Whether it is gracing the screen as an actress or hosting the live insanity that is live television Candace Bailey has established herself a force to be reckoned with! This girl-next-door beauty with an adorable southern drawl has managed to charm her way into the hearts of techies, gamers and geeks across the nation as one of the larger than life hosts of G4’s “Attack of the Show”. Along the way, her amazing smile, bubbly personality and razor sharp wit caught the eye of AskMen.com who named her one of there Top 99 Hottest Women of 2012! Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently caught up with Candace Bailey to discuss her roots in the entertainment industry, the challenges of doing live television, her work in the realm of voiceovers and much more!
We want to give everyone a little background on you. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Birmingham, Alabama but raised in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
How does a mild mannered girl like yourself get mixed up in this crazy entertainment industry?
Since I was 5 years old, I always wanted to be an actress. My mom said once that I was watching TV when I was little and said, “Mommy, when am I going to do that?” She said, “Do what?” I said, “Do that! Act on TV!” She thought I was crazy and said, “You’re not!” [laughs] She thought that there was really no way, being from a small beach town, that I could ever do that. One year a model search convention came to a town about 45 minutes away from where we lived. My mom took my sister and I. We got picked to go up to New York for one summer, which we did. We stayed the whole summer and that is where I started doing the model thing, doing kids acting, kids commercials and things like that. I ended up going to New York every summer after that until I was 18, when I moved there. That is how I kinda got into it to begin with.
What was it that made you pursue it as a career rather than going a different route?
I have always loved it! For as long as I can remember, I would watch TV or watch a movie and I could see myself in that place. I would think, “I can do that! I could be there. Why am I not in that role?!” It was always in the back of my mind as something I really wanted to do, so when the opportunity arose, I jumped on it!
I am curious to know some of the influences who helped shape the woman we see today?
As far as influences on my life go, my family has had the biggest impact. My mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, my granny and my grandfather, who is one of greatest men I have ever met in my life. All of my family and close friends have been a huge influence. As far as what I want to do professionally, I really look up to people who are great actors in this industry but who have kept a good head on their shoulders. I never want to get caught up in all of the drama, the tabloids and all of that. I want to be able to have my private life and to be able to do what I love.
How did you get involved with G4 and end up with a hosting spot on “Attack of The Show?”
I had done hosting when I was in college. I had hosted a show on Nickelodeon, which was very similar to “Attack” in a lot of ways. It was a girl and a guy, hosting a daily live show where we were doing a lot of silly things. Obviously, it is aged up on “Attack” because it is on G4 as opposed to Nickelodeon — so we can say bad words! [laughs] So, I had done that show and I moved out to Los Angles and thought, “I am going to concentrate on acting.” For some reason, I thought you had to do hosting or acting, not both. I don’t know why I thought that but it is what I had in my mind! [laughs] I put hosting on hold and got more into acting. I got on a show, which lasted one season, as it got cancelled around the time of the writer’s strike and things were kind of slow. I started thinking, “Why did I ever give up hosting to begin with, when I can do both?!” I got back into it and my first audition was with G4. They ended up calling me back and using me for a random segment, where they sent me to Vulcan, Canada to do something there! [laughs] After that, they didn’t end up using me for anything for quite a while but they finally called me back in for something else. After that, I kept getting called in for them more and more frequently. Eventually, over the course of a year to a year-and-a-half, I landed the job as a host!
You get to do so many unique things on the show, what has been the biggest challenge for you?
The biggest challenge? The bugs! [laughs] No, not really! I really love the live aspect of television because you never know what is going to happen, which is very exciting but it is also a challenge. Sometimes, Kevin [Pereira] will say things that I don’t know where his brain is or what he is talking about! [laughs] But it is somehow related to what we are talking about and it is live, so if I mess up, it is live and people are going to see it!
What is a typical day like for you with “Attack of The Show?”
We get there between 12 to 12:30. Every other week we switch off with doing VO [voiceover]. So, if I have VO week, I will go in at noon to do VO and then at 12:30 we get the table read. After that, I go into hair and makeup and wardrobe for an hour-and-a-half. At 3, we do a run through of “Around The Net,” which is the first block, A Block. Then we will rehearse a few other things before we go live at 4. The show runs from 4 to 5 and then we are done!
Then off to happy hour, right? [laughs]
Hell yeah! [laughs] It is a very easy day. I am lucky!
What jumps out as you as the highlight of your time on the show so far?
