Why The Cast Of The Madison Looks So Familiar

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The following article mentions suicide.

If you think "The Madison" is just another "Yellowstone" spinoff, think again. The only thing the newest offering from the Midas touch director has in common with the majority of its predecessors is a big Montana sky, and another flawed family at its core. But while the storyline may not be as familiar to Taylor Sheridan fans, the cast has audiences wondering, "Where have I seen that actor before?" If you haven't tuned in (spoiler alert), the story follows the members of an affluent Manhattan family as they deal with the sudden loss of the patriarch. Their journey toward healing leads them miles away from their comfort zones, both literally and figuratively, as they grapple with the concept of what a life well lived truly means.

Led by Hollywood heavy hitters Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, the cast is full of faces that range from very to vaguely familiar. But all of these actors, whether seasoned or green, have a gift for exploring the depth and range of raw human emotion in the face of tragedy. That's not to say there's no drama. But rather than the in-your-face rough and tumbleweed style of the "Yellowstone" crew, this family's drama is quieter and more deeply nuanced as it explores the stages of grief and healing. Ben Schnetzer, who plays deputy sheriff Van Davis, credited the series' creator. "Taylor is such a student of the human experience and condition, and has this gift of translating it into beautiful prose," Schnetzer told Country Living.

In her role as Stacy Clyburn, Michelle Pfeiffer perfectly encapsulates the cool, blonde Manhattan socialite. However, over the course of the series, viewers watch as the talented actor navigates the stages of grief, vacillating between anger, fear, and sadness, as effortlessly as her character might navigate the upper East Side. The show's creator, Taylor Sheridan, praised his leading lady in The New York Times for her ability to authentically deliver such an emotional performance. "An actor of her talent and skill could have easily pulled any number of tricks out of her basket, but she didn't. Not once. She forced herself to embrace the suffering," he said.

Ever since she lit up the screen as Stephanie Zinone in the campy yet classic "Grease 2," the evolution of Michelle Pfeiffer's career has been something most actors only dream about. The Hollywood legend boasts a body of work that has stood the test of time with standout roles in big hits like "Dangerous Liaisons," "Scarface," and "Married to the Mob," to name a few. It is safe to say that every one of her performances is memorable, but perhaps none more so than her role in "The Fabulous Baker Boys." Who could forget Pfeiffer in her red dress, slithering across a grand piano as she sang about "Makin' Whoopee?" That role marked one of three Academy Award nominations for the superstar, yet she's never taken home the statue. Obviously, that oversight hasn't impacted her career which, like the actor herself, is aging like fine wine. 

(Spoiler alert) Although his character is killed in the first episode, Kurt Russell gets plenty of screen time in "The Madison" in the form of flashbacks and memories. As head of the Clyburn clan, Preston Clyburn and wife Stacy (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) have it all: children, grandchildren, a luxurious New York apartment, and a solid, loving marriage that flies in the face of the stereotypes. Russell plays the role with an ease that comes off as affable rather than arrogant. Perhaps that's because Clyburn and Russell are a lot alike. Like his character, Russell loves fly fishing, and he divides his time between working in LA and living in Colorado. And while Russell and fellow actor Goldie Hawn never tied the knot, they share one of the longest lasting relationships in Hollywood, complete with kids and grandkids. "Being able to play someone I'm quite similar to in many ways felt great," he told Men's Health. "It felt really right."

As with Pfeiffer, with whom he starred in the movie "Tequila Sunrise," Russell's resume is impressive. He began acting when he was just a kid, appearing in Westerns and Disney films. However, it wasn't his first love. The handsome actor was actually a pro baseball player before an injury derailed his career. The major league's loss was Hollywood's gain as Russell proved with his extensive body of work. While Westerns were a mainstay in his career, the romcom "Overboard," where he played single dad Dean Proffitt opposite Hawn, his real-life love, was a fan favorite. 

As the husband of the youngest Clyburn daughter, Patrick J. Adam's portrayal of Russell McIntosh is both touching and humorous. He navigates the world of women he is surrounded by with patience and a befuddlement that is nothing short of endearing. If Adams seems born to play the part — he was. His personal life so closely mirrors the plot line, it's almost as though Taylor Sheridan used it as inspiration. Adams and his real-life wife stepped in to help his mother keep the family's summer cottage in a remote area of Ontario following the death of his stepfather. When he saw the script for "The Madison," Adams was dealing with his own grief and was blown away by how closely art imitated life. "You end up involved in the things that you're supposed to end up in and that's proven true for me, and that certainly seems to be the case with this cast," he told WWD. 

