Malkovich in the elevator, and the doors closed. And I was like, oh, man, this is this is gonna be awesome. I'm going to be connected with these these legends, you know, and I really thought I was gonna get the part, everybody seems so happy. And you know, and so I'm at an event at the pivot Theatre Workshop one night and burn tells me he's like, so I guess they gave that role to Eric. And I was just crushed. I remember just listening, and he didn't realize how invested I was, and, you know, this dream of doing this play, but he knew I had auditioned for it, I guess, and, and I just felt crushed. And in that moment, I remember thinking, That's it, I'm going back to LA, I'm going back to LA. And I'm just going to go balls to the wall, you know, full speed ahead. And I'm going to I'm going to just make it happen somehow.

Lisa Hopkins:

What stands out to me is that when you went back, your your passion was so re re energized after you didn't get the part if not actually really just affirmed, going? No, this is how much I really want. It is the how much I felt

Julian Bailey:

that. Yeah. And not only that, I wanted it but that I believed I would get it. So so when I love to know, for two years was just, you know, facing rejection after rejection and no, after no after No, you know, it tests your faith and a test your resolve for sure. But it wasn't as though I hadn't experienced that before. You know, I had experienced that just process of going like, well, where's this going? But I think one thing I really did have going for me was that I was quite young, which I guess, you know, looking back and looking back on my life for my career, I think has been a big part of my process process has just been the importance, the vital importance of giving yourself room to fail. And, and to just, you know, go for it. And, and to understand that that's really all part of your education, you know, is taking risks going for it. Being willing to, you know, fall on your face, so to speak. And understanding that that every one of those experiences actually getting you closer to not necessarily only where you're supposed to be, but to who you're supposed to be. And to enter who maybe you already are. But haven't you know, grown into yet.

Lisa Hopkins:

Fair enough? Also, what's interesting about that, maybe it's another conversation is that you gave yourself to that sort of struggle. You were good at it. You were actually good at it. Like all these things sleeping in about you know, sleep meeting the people knocking on the door sleeping in the daycare. Sure, sure. Sure. Right. You were good at that. But then, but you also knew if I heard you correctly, that you were really good at acting.

Julian Bailey:

I believe that I was Yeah, I was.

Lisa Hopkins:

That's the sense I got right. So isn't it interesting that when that dream, that dream moment part where you thought, okay, you know, I ended up here because through all my series of things that I know that I can do and now I'm really face to face with what I actually want to do and it didn't work not because you weren't good at it just as well. Now it's casting right, but that that made you go I need to go to fail some more. I don't know. I don't know there's something in there

Julian Bailey:

like, Well, yeah, to I don't know, to show them or something or to prove something or whether whether to myself or to everyone else, but I think definitely everyone else was was involved like wanting to, to go okay, you know, you won't take me here. Well, you lost your chance, because I'm out of here, you know, kind of thing. And I love Chicago. I love love Chicago, I still say it's one of my favorite cities in the world. And it's somewhere that even though I really didn't spend that much time there, it's I would say it's, yeah, it's one of those cities that's just sort of etched in my heart. And maybe because that's where it all sort of started at least as an adult my career. But

Lisa Hopkins:

how are you defining success then do you think like, is there something that like in your brain or something that when you got there, you would know that you were starting that like I'll show you thing or I am now starting to be successful? Was it was it a kind of gig oriented thing or was it or do you remember the moment like maybe your first milestone where you like, okay,

