Malia Baker | BELLO Young Hollywood

You possess a diverse acting career for someone who’s only 17! Can you tell us how it was transitioning from classic TV to streaming to film while still in your early teens?

That’s a big question. I don’t know if it’s fully hit me, to be honest, I feel like you just kind of take it as every job comes and you are grateful for whatever comes your way and whatever opportunity you’re able to possess at that moment. So I’ve just been, every time a job comes around that I book and I’m able to work with amazing people… It’s just a moment of, okay, this is happening, be happy. Remember this moment, this moment, everything is so temporary. So remember this moment is what it is, and then move on to whatever’s next, rather than sitting at home for a couple of months or being off in another place. So yeah, no, it’s been it’s been surreal. And now being here at Disney, it’s so much fun.

Also, we can see that you promote awareness about some political issues, like feminism, in your public platforms. At what point did your interest in collective wellness start?

Since I came out of the womb, girl! I don’t know, I feel like being a human on this earth, there’s a part of humanity within us all. And if you don’t see that within another person, then I feel like everybody does. Everybody has a pet that they’ve loved. Everybody has an art that they’ve admired. At some point, everybody has their favorite weather, their favorite color, and their favorite ice cream flavor. If you have that part of you, then you’re able to have a part of you that is involved in wellness as humans as a whole. But I think I can blame it on my, I can think of my upbringing a lot. In terms of just growing up in an all-female household, I grew up with my younger sister and my mom. Her being a single mom, and throughout the years has really just shown me how strong women are. And she’s been my biggest role model throughout it all. And as soon as I downloaded social media, I knew I wanted to use my platform, not for myself, but for others. And that connected me with organizations like The Grassroots Organization and Girl Up, the UN initiative. And they’ve just been such an amazing community to delve into and fully find myself as I’ve grown up in this industry, because I am, I’m still a youngster. So it’s very amazing to be able to call these people, my peers, and also my biggest admiration.

What common activities for a 17-year-old do you still manage to maintain despite having such a busy routine?

Mmmm… Common activities for a 17-year-old… I still make mistakes. I’m still a little silly. Every now and then I’m still learning. And I’m learning with my friends. I’m able to hang out with my friends every single I mean, I get to hang out with my friends on my job, too. I really can’t say much. I feel like the common 17-year-old experiences aren’t so as linear. Everybody has their own experiences, but graduating high school, being able to hang out with your friends, and going for a little coffee date is different. It’s very chill, and if not that, then staying at home binging on Netflix binging a series and just having some ice cream. I don’t know. Simple things like that really make the world go round?

Is there any advice you received from more experienced actors that you keep for yourself?

Yes, I work with Mark Feuerstein on Baby-Sitters Club. And he told me that if you’re not learning from something, if you’re not learning from an activity that you’re doing at the moment, then it’s time to move on. And I think that I’ve held that so so true to where I’m at in the industry right now. I’ve done really contrasting jobs so far. I just did this survival indie horror, one in the winter. And then now I’m on Descendants. And it’s very crazy to be able to look at them both and say “Wow, I really learned so much not only about my craft but about myself during that time.” And then I learned from Brandy on Descendants that to remain to your authentic self and be great I need to add this crazy thing that we call the industry because it is so true. It makes you human at the end of the day instead of a press robot so

Who are your biggest personal references when it comes to acting?

I feel like my biggest admirations when it comes to acting, I’ve really loved Ayo Edebiri recently, she is the girl on The bear and Bottoms and so many other things. She’s incredible. She directed a couple of episodes of The Bear on this newest season, which I’m already binging. But I think that would be so cool to step into one day because I really see myself going that route and seeing another girl, especially a girl of color in this industry strive and fulfill it in such a quick, not even a quick amount of time, but work really, really hard for it. And the time that she’s had so far. Is very admirable. And I just give her all the props. I would love to follow a bit in their footsteps in the coming years.

…And your biggest struggles?

Well, when I was younger, I’d say that it would be the crying scenes, I couldn’t tap into that once I used to watch so many videos on YouTube, that would be like just drinking off water. And the tears will come naturally, if you feel it in the moment. Or people would say like use a tear stick. And I always just wanted to really feel it in that moment. So I did, it’s been my biggest struggle. But I You get used to it over the years, and you really tap into it your own way. And you figure you figure that out for yourself. So I don’t think any YouTube video could really help you in that situation. But no, I’ve loved learning that and learning that you don’t have to have the drama or the struggles or the trope of being a struggling artists to create great art, I think is really important. And I think it’s made my mental health to where it’s at, which is a really great place. And I think it’s a lesson that we can all learn from an earlier age than going through the struggles and the highs and the lows of learning it through other ways. So yeah, those are my biggest struggles, I guess not really struggles just learning curves.

As part of Gen Z, a social group that grew up with unrestricted access to the internet, what are your strategies to maintain a healthy relationship with social media?

I feel like taking a break from it every once in a while has been the biggest thing that I learned from social media. I downloaded social media and I was never really into it. In a way, I downloaded it from my job because I had to add like 12 to post things for the things that I was in to promote it and to be a part of it socially, as well. But I feel like yeah, just learning and finding a balance that works for you. I have learned for myself that waking up and not going on it right away is very important to me. I have to be off of my phone for the first like hour, have my day and just go through the motions. And then I’ll go to my emails and then I’ll go to Instagram. And then I’ll see what I’ve been tagged in and do all the things that need to be done to kind of keep this job rolling, in a way. But yeah, just make sure to take a break and don’t take it too seriously. I mean, they all originated to be this fun, silly act. So don’t take them too seriously. Just have fun with them!

You’re about to star in the feature Hair of the Bear while working as its executive producer. Yet another mind-blowing conquest for someone so young! Can you tell us in which ways this experience is different from your previous works?

Yeah, I feel like this experience was different. It was my first bleeding role, being able to work literally every single day. And it was also my first time working as an adult on set. That was my first time doing that, which meant much more longer hours. But I was like you said I was also executive producing, which is so fun and cool. And I think opened my eyes to all the possibilities of what can come from the industry as a young girl of color as well, I never really felt like my opinion was heard or valued in the same way, as you know, a single tear would be I acted on screen. So yeah, I just felt like it was an eye-opening sort of situation of “Oh, there’s so much more than I thought there was!”. And I’d love to be able to continue that route in the future.

What is the best part of initiating a career early in life? And the most difficult one?

I’d say that you always have timestamps on where you’re at, you always have like a film or a TV show or a moment that you’re in the public. And you’re able to say like, I know exactly where “I was at, in my own world at that point!”. Because, you know, what the public sees isn’t really what’s going on for you; It is what the public sees. And that’s just it. They’re very separate things. But looking back, I think it’s been so cool to be able to be like, that was me when I had my first braces and that was so sweet. I remember that moment. And at the time, I hated it. But I was 12. And being able to kind of just be really accepting of your past self and love her for all she is, perceiving even the most embarrassing moments as a blessing.

Girl, I’d have to say the same thing you have time stands for everything. Even the worst moments, you’re like, “Oh, that’s out there, isn’t it?”. Then there was a rough moment going on in my head. But, no, I really do think it all comes down to this ying-yang balance of “If this happens, this will also happen”. Like I said, Everything is so temporary that even the good moments and the bad moments, they don’t last for too long until you have your next moment. And that’s really deciding on what you put out there and what you want to receive back. So yeah, the timestamps, they can be a little tricky at times. But, ultimately, it’s so, so cool to look back on.