Where there’s a will, there’s a way! The highly anticipated upcoming drama The Madison, set to premiere in March, is the latest show from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. Kurt Russell, who stars in the spinoff alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, teased the show’s debut in an interview with Entertainment Weekly posted on Wednesday, Jan. 28, where he revealed that he almost wasn’t able to take on the job.
“I did the second season of Monarch [Legacy of Monsters], the Apple TV show, and unfortunately for me, the timing was when Madison came around,” Russell, 74, explained. “And I said, ‘There’s just no way to do it,’ because I was working on this show.”
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However, recasting the role was not an option for Sheridan, 55, and Pfeiffer, 67, who are both executive producers on the series, so they found a way to work around the actor’s schedule.
“Michelle Pfeiffer and Taylor were able to get together with the people at Paramount+ and said, ‘Well, let’s do two seasons instead of just one,’ ” Russell shared. “‘And then before we start the second season next year, instead of doing that, we will start with Kurt’s stuff. We really do want him to play the guy. And we’ll get his first season out of the way first, and jam all that in there, and then go into the second season and do that.’ And so we were able to do that.”
The Madison takes place in Montana and follows the Clyburns, New York City transplants living in the Madison River valley. With two six-episode seasons now on the way, Russell said he “was very happy” to be a part of the project.
“I really like what The Madison is. It’s a smart show,” he noted. “He’s a really good writer — Taylor’s excellent, and Michelle’s great, and she’s really great in this show. Talking about awards — I think they’re going to be looking Michelle’s way.”
Russell also shouted out the cast as a whole, which includes Will Arnett, Matthew Fox, Patrick J. Adams, Beau Garrett, Elle Chapman, Amiah Miller, Alaina Pollack, Ben Schnetzer, Kevin Zegers, Rebecca Spence and Danielle Vasinova.
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“They’re all really good, but it is [Sheridan’s] writing that is so compelling,” he added. “And I think that it’s a very different show for Taylor in that it’s a very female-gaze-oriented show. And I think it’s extremely well written, it was fun to play. It was really fun to do. I just had a good time.”
According to Paramount+, The Madison is “a profound love story channeled through a deeply personal family drama about resilience and transformation.” Deemed Sheridan’s “most intimate work to date,” the series will unfold “across two distinct worlds — the beautiful landscape of Montana and the vibrant energy of Manhattan — as it examines the ties that bind families together.”
The streamer further stated that the debut season “is a heartfelt study of grief and human connection” that spans across the country. The Madison season 1 will premiere Saturday, March 14 on Paramount+.