Julian Bailey:

totally, it was steps, you know, it was it was getting a manager or getting an agent, getting a good audition, you know? Driving onto the lot at Warner Brothers or Fox or universal, being there going into the room, you know, getting the material and going, Okay, now I've got a pitch to hit, you know, I just I was looking for pitches to hit. And I knew I'd strike out a lot. But I also felt like I had the potential to, you know, to hit them over the fence. Yeah, so then when you'd get a call back for something, okay, okay, cool, you know, you feel that sense of momentum. And then you just whatever that, you know, drive, it was already in me, it just sort of triggered a deeper hunger and a deeper desire to, to level up level up, you know, my game or, or, you know, my craft, or just to just it was, it was about really having the opportunity to share something. And it's not even necessarily that I thought I was necessarily this like, prodigious, like acting talent or anything like that. It was something, I think that I just wanted badly to share of myself. It was like, really personal, you know, it was like, I felt like, there was something about me, or in me, that was enough to sort of, you know, get me over that ledge or that lip, you know, just to that next spot, to get that traction. And, and I believe that, you know, I think I believed even, you know, then but now, definitely, still, that, you know, I don't even think the requirement is to is to be the greatest craftsman. But to be interesting, but to be interesting to be engaging, and, and to give something of yourself to be willing to offer something of yourself. And I think somehow, intrinsically, I kind of understood that, that they weren't necessarily looking for this technically perfect performance, but that they were looking for something real or something honest. Which, which I remember when I was younger thinking, when people would say, Oh, so you're an actor, so you're just really good at lying, I would take offense to that almost insane. No, it's, it's quite the opposite. I feel like acting is, is representing a heightened form of truth, or a heightened version of the truth, something that we have an opportunity like an ambassador to represent. But as, as an actor, as a performer, particularly in a medium where you have, you know, a platform, you can sort of be the ambassador for, for that, that aspect of humanity that's maybe not being heard or seen. And, and your responsibility is to tell the truth. So I think for me, success meant having that opportunity to dive in and to try to see, you know, how far I could take my craft, or, you know, what I could do and how, you know, how many people or institutions, if you will, would give me the chance to do that. And the chance to share, share that part of myself through my through my craft.

Lisa Hopkins:

Thank you for sharing that. That's exactly what I mean, you've, you've succeeded, because even with your email to me, I felt all of those things, all of those things that are screaming out as your values resonated even in the email you sent me.

Julian Bailey:

That's kind of amazing. I am. I'm almost surprised to hear you say that, because I was I'm not. I'm not exactly aware of any of that. But I really appreciate you saying that. Thank you. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

No, no, it's, it's, it's absolutely true. The other thing that stood out to me is that when you went back to LA, you were ready. Oh, my God, the difference between, you know, all this prep, which, you know, I see it literally is all of that was deliberate prep to I know, a lot of us say, Oh, we learned along the way, and we look back, we learned our lessons, I would wager that you knew that that was your training. And you were all into your training, which was all the stuff in Chicago, all the all the sleeping on, you know, we're up for it. Right?

Julian Bailey:

That's such a good way to put it. Not so true. I don't know if I've ever thought of it exactly that way. But I think that's really on point. I think what you're saying is is true, just you know, passing through that valley, as it were. But yeah, going through those challenges in Chicago, and coming out the other end. Yeah, definitely. Definitely made me feel like okay, I got this, you know, I can I can definitely do this and, and I was you know, I was definitely driven and hungry to prove that to myself. Yeah. And others I guess.

Lisa Hopkins:

You graduated I mean, I literally feel like I get the sense that you graduated you were commencing to the next thing. I mean, when you went back you were like I know exactly what to do. Boom, boom, boom, boom, because I feel like I again, I don't know you but I feel like you do things when you know you're ready. And that you're gonna do

Julian Bailey:

all right. You're getting to know me I'm so I did I do think that's a really great point. Yeah, that I do things when I know I'm I'm ready and it's time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's very, very true. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Interesting. Super cool. Speaking of milestones, would you consider Would you consider where you're at now in your career with Three Pines as a milestone in your career?

