Days Of Our Lives Star Martha Madison's Other Career
Martha Madison has become a very familiar face on daytime television due to her role as Belle Black Brady — the daughter of super couple John Black and Marlena Evans — on NBC's long-running soap opera "Days of Our Lives." According to Soap Central, Madison got interested in acting at a very young age and started performing at the Actors' Theatre of Houston at just 6 years old. During the summers of her childhood, she took acting classes and later attended Texas A&M University, earning a bachelor of science degree in psychology.
While in college, Madison was also the captain of the dance team. Following graduation, she headed off to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, per Soaps. In 2001, the actress landed a role in the film "Kate & Leopold" alongside Hollywood A-listers Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman (via IMDb). In 2004 she had a short stint as a character named Lola on "Passions" and then got her dream job on "Days of Our Lives" later that year.
She's been beloved by soap viewers ever since.
Martha Madison has played Belle on Days of Our Lives since 2004
"Days of Our Lives" viewers consider Belle Black a very important character. Fans have watched Belle grow up over the years, after all, not to mention the fact that she's a legacy character. Belle's life started off a bit rocky as her mother Marlena Evans didn't know if John Black or Roman Brady was her biological father. After Belle's half-sister Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) discovered that Belle was John's daughter, she kidnapped the baby and attempted to sell her on the black market, per Soaps in Depth.
However, the character was made famous by actress Kirsten Storms in the early 2000s when she was aged into a teenager. Martha Madison eventually took over the role in 2004 when Storms left the sudser (via Soap Central). During Madison's stint, she's given fans some serious drama to enjoy, such as Belle's relationship with Shawn Brady (Brandon Beemer), affair with Philip Kiriakis (Jay Kenneth Johnson), and rivalry with her scheming sister Sami. She's also become a mother to a daughter named Claire.
While Madison is best known for her work on "Days of Our Lives," she's more than just an actress. She also has a second career.
Martha Madison owns a restaurant and has her own podcast
While Martha Madison has given "Days of Our Lives" fans so much excitement and drama over the years, she's been building another business as well, per Soaps in Depth. Madison also works for a hospitality industry staffing company called One Haus. "I'm the director of recruitment," Madison she told the outlet. "I bring in a lot of clients: larger restaurant and hotel groups to our portfolio and then reach out to people who fit the bill for their salaried positions."
The "Days of Our Lives" fan-favorite has also owned multiple restaurants in the past with her husband, AJ Gilbert, including a restaurant and bar in Dallas, Texas called The Mayor's House (via Oak Cliff Advocate). Having so much experience in the industry also helped her highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the restaurant business. That's also when she and Gilbert decided to start their own podcast titled "While We Were Waiting."
It seems that with acting, being involved in the hospitality industry, and raising her family, Madison surely has a lot on her plate. Let's just hope her life isn't as chaotic as that of her "Days of Our Lives" character.