Q&A: Sheldon Bailey, SOS Supporter and Star of Nickelodeon’s ‘Game Shakers’

Sheldon Bailey advocates against bullying as the loveable Ruthless on the hit show Game Shakers on Nickelodeon. When he’s not in front of the cameras, Sheldon is working tirelessly to support communities that need it the most.

We caught up with Sheldon to talk about his recent T-shirt campaign that is helping to raise funds to support orphaned, abandoned and other vulnerable children through SOS Children’s Villages.

Hey Sheldon, your character on Game Shakers advocates against bullying. What inspired you to pursue this role?

Sheldon: Yes, Ruthless takes a stand for fairness and justice. He's a confident and assertive person. He speaks loudly and kids seem to love when Ruthless says anything. Kids yell at me like Ruthless does on the show on a regular basis. They get a kick out of it. My character seems to make people happy. I hope emulating me makes them more confident and less self-conscious. Playing this character with these kids is right on target for me. I have been mentoring, supporting, coaching, and volunteering with kids for a long time.

It’s great to see that your current t-shirt campaign will support SOS Children’s Villages. Why did you select us?

Sheldon:  I chose SOS because my stepmother Irene and her sister Nadine were raised within the organization. Irene has been active and outspoken about SOS since she's been in my life some 20 years or so. She loves what SOS has done for her and I love my stepmom. I got to see some kids at an SOS Village in Germany once and their little faces warmed me up.

As for the campaign, I wanted to choose a youth organization for my "Back to School" T-shirt campaign and SOS seemed to be the way to go. I want to keep the support from my family alive.

The image on the t-shirt has such a positive message around education. What was the thinking behind this design?

Sheldon: The image comes from a classic episode where my character was sitting at a desk of a middle school classroom. The line "Stay in School Kids!" came from a separate episode where I walk out of a class and say "Stay in School Kids!" loudly and people thought it was hilarious on TV.
 

Shirt being sold to support SOS Children’s Villages. 

I really do want kids to stay in school. I want our schools to get better as well. Our dropout rate is too high. I want kids to believe in school and to believe in themselves.
 

What is one thing you would like people to know about SOS Children’s Villages?

Sheldon: I want people to know that SOS is enriching and saving lives around the world. I want them to know that there are good organizations out here that are really helping people. SOS is making a difference. We can all do the same by caring and playing our part in supporting people in need, especially kids.

As you know, at SOS, we believe every child deserves to grow up in a stable, loving family. Did you know that 1 in 10 children are at risk of growing up alone worldwide?

Sheldon:  I did not know that. I'm where I am today in my career and life because of a loving and caring family. I couldn't imagine life without them. I want everybody to know that love. Support from loved ones can make a world of difference in a person's life.

Sheldon Bailey's T-shirt campaign ends October 8th. Help him reach his goal by purchasing his shirt here.