There are so many things. Even a typical day on the show is a blast! During my first month of working on the show, they sent me through a trial period. I got to go all over and do a ton of cool things. I went to Skywalker Ranch and got to dress up in a MoCap [motion capture] suit and become Iron Man, which was awesome! I absolutely loved every minute of it! I was like, “Oh my God! That is me!” I was doing some movements, some flips and some leaps to make Iron Man very girly! [laughs] I have been able to shoot guns and do a ton of little skits on the show. That is one of the most exciting things about this job and why I love it, you never know what is going to happen that day when you come into work. We will come in and they will say, “OK! You guys are doing this today!” and there is a whole set up gag that we are doing. For example, one day we had seen an infomercial for Sauna Pants. Have you heard of Sauna Pants?
Yes. Somehow, as disturbing as it may sound, I am familiar with Sauna Pants.
They are the most ridiculous thing ever! Absolutely ridiculous! So dumb! We got them there and we were all very excited to make fun of them. Kevin and I ended up wearing them for the A Block into the B Block and I actually loved them! [laughs] Like I said, at first, I thought it was so stupid and I was excited to wear them to make fun of them, but after I had them on for a while, I was like, “Can I take mine home with me?” [laughs] They were like, “Yes, Candace. You can take them home. No one else wants them, you have been sweating!” [laughs] That is the type of stuff I absolutely love on the show because it is so different. On most shows, you don’t get the chance to do those weird things!
Do you have a bucket list of things you want to do on “Attack of The Show” or something of that sort?
They asked us what we wanted to do this year on the show and I thought about a bucket list and everything I want to do in my life. Instead, I thought it would make for more interesting television to do something more like “Candace faces her fears.” It is not things that I want to do but it is things that I can say, “Yeah, I did that.” I told them I would jump out of an airplane. I don’t really want to jump out of an airplane but I would like to be able to say it is something I have done. The show would give me a reason that I had to face that fear and I think it would make for a pretty good package too!
That is a pretty scary situation to put yourself into. Not the skydiving but having the people on the show knowing your fears!
Oh my god! They ran around the studio with bugs or with what Kevin acted like were bugs! I was literally crying on live television because Kevin was saying, “I have a roach in here!” I hate those hissing cockroaches more than anything! He ran around the set with a cup torturing me and come to find out, there was just a little toy inside. But yeah, I told them I would face my fears but no more bugs! [laughs] They have done that to me multiple times, so I am done with bugs!
Who is the biggest diva on set out of you, Kevin and Sara?
Uh … I will say, it is definitely not me.
I understand, you don’t want to throw anyone under the bus. It’s OK, I know it is Kevin. [laughs]
Kevin! [laughs] OK, we will go with him! [laughs]
Are there any similarities between acting on a television series and hosting a live show?
Not really. I love them both equally but they are completely different. With one, I get to go out and be someone totally different in a different setting. When I am hosting, I am me. What you see is what you get. I say dumb things all of the time on the show! [laughs] They just come out and I don’t mean to say them! When you watch “Attack of The Show,” we are always in the same setting on the show and you get my complete personality. Like I said, they are two completely different things but I love them equally!
It is safe to say we will see you in more television and film projects in the future, right?
Yes, definitely! I never want to give up acting. I also love hosting and I don’t want to give up hosting for acting. Hopefully, I can have a career that will allow me to go back and forth between them!
As far as acting goes, is there a role or genre you are eager to tackle in the future?
You know, in the past I have done more dramas but I would love to do a comedy! I think I could do comedy. I think it is something I could get away with, so I would like to try that out but I am open to anything!
One of the biggest things you are a part of all year is Comic Con. In your opinion, do you think Comic Con peaked or will it continue to grow more outlandish in the years to come?
Last year was my first real year to be a part of Comic Con. I had gone once years ago but I had never really paid attention how small it was starting out. I don’t really know if it is going to continue to get bigger, only because I don’t know how much bigger it could actually get! It is a HUGE event with so many people there. They have everything from comic books to television to movies to this and that. It is quite overwhelming! At the same time, it was the most amazing experience ever! I think it was my favorite day in the past year of working on “Attack of The Show.” I am looking forward to it again this year!
Speaking of big events, you were recently part of AskMen.com’s Top 99 Hottest Women of 2012. How exciting was that for you?