Julian Bailey:

Oh, for sure. Yeah, definitely. So when Three Pines came up, you know, I did the audition. And my agent wrote me an email and he said, If I was a Bettin, man, you know, I'd bet on you. And I was like, wow, really? Okay, thanks. Like, you know, you get to the point where you really just doing the auditions to appreciate the work and to share something you're not even thinking necessarily like, Well, why could really book this, you just want to kind of work, you know, and get your teeth into something. So I liked the material. I did the audition. And then, and then it was a long time before I heard anything, and then they had me read for a different role. And then they came back to this role, and it was all through zoom to and self tapes in zoom. Which is, which is weird when you're auditioning? Where's my eyeline? You know, and, and so, I did the the final audition, and I didn't that was on a Thursday didn't hear the rest of the day. Thursday, didn't hear Friday, nothing over the weekend, which was normal. didn't hear anything Monday, and I'm thinking oh, this puppy is dead in the water. I mean, there's, there's no way this thing's gonna, you know, this is too long, you know? And then Tuesday, just after lunch, I got a call from my agent. He's like, Hi, may I speak to Mr. Peter Morrow, please. And I said, Why? Why? So that was that was that? So? Yeah, absolutely. It's totally been a milestone me for so many reasons.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah. Anything surprised you about it?

Julian Bailey:

Well, I mean, I never would have thought that I would have had the best breakthrough of my career in my hometown, where I grew up and felt like I had to get away from you know, so I yeah, I never would have thought that I would get that sort of breakthrough coming back here. But I guess there's, there's a sort of poetic beauty to it in a way. And I mean, you know, it's, it's, it's not to say it's all been smooth sailing up here. You know, I mean, it's, it's been challenging, and it's been tough. But it's all been, you know, humbling. It's been humbling, and yes, surprising, but rewarding, and definitely growth inducing, you know, I'm super grateful. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

What would you say that your biggest challenges are with the new success, if any?

Julian Bailey:

Taxes, believe it or not, I've never really been in debt. And now I owe like, a pretty penny to the government. So. So that's kind of crazy. But yeah, that's a challenge. But that stuff, figuring out how money comes and goes, you know, hopefully, comes more than it goes. But challenges, you know, yeah, well, I don't know, I would say, to not necessarily try to try to think too much about it. It's kind of like it's a thing you pour yourself into, and I'm very much a part of an ensemble, you know, in an incredible ensemble. This thing we all worked on has this life of its own, and then you release it. But yeah, it's very much an exercise and letting go and trusting and yeah, yeah, I feel super, super honored. Any any artistic thing that involves collaboration, it should be a given that we're, we're going to be honest or forthright about what we feel what we think what what we're leaning towards, and then ready to accept criticism, or correction, or somebody else to say, Well, what about this? Have you thought of this, you know, to have that kind of going low as it were, you know, to kind of go in low and say, Well, wait a second, I think this would be cool. But, but I think that's the kind of stuff that that creates the the material that's like the glue that can make a an ensemble really sing. Mm hmm. That makes sense. Mm hmm.

Lisa Hopkins:

And I love that too. Because when you know, it's conjuring up not glue, like like you're stuck together like a mosaic, but rather a tangible malleable connectedness. Right, I

Julian Bailey:

was gonna say malleable. Exactly. Yeah,

Lisa Hopkins:

it's beautiful. You know, when I asked the question, I think on the, on the forum, just for the listeners that what I asked was, how true with one being not true at all, and 10 being absolutely true. How true Do you believe this principle to be life is a perfect adventure? A game that cannot be won or lost? Only played and feeling you replied three. So talk, talk to me about how you came to that number. I find that really interesting, especially based on how we've been chatting.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah. Now, I'm glad you brought that up, actually, because I kind of appreciate that question. I thought, wow. And it really made me think like, oof, maybe I think too much about this kind of question. But I guess in my mind, I think I feel like it's possible to lose. And I think I think how we lose is worth thinking about, you know, our how we could lose or how we might lose. And I do think that you know But just as humans, you know, the fact that we can make choices. And yeah, we can learn from, from bad choices, choices that maybe we're, we're going against that inner voice that, that we that we know, like, Don't go this way, you know, go don't go down this road, you know, we can choose to ignore that voice. And I just think, I do think there's such a thing as making good choices, or maybe, maybe healthy choices is a better way to put it. No, of course, I have certainly not always made good or healthy choices, and you learn from them, hopefully, but you can also not learn from choices that you made that were not, you know, choices that, that were true to yourself, you can you can also not learn from them. And you can find yourself like when you get in the water or the in the ocean, you put your towel on your shoes and, and your umbrella, down in the sand, and then you get in the water, and then you're just enjoying and you're kind of flopping around in there. And then you look up and you can't see your your talent, your shoes and your umbrella anymore. And you're like, where is my stuff? And I think it's possible to lose yourself in a way that way. Whereas there's a current, or there's something that can pull you away from who you're truly meant to be or who you really are. And I know it's kind of a harsh answer to say three on that question. But I do kind of feel like that that can happen.

Lisa Hopkins:

What's your definition of living in the moment?

Julian Bailey:

Oof, first thing that came to mind just was to not judge just to sort of keep judgment at bay, you know, whether it's judging yourself or others or, or a situation or a feeling or something that's happening, to not be quick to like, jump to a conclusion about what might be happening or what it means. That's the first thing that comes to mind is to not judge which sort of to receive, and it just sort of go okay, there's this okay, that, you know, and, yeah,

Lisa Hopkins:

I love that. Yeah, that's really interesting. When, when was the last time most recent time in memory that you lived in the moment that you felt like you were living in the moment? Can you can you recall it?

Julian Bailey:

Well, I'm trying to do that right now with you. I'm trying to be in the moment and just, you know, yeah. This morning, I went for a walk and, and I just, you know, breathe and not the sun, you know, shine down on my face. And, and I just tried to, you know, stop thinking about, about all the things I could be thinking about right now, and, and just appreciate the present moment. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

I love that. I love that. I feel that too. I feel that we are in the moment. It's interesting, too. Because from my perspective, you certainly have have led from a very sort of, well, I would say, adventurous from an outside perspective. But now that I get to know you, even with those details, people would pin that and project that. Well. That's a very adventurous brave life. I could never do it. I don't see that now. Now that I know you. I'm like, No, that's his comfort zone. That was his training.

Julian Bailey:

That's that's a really interesting way to put it. Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

And that's you.

Julian Bailey:

That's really good. Yeah, that's good. That adventurous to some people? Maybe. But for me, necessary and prerequisite, almost, you know, yeah, it's

Lisa Hopkins:

part of your process. Yeah.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, for sure. For sure.

Lisa Hopkins:

It's beautiful. No, I feel that I really feel that. How do you want to be remembered?

Julian Bailey:

Wow. Well, I'd like to be remembered as somebody who was a genuine and who loved and who was generous, and you cared about people. So

Lisa Hopkins:

I'm gonna ask you to put humility just to the side for a second, which is hard sometimes. Right? Can be Yeah, I'm just just ask you to tell me beyond what is so obviously clear to people that only know you from the outside or from how you interact in the world or what your credits are. I mean, yeah, we could look it up and find out a lot of really cool amazing things about you that say, You know what, your gifts are right, just based on some research. But what what do you think you bring to the world to the project to the relationship to the one that's unique to you? What are your gifts, your unique gifts?

Julian Bailey:

I hesitate to say unique, I guess because I feel like a lot of people probably, you know, share this, but I I'm really I really love the work and I really, I don't know, I guess passion like passion for art or the arts or passion for reaching people through the art. I'm judging myself as I say that, I think that sounds cheesy, you know, but I can hair, I care a lot about people, empathy, maybe you could say empathy, like I really, maybe sometimes to a fault, you know, I feel things and I pick things up from people in it, it can I have to sort of keep boundaries to a point to realize, okay, wait a second. Now, don't take this on your own shoulders because you're not meant to carry this other burden that this person is probably not even meant to carry for themselves, you know, there, there's just that I really, I really care about, you know, people and I really want, you know, people to know that they're loved. You know, I don't know if that constitutes a, a unique gift, but I really have a desire for people to know that they're loved, like everybody, everybody is really loved. You know, I feel like a lot of people need to hear that and don't know that, you know, so.