Prior to joining the Clyburn family, Adams was best known for his role as wunderkind Mike Ross on the hit legal drama "Suits." Adams famously shared a steamy on-screen relationship with Meghan Markle's character, Rachel Zane, for seven seasons. He went from working with royalty to working with Hollywood royalty and has nothing but the highest praise for his "The Madison" costars. "Michelle Pfeiffer's on another level," he said. "Her performance in this is going to go down in the record books. And I'm just so honored to be anywhere near that."

Beau Garrett plays the flakey, unmoored eldest Clyburn daughter Abigail Reese. As a single mom, she is not only dealing with the death of her father but also her seeming inability to get her own life together following her divorce. It is clear early on that Reese was her father's daughter and that she relied heavily on him as her safety net. When that net gets suddenly yanked out from under her, she is forced to confront her choices, and she often finds herself going head-to-head with her mother and younger sister as she processes her grief.

While Garrett bears more than a little resemblance to her on-screen mom, Michelle Pfeiffer, the real reason she may look familiar to some fans is because she has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than two decades on both the large and small screen. Most will recognize her from her role as attorney Jessica Preston on ABC's "The Good Doctor," but she has appeared in other notable shows including "Firefly Lane" and "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce." Even with so many roles under her belt, Garrett shared that joining a Taylor Sheridan project has been a dream come true. "I've been a huge fan of his work for a long time and it was always the dream: 'One day I'll be on a Taylor Sheridan show and I'll ride horses into the sunset.' And I don't know that Abigail's going to do that, but this is pretty damn close to that dream," she told Town & Country.

Spoiled, entitled, and bratty, Paige McIntosh is a character you could easily love to hate. But actor Elle Chapman infuses her with the kind of vulnerability that, when she drops the cool girl facade, makes fans want to root for her in spite of themselves. Like many of her costars, Chapman mined her own life experiences to bring authenticity to her role as the youngest Clyburn daughter: specifically, the death of her own father from brain cancer when Chapman was just a child. "We both share a lot of grief," she told Town & Country about her character. "I have been through that; I've been through losing your father and feeling like your whole family's falling apart."

Becoming an actor was something Chapman has wanted to do since she was a little girl, but she didn't land a big role until "The Madison." However, fans of campy horror movies may recognize her as Ashley from the 2024 film "Shark Girl." Despite not having a lengthy resume, Chapman seems right at home in her role as the baby of the Clyburn family, and she is quick to credit co-star Michelle Pfeiffer (who plays her mother) for helping her get her nerves out and find her way. "She's been so supportive and just dream number one to have on a show," said Chapman. "Michelle has taught me so much [about] the power of space in a scene; let it breathe and you find so many beautiful moments in that."

Matthew Fox is another actor who felt like parts of "The Madison" were pulled from his real (and "'reel") life experiences. Fox plays Preston Clyburn's brother Paul, and he confessed that he shared much in common with his nature-loving character. The actor grew up in Wyoming's Wind River Valley, which is not too far from where the hit show films. That, combined with the fact that he is an avid fly fisherman, made the role feel like the perfect fit. "As I was reading the script, the imagery created in my mind felt like, 'Ah, this reminds me of how I was brought up.'" he told E! News. "I have two brothers and we all fish together, still to this day," he added.

Sibling bonds, both real and on screen, are something Fox knows well. Gen Xers might recall that he rose to heartthrob status playing Charlie Salinger on the Fox hit "Party of Five," a show that also launched the careers of Neve Campbell and beloved Hallmark actor Lacey Chabert. From there, his career took off and included another iconic television show, "Lost." Fox left acting for a quiet life in Oregon, but "The Madison" lured him back into the limelight. "Sometimes, you don't make a decision," he told E! News. "My approach to the material is I'll read the script and it's not a decision that gets made. It just feels like, 'I should be the one to do this.' I feel like it's inevitable."

Female friendships are fierce, and Rebecca Spence, who plays Stacy Clyburn's best friend Liliana Weeks, captures the essence of that bond beautifully. Her character may appear to be an aloof socialite, but Spence infuses her with a warmth and kindness that proves you can't judge a book by its designer cover — a message that the actor believes is an important part of the show. "I think it's easy to come to some certain assumptions about the Clyburns and who they are, and from the circle of privilege that they live — [Taylor] challenges all of those things, because he shows people in the totality of their humanity, to show that we actually all have a lot more in common," she told Country Living.

Spence, who honed her skills as a theater actor in Chicago, has appeared on both the large and small screen. Sci-fi and indie film fans may recognize her from her lead role as Judith in the movie "Earthlings." However, it is her role in "The Madison" that might just make Spence a household name thanks to her stellar performance alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. Like many of her co-stars, Spence gives Pfeiffer credit for making her job easy — especially in that raw, dramatic restaurant scene in the first episode. "That was just one human reacting to another human who is just exceptional at what she does," said Spence to Manny the Movie Guy on YouTube. "And I was just very lucky that Taylor gave me good words to say." 

