Get ready to meet the young lady that’s about to take over your TV screens! Madison Skye Validum started out as a model when she was three years old. Now, at only nine years old, the Orlando-local is ready to take on acting. With three movies out already and two coming soon, her friends and family were right when they said she’d be a star.
She may be young, but Validum has known she has a passion for acting for a long time. The inspiration came from her own brothers. Growing up, she would watch her brothers on set and realized she wanted to act too. “Watching them have fun and give it their all led me to want to do the same,” she said.
Within weeks of signing to an agent in Los Angeles, Validum’s big break into acting came with booking the role of Bean in Netflix’s movie trilogy “Ivy and Bean,” an adaptation of the beloved book series of the same name. She fell in love with the character’s adventurous nature while listening to the audiobooks with her mom and related to the way Bean thinks of a plan and goes after it saying she’s “exactly the same way”.
“I still can’t believe it,” she says when asked about what it’s like to star in these movies. “It still feels like a dream.”
The “Ivy and Bean” trilogy taught Validum so much about being an actress. Working on three films at once showed her how to own a character to her fullest potential and to work diligently. When on set, she feels fully prepared to bring the character to life.
Validum also got the opportunity to work with industry veterans such as Jane Lynch, Nia Valdaros, and Garfield Wilson. Her co-stars taught her the importance of having fun on set and she’s grateful for the memories and friendships she made while filming.
However, she’s not taking a break any time soon. Validum is booked and busy with another Netflix movie set to release this December entitled “Best. Christmas. Ever.” alongside Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, and Jason Biggs. In this romantic comedy, she will play Beatrix, a 10-year-old Harvard student whose parents reunite with their college friends to see what’s been going on in each other’s lives. Validum is excited for viewers to see a different side of her acting as she will be playing a “totally different character” in the film than from what we see in her previous work.
She’s also currently filming another Christmas movie with Disney entitled “Dashing Through the Snow” that is full of fun and laughter, and she expects everyone to love it.
The young up-and-comer is just getting started and is so excited to have been given the opportunity to play so many different roles already. Her love of acting comes from the ability it gives her to help people have a better day and make them laugh.
“If I can change someone’s mood just by them watching me on screen, then I’ve done my job,” Validum says.
“Ivy and Bean” is streaming now on Netflix!