Lisa Hopkins:

Can you finish this phrase? Most people think Julian Bailey is but the truth is,

Julian Bailey:

most people who know me maybe think I'm super competent. But the truth is, while I am confident, I also am more critical of myself than I would like to be. And I'm more self critical than I than I think I should be, I think, which is funny, right? To say I'm criticizing the fact that I'm self critical. But, but, but yeah, yeah, I think, I think judging from conversations I've had with people they think I come across as sometimes a bit aloof, or, sort of just, and I'm really, I'm really not meaning to, I'm really, I care about, you know, people and I'm invested in that kind of thing.

Lisa Hopkins:

What, what's ahead for you, like, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Julian Bailey:

Well, I would like to continue to work as an actor on projects that that are rich and, and meaningful, and able to be appreciated by a lot of people. I like to write more and have things that I've written be turned into things that again, people can appreciate, on a hopefully large scale, I'd like to direct more, that's a just, you know, creatively, on a more of a personal level, you know, I'd like to, to have a healthier, progressively healthier marriage and family life and to be able to, to move around and to have the opportunity to, to share with with the world and with people things that I think I have been given, or blessed with the opportunity to, to learn about and therefore ultimately to share and impart. So yeah, to be to flourish and prosper, like, you know, in my career, and in my family, and to let that that's spring or that well, that field, you know, produce a lot of fruit, and to share that with with as many people as possible.

Lisa Hopkins:

Love it. If I may, there's something that comes to mind to ask you, which is, I'm really curious to know what younger Julian, so not where you are now. So not present day, Julian, but former Julian, who's still with you obviously, might say, what lessons he might give future Boolean that you just shared with

Julian Bailey:

us? Yeah. Okay. Is that is that the whole thing of? If I had known then what I know now that is it kind of along those lines,

Lisa Hopkins:

we sometimes leave behind? And we kind of look back? No, yeah, I learned that lesson. And then that got me to where I am here. So you kind of leave that chunk behind. And then that got to me where it's here. And sometimes you can fall into a trap of like, Yeah, but now I'm here. So that young, adventurous guy that said, yes, everything and slept in the park while like, I'm like, I'm in my 40s. Now, like, I'm not going to do that. So like it becomes a limiting thing. But actually, it's part of you, that actually really helped you. So it's the opposite of a limiting belief, right? I mean, beliefs are things that worked that don't work for you anymore. But I also believe that there's a other side to that, which is that it worked before. And then in the present, we think, therefore, it won't work now, like it's why we worked so hard on getting rid of limiting beliefs. But sometimes we also just limit the beliefs that actually could carry through and maybe look different in today. But us like what can you what can you mind? What can you excavate from earlier, Julian, that's going to help you get there. That is not going to be like limited by saying, Yeah, but you were young and fearless. And you had your whole life ahead of you and you didn't care about sleep. I'm not saying you're going to sleep in the Y in order to become a director, you know, sleep on the floor. Right? Yeah. But if that's what it takes me, yeah. Well, you know what I mean, though, like, when we bring an age, we when we're further on our line, we start to sort of say, Yeah, I used to do that. I can't do that anymore. And we limit ourselves based on what we've proven we can do.

Julian Bailey:

Oh, that's super interesting question. Yeah, well, okay, because initially, I was thinking, like, you know, what would? What would? Yeah, anyway, I'm not gonna get it. But yeah, let me try to answer your question.

