The galactic rise of Isaiah Russell-Bailey.

Isaiah Russell-Bailey has become an increasingly familiar face since first appearing on screen five years ago, his reputation cemented by two Netflix productions: the comedy series Family Reunion and the superhero film We Can Be Heroes. Now, at the age of seventeen, he gives a confident performance in his first leading role, as the hero of Disney+’s new sci-fi film Crater.

Russell-Bailey plays the recently orphaned Caleb who is taking a road trip across the moon before being evacuated to another planet. Although it’s set in the year 2257, the mood harks back to the classic coming-of-age movies of the 1980s in its focus on the relationship between Caleb and his friends, each revealing their vulnerabilities over the course of a shared journey. Both the futuristic setting and the character-driven plot were a draw for Russell-Bailey. “I love sci-fi movies,” he says. “I’m a big fan of Star Wars and Marvel – ‘a big fan’ is a little understatement, I’m a total geek! I grew up watching all these movies, mainly because my family is a group of comic and sci-fi movie geeks.” But he also related strongly to the character of Caleb. “We have a lot of things in common. We’re both teenagers by single parents, even though the circumstances are different. Also, we both have a really close group of friends that we consider family.”

He auditioned by tape during lockdown – “auditioning is so fun, especially when you’re in the home. You feel like you’re in a safe space” – and the speed with which he was offered the part suggests there was little doubt that he would be the perfect choice. “I sent off my tape and within a few days I got called back for a producers’ session, which is where you read the lines with the producers and the director. And then my mom decided to trick me and tell me that the director, Kyle Alvarez, wanted to call me to give me notes because I was going to do another producers’ session. But when I got the call, he told me that I’d booked the role of Caleb. I freaked out and started doing my happy dance in the house while I was on the call. Needless to say, it was a great audition process and a great day, that day.”

“I would like to do more action films. I’ve always wanted to play Miles Morales in a live-action Spider-Man.”

— Isaiah

Apart from the scenes on the fictional planet of Omega, which were shot in what Russell-Bailey describes with a shudder as “windy Iceland”, most of the filming took place at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Unsurprisingly for someone who lists parkour among his hobbies, Russell-Bailey had no problem with the physical side of replicating zero gravity by wearing a harness. “My stunt training helped out a lot. I’ve been training for over nine years, and I’ve had the ability to do my own stunts on a few of the things I’ve worked on, like Family Reunion and We Can Be Heroes.” He enjoys the stunt work and says that it helps him on set when there are practical effects. “The Rover was real – we were inside an actual Rover. I prefer having physical props because I’m able to take advantage of my environment and the things around me while I’m acting. I would definitely say it makes my life easier when I have physical stuff to touch.”

But, inevitably, many of the special effects in Crater relied on CGI instead. “I’d probably say it was 50/50. Compared to the television shows I’ve worked on, there’s a lot more CGI.” The other major difference he noticed in film production was the comparatively small amount of time he was given to inhabit the role of Caleb. “For TV shows, if you’re a series regular, you have a lot more time to grow with your character and develop with it.” He felt this lack most acutely during the affecting scene towards the end of the film where Caleb listens to messages from the friends he left behind seventy-five years earlier. “I was really nervous when it came to shooting the scene where I listened to all the tapes of my friends. I think every actor puts a lot of pressure on themselves to get that perfect take, where they evoke the most emotion.”

With that mature and assured leading performance under his belt, Russell-Bailey is now ready to stretch himself further. “I would like to do more action films. I’ve always wanted to play Miles Morales in a live-action Spider-Man. Then I also want to do darker roles, like a thriller and horror, I would love to test that out.” Having had a go at operating the camera for the final scene of Crater, he’s also keen to branch out into other areas of filmmaking. To prepare himself for those new challenges, he’s always observing what happens around him on set. “Definitely taking mental notes wherever I go. I want to be a Jack of all trades. I want to direct, produce, write, edit. I even want to get into film scoring.”

This is more than a distant dream – Russell-Bailey has already set up his own production company, IB Entertainment (a play on his initials that is also an assertion of his existence – “I be”), and is in the early stages of producing his first film. “I’ve got to keep everything else about that a little hush-hush, but there you go, a little sneak peek action...”. As he strides forward into a bright future, it’s easy to forget that his childhood isn’t quite behind him yet. “What’s next for me? Producing a new film, auditioning, creating opportunities for other actors, travel to other places – I’ve never travelled outside the country, besides going to Canada and Iceland. But school as well – I’m actually graduating from high school in four days. And now that I think about it, it feels really weird!”

Crater is out now on Disney+.

Author: Rachel Goodyear

Styling: Lisa Cameron