There is a scene in Episode 3 of "The Madison" where Michelle Pfeiffer's character Stacy Clyburn is sitting in a car in the middle of Montana, crying, with a gun in her hand, the implication being that she may take her own life. In his role as caring neighbor Cade Harris, Kevin Zegers deescalates the situation with a speech so heartfelt you forget he's acting. He wasn't. "My friend Chris shot himself like a year before I read the script," he told Esquire. "So, when I read that scene, I was like, 'God, I really need to do this.' I felt like [my friend] Chris was sort of calling me to." 

It's hard to imagine anyone else but Zegers in the show's guardian angel-ish role, but creator Taylor Sheridan had to be convinced. "The response was like, 'He's great, but not for this,'" Zegers admitted, adding that he wasn't sure either, but he wanted it anyway. "I just felt like I knew what his purpose was in the story," he continued, "and the only way I could prove that was to sort of say, 'Not that I think you're wrong, but I know I can do this.'" Zegers is no stranger to Hollywood, appearing in hit shows like "Gossip Girl" and giving an award-winning performance in the film "Transamerica." But to his biggest fans, he'll always be Josh Framm, the kid who shot hoops with a golden retriever in the "Air Bud" movies when he was just 11 years old.

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You can't have a Taylor Sheridan drama without a few hunky cowboy types, and Ben Schnetzer fits the bill. The handsome actor plays Montana deputy sheriff Van Davis, who finds himself under the spell of the eldest Clyburn daughter, Abby (played by Beau Garrett). Their unlikely relationship highlights the vast differences, as well as the similarities, between the two worlds that the Clyburns are straddling.  "This show is about people from very disparate backgrounds who find common ground in their shared humanity, and in their shared experience of love and loss," Schnetzer told Country Living.  

Although not a household name (yet), Schnetzer has been acting since the days when he performed in school plays. He has amassed an impressive body of work with many movies and television roles on his resume. Most fans will recognize him from his role as Sean on the Hulu series, "Swiped," but this is one actor who won't let fame go to his head. As he once told Anthem Magazine. "I think if you get into this industry and your priorities are totally caught up in the way something is received or what the final product will be, there's not a lot of longevity in that."

Amiah Miller plays Bridgett Reese, the oldest (and very privileged) granddaughter of Preston and Stacy Clyburn. Over the course of her time in Montana, viewers see her go from a typical teen with her head in phone to a kid who works jigsaw puzzles and goes on horseback rides. "I think Montana to Bridgett represents her slowing down and getting off of her phone, touching grass, and spending time with her family," the actor told The AU Review. "I think she definitely has taken the people around her for granted, and Montana gives her the opportunity to slow down and recognize that." 

As one of the show's younger actors, Miller doesn't have a long list of credits yet, but she's building it. Fans of the star may remember her as Nova in the film "War for the Planet of the Apes." "I look back on that experience with nothing but gratitude," she told Numérô Netherlands. "It was such a huge opportunity to have at that age, and I truly feel like it changed the trajectory of my life." As she deals with the attention coming her way from "The Madison," Miller said she tries to stay grounded, using tools like meditation to keep her connected to herself. "I think having a strong sense of self matters so much in this industry," she said. "A big part of that comes from my family, my close circle, and taking time away when I need it."

Adorable Alaina Pollack is already stealing hearts (and every scene she's in) as the youngest Clyburn granddaughter, Macy Reese. In her first major role, it's not lost on the precocious preteen that she is getting a master class in acting alongside the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer, who she said taught her a valuable on-set trick. "There's this one day I was so nervous ... And you know, there's so many people behind the cameras that you're looking at," Pollack told PauseRewind (via Fox 11 News). "And she [Pfeiffer] came up to me, and she was like, I learned this trick from Al Pacino ... And she said, 'Just say to clear your eye line,'" the young star added. In other words, removing people who didn't absolutely have to be on the set. "And I was like, 'Oh!' and now that's what I asked for every time." 

Pfeiffer's not the only one looking out for Pollack. Castmate Kevin Zegers has offered her advice from his days as a child star, and Pollack has publicly thanked him for being a role model. Although she doesn't have many roles under her belt yet, fans might recognize Pollack from an episode of "On Call." But even without much experience, she brings a charm to the part of Macy that can only be inherent. With her talent, combined with the wild success of "The Madison," there's a good chance fans will see much more of Pollack in the future.