Lisa Hopkins:

Think of it, you know, you don't even answer the question as it were, like, what is it bringing up for you

Julian Bailey:

keep taking risks, keep taking risks, keep believing against the odds, like don't stop believing keep swinging, you know? And, and, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other, you know? Yeah. Because initially, I was thinking of like, what would, knowing what I know, now, what would I encourage my younger self to do, or to walk and more, and I was thinking of things like, you know, really learn time management skills, you know, and really make it a practice of, you know, being in the best physical condition that you can be take your, your nutrition, really serious, you know, take your sleep, and getting up and good time seriously, and don't don't have time leaks. You know, like, those are some things that I think I still am learning to get better at, you know, like, not not wasting time and little, little bits here and there. But to really think, Okay, what's something that I can do right now, at this time that I have that would be productive, and not just sort of, you know, killing time, as they say. And that's something that I would like to be a lot better at is just making the most of, of what I do have, and judging it less, you know, being less critical of going, Oh, was this the right decision? And maybe I shouldn't have asked and all of this, and, well, why did I decide to own because now I'm here to like, there, there has been some of that sort of, you know, back. Walla Walla, as we say, in the dubbing world, kind of dial it back dialogue going on sometimes where I'm just like, Dude, stop. Like, if you hadn't done this, and then that and met that person that made that decision, very likely, you wouldn't be right where you are now. And, and so just keep making the most of where you're at, and doing what you can with what you have, and be frickin grateful. Because, because a lot of the, you know, the best things in life are, are not necessarily readily apparent at the outset. And you have to kind of go dig in for them a bit. And, and then just, you know, dust that, you know, that coal off those diamonds, you know, yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Sounds good. You're so sweet. You probably didn't you probably want to just wanted me to have that you're probably giving it to me, you

Julian Bailey:

know, consciously anyway, yeah,

Lisa Hopkins:

I'm kidding. Oh, my gosh, I so appreciate you listen, I'm going to give you the rapid fire. So I'm going to say what makes you and I'm going to say word, and you can

Julian Bailey:

you can ever say something real, real quick, though, just about that. Last bit that I said, after I said, Then I thought to myself, well, I guess that has a lot to do with being in the moment, right? is like, you know, just letting go of trying to figure it out, or trying to, you know, analyze, or get a, get a handle on how or why. Or even where things are, right now. But just to go, we are here it is this and, and just there's a there's a beauty in that, you know what I mean? And not necessarily sort of carving this perfect masterpiece of a life for of a path. And in that sense, maybe that has a lot to do with the idea of, you know, playing the game without necessarily this idea that you're that you're winning at it or losing at it, and maybe maybe there's something there that I can dig into or explore a little more, but anyway, that just occurred to me, so I want to throw that out there.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, that's That's thanks. Thank you for that. No, I mean, that's a huge insight and actually you just you just taught me something. So thank you or reminded me of something that I already know but that I needed reminding of which is is tempo and space. I mean, my whole thing is about you know, what I call the places where there are spaces right and but the places where there are spaces the moment before you step onto the stage, the moment you know before before they call places are cut, like I'm so so interested in those spaces. And so you just you just gave me thank you a reminder of just just holding continuing to hold this space and yeah you for having the focus to to say hold on I just had an insight you know and create create that and when we do that that's that's what you're talking about with that collaboration even when you're talking about with it not being glue but like, like you were able to we have enough of a thing go I hear that you were able to say, Lisa, let's just stretch this a little further.

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, no, thank you. And I think there's a real joy in that, you know, and just the idea of, of going like, wow, yeah, the beauty in in those in between spaces, you know, and, and the beauty and just realizing stuff and going like, Well, wait a second, okay. I don't have to be in my head or I don't have to, like worry or judge or look back in the past try to untangle anything. Like, it's just beautiful for what it is. And it's going to become something amazing if we let it now, you know, as opposed to sort of going like, This is wrong in some way or broken in some way. Just going on. There's something beautiful it's material. It's fuel for the fire to Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Thank you for that. All right. Are you ready?

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, go for it. I don't know if I'm ready, but I'll try. Alright.

