Meet Ailise Beales

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ailise Beales. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ailise, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

You know those fleeting moments in life that have a strangely lasting impact on you? I remember being in elementary school, probably 9 or 10 years old, playing baseball in sports class (not my forté). I was stuck at second base when our teacher announced that the next ball would be the last. The batter swung, I ran to third, and assessed my chances of getting to home. It was close— I couldn’t be sure I would make it in time, so… I didn’t try. I stayed at third, the whistle was blown, and as I walked back towards the rest of my class my teacher nudged me and said, “Why didn’t you run for it? You had nothing to lose, the game was going to end anyway!”

It was as if I had been seeing in black and white and suddenly everything was technicolor. Why hadn’t I gone for it? I had been so worried about getting caught that I hadn’t stopped to realize that it truly didn’t matter either way. There were no repercussions. I either played it safe and was guaranteed not to win the point, or I took a risk and gave myself a chance.

That was almost 20 years ago, and I still think about it often. For me, it was the moment I realized that playing it safe didn’t avoid failing, it guaranteed it. At this stage of my life, with no children or mortgage to hold me responsible, I’m able to take certain risks without worrying about striking out for a whole team.

It took me a while to become comfortable with this idea— truly, I’m naturally risk-averse. I’ve been very lucky to have mentors, teachers (hi, Mr Williams!) and two incredible parents who have supported and encouraged me to make choices using both my head and my heart.

Honestly, what helps me find courage is to imagine that I am the main character in my book. In stories, you always want the protagonist to do the brave thing, go on the adventure, take the risk. When I reach my final page, I want my story to be a saga worth reading.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an actor!

I think one of the reasons I love acting is because I grew up consuming stories like oxygen. Books and movies about other people helped me to understand myself and the kind of person I wanted to be. I must have watched ‘Matilda’ a thousand times— I wanted to absorb her wit and bravery, Miss Honey’s kindness, Lavender’s loyalty. When I learned that my Dad had been an actor when he was younger, I was emboldened to follow in his footsteps.

I also just wanted to do EVERYTHING. I’d see ‘Lie To Me’ on a Monday and decide I wanted to become a facial expression specialist. On Tuesday, I’d watch ‘How To Kill A Mockingbird’ and want to be a lawyer. By the time Sunday rolled around, I would have declared intentions to become an author, musician, teacher, chef, journalist. Acting is a way for me to live a hundred lives in one body.

It’s also a way to connect with people. I was born in England and moved to New Zealand when I was almost 14 years old. To prepare for the move, we watched Kiwi films and TV shows like ‘Flight of the Conchords’ and ‘Heavenly Creatures’ (in hindsight, the latter might have been a questionable choice for selling New Zealand to a grumpy teenager, though a fantastic film). In many ways, I consider myself a New Zealander— my first feature film was a Kiwi-made mockumentary called ‘Two Idiots and a Tin Whistle’. But I also have strong Irish roots, lived for years in New York City, did much of my schooling in England, and have travelled the world meeting people and collecting their accents. The one thing that every place has in common is their stories. Stories are universal. We’ve all been heartbroken, all been afraid, joyful, lost. If I can spend the rest of my life sharing stories, I’ll consider myself very lucky.

There’s an upcoming release I’m really excited about. It’s a short film by Tiana Duarte-Kargbo called ‘Manspread’. My character, Missy, exists in a world where traditional gender roles are reversed. Tiana is an insanely talented photographer and director, and I just know the film is going to be beautiful.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My dad was an actor when he was younger, and from the very first time I told him that this was what I wanted to do with my life, he told me three important things I’d need to learn.

1) To prepare for rejection, but never to take it personally.

Sometimes, you’re too tall. Or too short. Or your eyes are too blue, your hair is too red, you look too much like Lindsay Lohan in ‘The Parent Trap’ (heard that one before). There are a hundred million reasons you might not be right for a role, and none of them have to do with how talented you are. For every ‘yes’ you get, countless ‘no’s’ will accompany it, and that’s just part of the job. You can’t take it personally; what is meant for you will find you.

2) To believe in myself more than anyone else.

This always made me laugh, because nobody believes in me more than my dad does (myself included). But, in theory, I am my own biggest advocate, and you should be too. If you don’t believe in your own ability, how can you expect anyone else to?

3) To never give up. You can only fail if you stop trying.

The acting industry is brutal. Sometimes, being an actor means performing for an audience of half a dozen people, surviving on a budget while you do an unpaid showcase, shooting self-tapes at midnight with a reader on Zoom. It’s not always (or even often) glamorous, but every credit counts and every experience gets you one step closer to the ultimate goal— acting for a living.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

In the past year, I’ve had to learn that sometimes, you can do everything in your power and, still, things won’t go your way. This year, all my core pillars have been shaken, my faith in myself has been tested, my commitment to my dream has been challenged. Being separated from my friends and family, and facing immigration issues while pursuing a career in one of the most notoriously difficult fields, it’s been a trying experience to say the least. Ultimately, I’ve had to swallow my pride and let go of the picture-perfect plan for how I expected the next three years to pan out.

I’m always saying that obstacles just make the story more interesting— nobody wants to watch a movie where she gets everything she’s ever wanted without any struggle. This year, I’m trying to embrace that lesson.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ailisebeales.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ailise.beales/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ailisebeales

Image Credits

Headshots by Douglas Gorenstein.