Interview: Robert Bailey Jr. Talks ‘Emergence’ and What Fans Can Expect This Season
Have you been watching Emergence on ABC? If not, you should be! Allison Tolman leads the show as Jo, a police chief who’s called to the site of a mysterious accident. While she’s there, she finds a child (Alexa Swinton) all alone with no memory of what happened to her. This investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she could ever imagine.
We had the opportunity to talk with Robert Bailey Jr. who plays Officer Chris Minetto on the show. During the interview we discussed what it was like joining the series, the importance of social media, and how live tweeting is an important experience for the fans and much more!
Check out the interview below:
Q: Can you talk about your character and what we can expect from him in this season?
Robert Bailey Jr: Absolutely! I play Officer Chris Minetto who works a lot with Allison Tolman’s character Jo. It’s a small town and they know each other really well, and he’s always wanted to be a cop. When the accident happens and we find the little girl, my character is asked to do some things that aren’t really in line with what a cop usually does, but he knows if Jo is doing this it must be for a good reason. As the episodes progress, you will see him dive more and more into the mysterious, and see him get involved in more comedy and more action. Things get bigger and bigger, and a lot more fun. We’re not holding back at all.
Q: Can you talk about building the chemistry with the other cast?
RBJ: The crew wanted people with a good sense of humor and people who wouldn’t be hard to work with. We are all really excited to be here. We’re all from different backgrounds and different careers, and once we read the script I felt very lucky to get part of it. It’s just a really lovely fun vibe getting to create the show that we want to create.
Q: What was it like going from playing a doctor to playing a cop?
RBJ: I played a doctor for years on The Night Shift. I went from being a really young season regular who had to deal with obstacles and was very awkward socially. On this show it’s really been interesting because it feels like there’s more of an inner confidence in this character and he is more sure of himself.
About Robert Bailey Jr.
Born in Minneapolis, Bailey Jr. has been acting from a young age. His film credits include M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, Coraline with Dakota Fanning; Dragonfly, starring Kevin Costner and Kathy Bates; and Mission to Mars. Bailey Jr. played the lead role in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Little John, as well as starring roles in NBC’s Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ and VH1’s Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story.
In television, Bailey Jr. most recently completed four years as a series regular on NBC’s The Night Shift. He had a recurring role on Becker, which garnered him a Young Artist Award. He was also a series regular on Wanda at Large and had guest-starring roles on ER, The Practice, Touched By An Angel and Shameless, just to name a few.
