For young actor Isaiah Russell-Bailey, staying at home means spending a lot of time bonding with his mom Brittany Perry-Russell, virtual school, and TikTok challenges. Before social-distancing, Isaiah was on the set of Netflix’s Family Reunion, but now he as an all-new routine. We talked with Isaiah about everything that’s keeping him busy and all of the ways he’s found to appreciate this unexpected downtime.
Must-Watch Reality Talent Shows
Isaiah is looking on the bright side of things and enjoying his downtime by relaxing. “I never get to watch a lot of television because I’m so busy with work and school,” he said. “I love anime, so I’ve been watching Naruto and My Hero Academia. It’s also been fun to catch up on reality TV shows like The Voice, The Masked Singer, and American Idol.”
Current Hits and 90s Throwbacks
Music for every occasion is essential, and Isaiah is mixing things up with new artists and some popular throwbacks. “A lot of new albums have recently come out,” he said. “I love The Weeknd, Post Malone, Roddy Rich, and Khalid.” What is his go-to throwback decade? “I’m also into 90s music. I have a lot of throwback playlists.” It seems like Isaiah has his at-home music scene all figured out. With a mix of artists and styles like that he has plenty of songs to dance to.
A Celebrity Memoir
Like most kids, Isaiah is doing his schoolwork from home right now, so some of his current reading list comes from his classes. “I’m currently reading The Chi’Lin Purse for school,” he said, “but I just got Justin Timberlake’s book Hindsight and All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me. I can’t wait to start reading it. I’m a big fan of his!”
Motivational Speeches
Podcasts aren’t really Isaiah’s thing, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t look to the internet for motivation. “I love watching and listening to motivational speeches on YouTube with my mom,” he said. “Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Jim Carrey have some awesome YouTube clips. I’m always inspired when I listen to them.” (We’re also motivated by his Instagram interview with R&B singer Tank.)
Mother-Son TikTok Challenges
Exercising while social-distancing can require some creativity. Isaiah has been meditating and taking walks with his mom as well as taking online dance classes. “I want to make sure I’m healthy and staying positive during this quarantine.”
Part of staying positive means goofing around with his mom. “We also joined TikTok!” he told us. “We’re having fun creating videos together.” You can follow them and keep up with their TikTok challenges @RussellHustleInc.