Cynthia Bailey lit up the stage at Hallmark Mahogany’s second annual gala, Mahogany Moment, where powerful influencers and bosses from different professions inspired the throngs in attendance to pursue their dreams despite their fears or self-doubt.
Bailey, of course, became a household name among urbanites during her decade-long tenure on the popular reality series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” [2010-2021]. Bailey sat across from Hallmark Mahogany Vice President Alexis Kerr during their fireside chat that came to fruition with Hallmark Mahogany’s collaboration with Infiniti.
The statuesque beauty, who carries herself with an endearing air of stateliness, inspired the mostly female audience by regaling them on her enthralling, and seemingly seamless, transition from supermodel to reality star to bonafide Hollywood actress.
The star of the movie mystery Who’s Cheating Who? on BET+ made herself further relatable by admitting she was terrified of performing in even the smallest roles when she graduated from unscripted shows to scripted movies.
“I liked being a model. I liked being a reality star. But I love being an actress,” Bailey said emphatically inside the Cobb Galleria. “And I never thought that [I’d be one]. I mean, I watched, I must have watched Who’s Cheating Who? like, 100 times. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I am really overreacting.’ This is crazy. Like, ‘How did I do this?’ Like, I literally just said, ‘I’ve gotta be an actress.'”
Bailey continued, saying, “Now, I didn’t know how it was going to happen. I got my butt in classes. I took every note. I did every audition. I was afraid and terrified, even if I got the smallest part. But I went there, and I showed up.”
Her success is multidimensional, Bailey said, and it requires more than just sporting an attractive visage and possessing talent. Her sense of gratitude and humanity helped draw people into her corner.
“I am so humbled and grateful to be here,” she told Kerr. “And I think when you come with that kind of energy and spirit, people have no choice but to just embrace your kindness and hard work and grace and humbleness.”
Kerr lauded Bailey for her “graciousness” and being “refined” in how she had negotiated obstacles and adversities. This has enabled her to procure opportunities that are often denied others. Kerr also touched on faith, which many urban sophisticates are normally circumspect on speaking about on the job.
“I am a woman of God. I just wake up and I just want to wake up by the grace of God. I just say, ‘Not my will, but God’s will be done.’ At night, I say, ‘Not my will; God’s will be done.’ I’m always constantly putting that out into the universe. The reason I do that is because as as a woman, as a human, as an entrepreneur, I think that it’s important to just trust the process. Trust God,” Bailey said.
Most importantly, what Bailey conveyed to the audience is that not every opportunity is meant for you.
“If I don’t get it, if I don’t get this booking, if I don’t get this invite, this doesn’t come my way, it was just not for me,” Bailey said, “And there’s so much peace in just knowing what’s your stuff and what’s not your stuff. If it didn’t come to my email, if it didn’t come to my agent or my manager, it was not for Cynthia Denise Bailey, and that is okay.”
