Q&A: Bailee Madison Discusses THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN

From her key role in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark to her work on Good Witch, Holliston, and R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, actress and producer Bailee Madison is no stranger to stories that embrace the strange and the supernatural. In her new film The Night Before Halloween, Bailee plays a character who encounters the deadly Curse of the Carver one fateful fall with her friends. Ahead of the movie's premiere on Syfy this Saturday night at 9:00pm ET, we caught up with Bailee for our latest Q&A feature to discuss playing a "badass with a heart," the physicality of the role, two very different movies that she likes to watch around Halloween, and more.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Bailee. What attracted you to the role of Megan in your new movie, The Night Before Halloween?

Bailee Madison: I was attracted to the multiple layers that make Megan who she is. She is a smart, strong-minded female character who showcases that a woman can be vulnerable but also hold a great amount of strength and fearlessness. She's a badass with a heart, and that's something I hope every girl can relate to.

Featuring the deadly Curse of the Carver, The Night Before Halloween sounds like it features some pretty intense scares. Was this a physical role for you?

Bailee Madison: This was a very physically demanding role for me, which was one of the many reasons I was thrilled to be a part of this project. I was emotionally and physically exhausted at the end of every day. I had bruises from my stunts and red eyes from crying all day and I went home every day so excited to wake up and do it all over again. I was grateful to be surrounded by an incredible stunt team and coordinator who kept me safe and allowed me to push myself in ways that I didn't think I could ever be pushed, and left me wanting to do more.

When you look back at your time on set, is there a particularly funny or memorable moment that stands out?

Bailee Madison: There were so many moments that I found myself standing back and saying, "Wow. This is crazy, we're creating this as a team." The majority of the film was shot at night, and there's something so magical about night shoots. The crew and cast come together more than ever. We entered a state of delusion from lack of sleep, which caused us to completely lose ourselves in our characters and be unapologetically invested and free in what we were doing. Every night held memories full of screaming and crying during takes and then laughing and hugging when our director Sheldon yelled "cut."

What was the most challenging or fun scene to film in The Night Before Halloween?

Bailee Madison: The fun part about a horror or thriller is that every scene has to keep the audience’s attention—be it with a subtle look or a physical stunt, which meant that the challenges never stopped.

Many fans are familiar with your work on Good Witch, but you’ve also appeared in R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Holliston, and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (co-written by Guillermo del Toro). What do you enjoy the most about working in the horror genre and being a part of projects that give audiences a good thrill?

Bailee Madison: As a horror film fan myself, I love that I get lost in horror movies, no matter how many times I tell myself, "This isn't real, it's a movie." I still scream and my breathing becomes faster. I love that there's no rule about how pretty you have to look on a monitor. There are no requirements to be proper. You can let yourself be covered in dirt, scream until you lose your voice, and fight as if your life depended on it. You get to lose yourself and go crazy on camera. It's a thrill.

Halloween is right around the corner. Are there any movies that you like to watch this time of year?

Bailee Madison: It's a tie between Halloweentown and The Craft. LOL! Both very different, I know. I loved how twisted The Craft was. It stays with you long after the movie ends.

With The Night Before Halloween premiering this Saturday on Syfy, what projects do you have on deck that you can tease, and where can our readers find you on social media?

Bailee Madison: I'm thrilled that Good Witch is returning this spring for our third season. Holiday Joy is premiering this December on Freeform. I'm in post-production for a film I just produced, and the final mix was just done on a film called Offer and Compromise with Bellamy Young and Tom Cavanagh. My Twitter and Instagram is @BaileeMadison and my Snapchat is @XoBaileeMadison.