Aww, shucks! I was absolutely flattered! Just to be on the list at all would be amazing but to be at number 48, I was like, “What? Are you all sure? Seriously?!” [laughs] I am absolutely honored and humbled. I think it is amazing that people think of me that way because I definitely don’t think of me that way. It is nice to get that sort of validation from others. I don’t think it has impacted my life in any crazy way other than people congratulating me. I think it is pretty cool! I am going to show it to my kids one day! [laughs]
Do you think there are any misconceptions about yourself?
Ya know, I am sure there are. There always are because people think they know who you are and what is going on in your life but they don’t really have any idea. I am very much me on the show and I am constantly Tweeting as me in my voice, so I think people have a good idea of how I am and where I came from. So, there may be some misconceptions out there but I don’t know about them!
You mentioned Twitter. How has social media, which has been growing at a pretty rapid pace, impacted you and the way you can interact with your audience and fans?
Drastically! It has drastically changed it. When I did the live show on Nickelodeon, like I said, it was very similar to “Attack of The Show.” We had the Internet and a website where people could contact the show but they never had the chance to contact us directly. I do try and take the time to read through what the fans are saying and respond to a lot of them. A good example is birthdays. I would have DIED if I was watching TV when I was younger and could have had my favorite person on the show Tweet me “Happy birthday!” I would have been like, “YES!” [laughs] So, if anyone every asks, “Can you Tweet me happy birthday?” and I see it, I will absolutely do it! It is nice to be able to interact with the fans and get their input on things, even if I don’t always agree with it! It is nice to see what they are saying and it has changed everything so drastically.
You mentioned doing voiceover work for “Attack of The Show” and I know you’ve done that for other projects as well. Is that something you might be doing more of in the future?
I would love to do more voiceover work in the future! I love getting in that VO booth and getting the opportunity to become different characters. My makeup and hair people know this the most about me, because I am with them a lot, because when I am with them, for some reason, crazy Candace comes out! I start doing all sorts of voices and faces! I don’t know, I guess it is just my time to be all of these different characters that are in my head! But yeah, I would love to do a lot more VO. I would love to do video games, cartoons and all sorts of different things. I did do “Robot Chicken” and it was a blast! Hopefully, in the future, I will be doing more of that!
It seems like have a crazy cast of characters around you is a trend in your life!
Totally! I remember one time, I was in the VO booth and they were like, “OK, right now we want you to be kinda like Hello Kitty but choking on a hairball.” [laughs] The things they tell me to do are kinda weird but cool, so let’s do it! [laughs]
For all the fanboys who may just be discovering you, a few quick questions for you. First, who is your favorite superhero?
I will go with Superman.
What’s your favorite TV series? “Jericho” not included, of course.
[laughs] Does “My Crazy Obsession” count?
Yes. Yes, it does.
Or “My Strange Addiction.” I love those shows! They are so good! But, no, I take it all back. My favorite show right now is “The Walking Dead.” “My Crazy Obsession is second!
“Star Wars” or “Star Trek” and why?
“Star Wars” just because I never got into “Star Trek.” There is no real reason except when I would try to watch it, I would be like, “Eh, not my deal.” [laughs]
What is your favorite album of all time?
James Taylor’s “Greatest Hits.”
And your your favorite game of all time?
That would be “Mario Kart.” I should be saying something more recent but I always go back to the old school stuff!
There is nothing wrong with the old school and this question takes it as old school as you can get. At their peak, who would win in a street fight. Steven Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme?
Wow! You weren’t kidding. [laughs] Steven Seagal!
What is the best piece of advice someone gave you along the way in your career you can share with others?
You hear these stories about people who come to Hollywood and get discovered and make it. While those things do happen, if it doesn’t happen to you and it is your dream to act, you have to really work for it. You may get discovered but the odds are you will have to work your way up. If it truly is what you want to do, just don’t give up because it will happen. You have to be strong enough to accept a lot of rejection along the way. It may sound harsh but when you do get that great job you get that feeling of, “Ah! It is finally worth it! It is all paying off!” and it is the best feeling in the world!
Where is the best place for people to catch up with you online?
You can find me on Twitter at @CandaceBailey5 or at my website, www.candacebailey.com!
Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans before I let you go?
I just want to thank everyone for their support! I really appreciate it and I wouldn’t be where I am without you!
I appreciate you taking time out to talk with us today! We are big fans.
I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me! It was so nice to talk to you!
We will keep in touch and spread the word on you and all of your projects in the future! Stay out of trouble!
You too! Thank you so much.
Swing by www.candacebailey.com to get the latest and greatest from Candace Bailey. Check out the video below to get the scoop on her experience with Sauna Pants!
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