Lisa Hopkins:

Did you practice? No, no,

Julian Bailey:

not at all. Like as I said, not at all. I was like, don't think about that stuff. Okay. It's okay to be a deer in the headlights. Okay.

Lisa Hopkins:

So what makes you hungry?

Julian Bailey:

Not eating for a really long time. Yeah, having a taste of success maybe also makes you hungry. Like in a more of a metaphorical sense. You know, failing again, in quotes failing. Kind of makes me hungry. Like I want to. I want to get my teeth into something. You know, think dig my heels into something. What makes you sad?

Lisa Hopkins:

Oh, man.

Julian Bailey:

What makes me sad. Children who? Don't have a family? Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

What inspires you?

Julian Bailey:

People who don't quit people who don't give up? What frustrates you? Losing things. Find something.

Lisa Hopkins:

What makes you laugh?

Julian Bailey:

Well, I guess super on the nose. But like really skilled comedian who's making a really great, you know, bit who has a really great bit and just nails it? That, you know, you see makes me laugh? Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins:

Is it things that like, are surprising, or is it? Or is it things that are just timed perfectly?

Julian Bailey:

Yeah, maybe a bit of both, you know, maybe surprising, but also just like, executed? Well,

Lisa Hopkins:

what makes you angry?

Julian Bailey:

injustice. That's the first thing that comes to mind and justice. Totally.

Lisa Hopkins:

And finally, what are you grateful for? Grateful?

Julian Bailey:

Well, my children life just life to be healthy. Food to have food to have a roof over my head? Yeah, my, my wife, my family. My, my mom. Yeah, just just just basic things, really to you know, a lot. A lot makes me grateful. Yeah, peace, to have peace. You know, makes me grateful. Yeah, have peace. I don't know if I always have you know, and I'm sure none of us always have, but there's the value to have peace just to have peace and to feel like, you know, that sense of like, yeah, that's the most of such a valuable thing. So I'm grateful for that, you know? Yeah. And yeah, that's, oh, if that's one of those questions that makes you feel like, oh, there's so many things, you know, just like I have so much to be grateful for. But yeah,

Lisa Hopkins:

yeah. What are the what are the top three things that have happened so far today?

Julian Bailey:

Well, speaking with you, definitely, you know, going for a little walk earlier. That was nice. And yeah, just just waking up with, with my son sleeping in the bed next to me, because, you know, he's a bit under the weather. So he's slept in our bed last night and, and waking up with with him, you know, next to me. And then, you know, seeing my daughter coming in, in the morning is always a treat, you know, because she comes in with a big smile, and she's ready to ready to attack the day. And so yeah, both of those things. And

Lisa Hopkins:

that's beautiful. I love that. Yeah.

Julian Bailey:

Lots to be grateful for.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, there we go. Yeah. What's something that you're looking forward to?

Julian Bailey:

I'm looking forward to seeing my sister who's coming in from Australia. And I'm looking forward to hopefully continuing on with the show. But regardless of what happens with that, just people getting to appreciate the rest of the season, which is for more episodes yet to be released. And yeah, just just whatever momentum, you know, is contained in that. Looking forward to seeing where that where that goes. And yeah, just really, really happy to have had the opportunity and to have the opportunity to, to work with such amazing people. Pull on such meaningful material, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that all unfolds.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, absolutely. Julianne, it's been such a joy speaking with you truly, thank you so much for joining me today.

Julian Bailey:

All mine. Thank you so much for having me. And, yeah, anytime. Thank you, Lisa.

Lisa Hopkins:

Yeah, I've been speaking today with Julian Bailey. Thanks for listening. Stay safe and healthy everyone and remember to live in the moment. In music, stop time is that beautiful moment where the band is suspended in rhythmic unison, supporting the soloist to express their individuality. In the moment, I encourage you to take that time and create your own rhythm. Until next time, I'm Lisa Hopkins. Thanks for listening