Filming The Exorcism saw Chloe Bailey tick a few things off her bucket list and experience a few spooky encounters while shooting of the supernatural thriller.
The 25-year-old American, who soared to fame releasing music alongside her sister Halle Bailey as Chloe x Halle, has amassed a remarkable array of achievements. She has multiple albums under her belt, accolades for her appearances in numerous hit TV shows, and a cherished friendship with her idol, Beyonce.
But despite seemingly living a million lives already, shooting The Exorcism allowed Chloe to enjoy a few 'firsts'. Speaking exclusively with the Mirror before its release, Chloe revealed the spooky place she stayed during filming, how the movie impacted her faith, what Russell Crowe was like to work with and how blessed she is to have Beyoncé in her life.
In The Exorcism, directed by Joshua John Miller, Chloe stars alongside Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Sam Worthington, Ryan Simpkins, Adam Goldberg, Adrian Pasdar, and David Hyde Pierce. The movie follows the story of troubled actor Anthony Miler (Crowe), beginning to exhibit disruptive behaviour while shooting a horror film. His estranged daughter (Ryan) wonders if he's slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at play. Chloe plays Blake Holloway, an actress who befriends her co-star Anthony's daughter.
The film was shot pre-pandemic, with most of the movie wrapped up before Covid-19 shut Hollywood down for months. "It's like two separate lives," Chloe admitted when discussing her film, finally coming out almost five years after being announced as a cast member. "It doesn't feel weird," she continued. "It's just like... I'm going to feel like I look like such a baby in this film. It was work I did four years ago and I've grown so much since then - even as an actress - so I'm definitely interested to see how 'Baby Chloe' portrayed this and pulled it off."
'Baby Chloe' does a fantastic job in the film, but Chloe won't be rushing to accept any praise. The talented young star admits she is tough on herself and often criticises her performances. "I can't watch and think 'oh that's really cool'," she confessed last week. The whole time, I'll try to find something wrong with it."
Yet, the actress eagerly awaits the moment when viewers will witness her character Blake's chilling transformation in The Exorcism. 'I'm excited for people to see Blake possessed during the film, but also the different side of her,' Chloe shared, building anticipation for the film's release.
"Also, this was the first time I 'smoked' weed! I've never smoked before in my life so the prop guy had to teach me how to smoke the fake blunt and that was my first time smoking fake weed. It was funny because the night before, they gave me a couple of ones to practice with, and I was like, ok, do I hold it like, or do I hold it like that? And I was like, well, this cigarette, this is the blunt'."
"[Shooting The Exorcism] was a bunch of firsts for me - My first time kissing someone who isn't a man [Chloe kisses her non-binary co-star Ryan in the film. Ryan uses they/she pronouns], my first time smoking a blunt, my first time in a scary film. It is really cool. I definitely want to push myself beyond my comfort zone in the future. I'm such an athletic girl. I would love to do some action stuff. I love to do things that I wouldn't necessarily think I would do because I want to see how far I could push myself - I'm one of those kinds of people."
Chloe certainly pushed herself during the filming of The Exorcism, with the confessed "scaredey cat" admitting she was "freaking out about it the entire time we filmed". Luckily, the Have Mercy hitmaker - who was just 20-years-old during the filming process - had a strong team around her on set - including Oscar-winning co-star Russell Crowe.
"[Russell] was so kind to me, genuinely," Chloe gushed. "He loves music and to laugh and would tell me about Australia and his farm and, you know, just by watching him and how he would get himself into the character. I learned a lot from that, so I'm really grateful to be in a film with him."
"I'm a lover of God, and I'm grateful that my energy was protected while filming something like this," Chloe told the Mirror while chatting about the religious themes in her new movie. "I prayed every day during filming and had sage on me - just like my character Blake does on her set, which I thought was really funny because I was like ', Oh yes, this is something I would have done'."
Unveiling a chilling aspect of the filming process, Chloe shared a spine-tingling experience. "The apartment I was staying at in Willington, North Carolina, where we were filming, had an eerie aura," she recounted. "Walking up the stairs alone, I couldn't shake off the strange feeling. Later, I discovered it was an old funeral home!" Thankfully, the vibes remained good, and nothing too spooky happened to Chloe. "I just stay prayed up, and I'm like, I'm covered by the blood of Jesus, and I'm good."
Now that her latest movie is out in the world, Chloe is looking to the future and building her already impressive CV. The actress already has the support of her peers, including a sweet friendship with her idol, Beyoncé. Chloe and her younger sister Halle came to the Cowboy Carter legend's attention as teenagers, thanks to the siblings covering Beyoncé's 2011 anthem Best Thing I Never Had on YouTube. Since then, the mum-of-three has showered both women with love and support as their careers grow, with Chloe eternally grateful.
"I'm constantly in awe of everything that woman does," Chloe said in awe. "I'm constantly in awe of everything that woman does. She's so smart, and I can only hope to one day leave an ounce of my legacy as she has done hers." If Chloe continues the way she is, it will be easy for the talented star to achieve that goal.
*The Exorcism is out in movie theatres across the UK now.
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