‘IF’ Star Cailey Fleming Imagines What the Future Might Hold
The young star has already conquered imagination in Hollywood projects such as The Walking Dead, the MCU and Star Wars, but it’s off screen where the real world of possibility lies.
In your wildest dreams, what would you imagine? To travel the world? To have a steady, fairly substantial paycheque? To be adored by thousands of fans world wide in whatever chosen profession you choose? To work side-by-side with Canadian superstar Ryan Reynolds?
Imagine then, if you had all that by the age of 17, much like ‘IF’s Cailey Fleming. Fleming didn’t have to dream. It’s already a reality.
Ryan Reynolds (left) and Fleming in ‘IF’
Fleming plays ‘Bea’, a young girl who’s forced to grow up in an awful hurry, as her mother passed away recently, and her father (plays by writer/director John Krasinski) is now about to have heart surgery. In the meantime, Bea lives with her warm and inviting grandmother (Fiona Shaw). The very reserved and quiet Bea, with her father’s encouragement and the help of a mysterious neighbour, Cal (Ryan Reynolds) begins to remember day by day what it’s like to dream, have fun, explore the world we live in and just be a kid again.
The young phenom, who graced the screens of millions of viewers when she joined the cast of ‘The Walking Dead’, already in the ninth season of the show has put quite a few chapters behind her already. Her run on the show, which lasted 53 episodes, and a brief stint on the spin-off ‘Those Who Lived’ is seemingly in the dirt for the foreseeable future, so Fleming is seemingly trying to focus on feature films once again. (It should be mentioned that she was in the 2-billion dollar baby ‘The Force Awakens’ when she was only 7-years-old) so giant, imaginative and CG-addled studio projects like Paramount’s ‘IF’ is nothing for a seasoned veteran like Fleming. Really, when we’re talking about closing chapters, there’s something much more personal in the book of Fleming. The teenaged performer, amazingly with all the work she’s been logging on screen, recently also completed her high school diploma. A year early.
Check out the full video interview of Cailey Fleming below, or scroll to continue the article.
“I wasn't supposed to until next year, but I got the opportunity, and I ran with it” Fleming admits with a massive grin on her face, “but it feels really good because all my friends are grades below me, so whenever they go back to school, I don't have to, and I'm so excited”. Much like Bea when she begins to see the ‘If’s (imaginary friends) pop up around the world, that excitement is simply because the world is nothing but possibility for Fleming. She can let her imagination run wild as to what the future might hold. Bea in the film asks of her Grandmother, “What did you want to be when you were a kid?” - when posed with that same question, Fleming let out a teenaged, gleeful squeel, but then went right back into a mode of pure professionalism that you might expect from the aforementioned veteran.
Reynolds (center left) and Fleming (center right) with two IFs (voice by Christopher Meloni and Louis Gossett Jr in his final role.
“I don't know. I'm still stuck in ‘IF’ land right now, honestly. It really was my dream project, so I'm still just kind of processing it. I told John [Krasinski] I would work with him for as long as he would have me. So whatever he does in the future, if he wants me to be part of it, I will”.
It’s almost strange to hear the words of a 30-year-old experience actor come from the petite frame of a teenaged ingenue, but much like Bea, Fleming seemingly almost had to grow up. Being a part of massive productions at such a young age, and putting in the gruelling hours she must have put in with The Walking Dead would force any kid to grow up. When asked if she related to Bea’s character in that respect; having to forget what it’s like to be a kid, Fleming entered Bea mode and didn’t have much to say on the theory simply stating “Yeah, I guess you could take it like that”.
Not that Fleming is by any means not living her best young life. She’s an avid dancer, she loves going to concerts (being a self-admitted Olivia Rodrigo fan, and possibly the world’s largest ‘Swifty’), and loves watching anything Zendaya is in, so the question is, what does a young performer like this, who has already been in so many massive projects and who has really seen it all get excited about? What does she need to imagine to bring that inner child back? Is there possibly a different film or TV world out there, or another fanbase she would love to be a part of? “I would love to do something else for Marvel”, Fleming admist. “I was so lucky to be a part of Loki, but I think I am such a big fan of the MCU, so I would love to do something else with that”. Fleming briefly played the younger Sylvie, a part that fans absolutely adored, and that was made popular by the performance of Sophia Di Martino in the ‘older’ incarnation.
Fleming (right) and Dad, Matthew (left).
But perhaps that’s why Fleming can oscillate between shockingly mature, and teenaged energy back and forth so easily. Having worked with such amazing co-stars, even briefly, must have really shown her what this world of entertainment is all about. Or perhaps it’s her real life role models. Fleming certainly does not ignores her those important influences of screen in her life, either. On her social media, Fleming often celebrates the relationship she has with her Dad, Matthew, and how hard he’s worked so that she can follow her dreams.
Yet when asked who she might consider to be the craziest role model she’s had, much like Bea has a calvacade of imaginary creatures to give her advice, support and friendship, you would think the choice would be extremely difficult. While certainly not as important as real-life Dad, on screen she’s had surrogate Father figures in Ryan Reynolds, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and of course, Krasinksi both on and off camera during ‘IF’. Yet it was an actor who played a fairly reprehensible character who possibly made the biggest impact.
“When I first started on Walking Dead, Jeff [Dean Morgan] really took me under his wing. We had this whole thing where we were still getting to know each other, and he asked me how he could be my best friend. I told him to get me a chocolate fondue fountain. …So I got a chocolate fondue fountain, and I'll never forget it. I still have it. It's so awesome.
Writer/Director John Krasinski (left) and Fleming (right) on the set of ‘IF’
That same teenaged joy comes out in the young lady when she thinks about all the amazing role models she’s had. That same giddy indecisiveness when she was asked about future projects comes out when she thinks about her surrogate Dads. “I think John [Krasinski] a lot, too. I mean, obviously he played my dad in this movie, but he's involved me from the beginning, and he's definitely taking me under his wing. I've gotten the chance to get to know him, and call him a friend. But… all of them, Ryan, too, and Norman, I don't know!”
The fact is, Fleming doesn’t have to chose. That’s the beauty of her life. She can already look back at a figurative lifetime of experiences and embrace her amazing fortune. She can look to the future and not have to imagine any ‘IF’s as her life is already full of unforgettable characters. Yet the great thing is, she can keep dreaming and imagining all she wants, because there’s so much left for her out there.