Ozark Freshman Madison Thompson is Blazing A Path
Young actress Madison Thompson [virtually] sat down with Bode’s Errin Taylor Maye to discuss how channeling a childhood rebellious phase aided in landing her a role on Netflix’s cult-favorite series, her plans of debuting on Broadway, and balancing college life in-between takes on set.
Madison Thompson. Photo courtesy of Advantage PR.
Far from the streets of Los Angeles and the red carpets, the actress secludes in refuge amid a global pandemic with her family in Atlanta, Georgia, and Thompson still has a full-time course load to focus on. Like many around the world, quarantine has proved to be a bit of a challenge for the actress. “I am a very social person. Therefore, staying focused on academics, house projects, and my family has been essential to keeping me sane,” says Thompson. Quite an adjustment from campus life in Los Angeles, Thompson is spending her time in the south “Zooming my now college classes, redecorating my room, finishing black line final touch-ups on paintings for The Foundation for Hospital Art, attending Zoom sculpt yoga classes, and baking chocolate dessert. I have had to adapt my daily life to living at home,” she detailed during our talk — which took place on the floor of my parent’s home in Houston, Texas. From talking microeconomics, business communication, and occasionally scrolling through social media like the rest of us (following Whitney Cummings, Natalie Weiss, Margot Lee, and Kitty and Vibe) the nineteen-year-old is doing the best she can to make the most of working remotely while also hitting the refresh button. In a battle against going stir crazy, Thompson is making time to breathe and take steps toward bettering her body and mind, challenging herself to try out different exercise classes and styles to see which ones fit her best. 567 Broadway — think a modern take on jazzercise cardio and strength training in one, and CorePower Yoga, sculpting moves with yogi mindset — have become her guilty pleasures. “It was very important for my mental health to line up activities to occupy this newfound ‘free’ time. I spent the majority of the last week working on home projects with my family and spending a lot of playtime with my two dogs, Dottie and Virginia,” says Thompson. From learning new skills to baking and cooking, education is currently top priority at the moment.
A freshman at The University of Southern California, the actress credits the university’s special Business Degree in the Cinematic Arts program, as well as the burgeoning confidence she’s found within herself. “I am encouraged to challenge myself both academically and in my career. USC offers an incredible balance of academics, social life, diversity, and for me, an ability to also pursue a professional career. I am so proud to be a Trojan! Fight on!” Knowing how to balance study time and set priorities have become the norm in every day of Thompson’s busy life. “My set priorities, therefore, are a little different than the average student, but I imagine my advice is still applicable. Always communicate with your professors and advisors as early as possible. Get the work done early! This will give you more flexibility to attend social events — or in my case, work on shows.” One show, in particular, was Netflix’s Ozark.
“Watch Ozark season 3, eat lots of chocolate, and wash those hands!”
Having marked the calendar for the release of Netflix’s Ozark months before the launch, there was no telling what the episodes would bring. Surely, if you have been using extensive quarantine time to engage in newfound binging, then Madison Thompson likely looks familiar to you. Aside from having appearances on CBS’s NCIS: New Orleans, ABC’s American Housewife, and Kevin (Probably) Saves the World among others, Thompson’s move to the remotely rural plains of Missouri was an experience worthwhile. “Joining the cast of Ozark was nothing short of a dream. It is so fun to come into season three of a show like Ozark because the cast, crew, and whole production team have become a well-oiled machine.” Jumping at the chance to play Janet McTeer’s — who portrays head-strong cartel attorney Helen Pierce — daughter on screen and working under the directorial eye of Jason Bateman was just a set out of the many factors about the series that drew Thompson to the project. “Getting the chance to work with Jason [Bateman] as both an actor and director was a once in a lifetime experience. It was so amazing to see someone like Jason in action. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about cinematography. Everyone on the Ozark team is dedicated to creating this beautiful, dark, suspenseful, but weirdly hilarious show,” praised Thompson. Welcoming the young actress into the Ozark family with open arms, Thompson plays Erin Pierce — seemingly going through a messy divorce, her mother drags her to the Ozarks for the summer for mother-daughter bonding that unexpectedly takes a turn. With a vendetta, Erin takes matters into her own hands — on more than one occasion — to make the summer the best one yet. Knowingly, those plans quickly took a turn for the worst.
The third season of the hit Netflix series picks up six months after where season two left off. The Byrde family’s casino is now in full operation, but Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) are fighting for control of the family’s destiny. The new season explores family ties against business ties and the thought of those closest to you possibly being the biggest threat to your life. For newcomer Erin, she is no exception. In addition to being a headstrong teenager, much like her mother in a fresher manner, Erin is a young, foul-mouth troublemaker. Mirroring her character in age, Thompson’s priority in bringing her character to life was portraying a true teenager on-screen — exposing her insecurities and flaws. “The creation of Erin was a combination of drawing on my own experiences of insecurities as a teen and the inspiration of another character on the show, Charlotte Byrde (Sofia Hublitz) in season one,” explains Thompson. “Being a teenager is hard, you are trying to discover and define yourself all while the world around you is changing so quickly. Erin can be annoying, she can be rude, she can be difficult, she can be a troublemaker, but in the end, she is just a vulnerable young girl that loves her mom.” Helen and Erin’s relationship posed differently than that of the relationship between Thompson and her real-life mom — minus the tidbit fact, her mother is indeed a lawyer. “I do hope that people realize that my mom in real life would never let me get away with the way Erin treats her mom,” shares Thompson. Her portrayal of Erin gave the actress the chance to play a nuanced character, but according to the actress tapping into the inner rebel wasn’t so much second nature.
Like many around the world, quarantine has proved to be a bit of a challenge for the actress. “I am a very social person. Therefore, staying focused on academics, house projects, and my family has been essential to keeping me sane.”
“Oh goodness no,” chimed Thompson when asked if she was as rebellious her character growing up. “Maybe the closest I come to Erin’s level of rebelliousness is the phase I went through when I was younger, where I refused to wear anything other than boys’ clothes,” laughs the actress. “I absolutely would not wear dresses or anything pink. I was a big fan of graphic tees.” Well-mannered, a self-proclaimed nerd, and not trying to hop on random boats with new boys, the actress finds the joy in playing characters whose worlds are fundamentally different than her own. “It is what makes going to work every day exciting,” says Thompson. Looking to the future, the actress is manifesting the chance to grace Broadway and save the world in a Marvel or DC Universe film. With the entertainment industry’s hiatus up-in-the-air, Thompson is looking more and more into the future. “I do have a couple of television productions in the works that I am hoping to announce more officially in the coming months. As for the big screen and Broadway stage, I have some dream roles that I would love to take on in the coming years. Growing up in New York City, Broadway was always a part of my life. It would also be a lifelong dream to be a part of any Broadway production, whether it be a play or a musical. Influenced by Devil Wears Prada, Smash!, and Eloise at The Plaza at Christmastime, Thompson finds inspiration through Hollywood’s powerhouse women. “I would love to work with Reese Witherspoon one day, for many reasons. Not only have I followed her very long-lasting career, but I also find a lot of similarities between her style of acting and approach to the industry in general. Similar to me, I’ve read that education is very important to her. I'm in college now, and I decided to follow that track in addition to my professional career. She attended Stanford for a few years and even after leaving for her professional career, she has continued to support the education system. She is a huge reader and supporter of books. I also love the fact that she started her own production company and she's passionate about telling stories about women. That's something that not only am I inspired by but would love to do with my own production company one day,” says Thompson.
“In addition to entertainment-focused jobs, I would also love to explore the world of beauty. I have always loved experimenting with makeup as a way to express myself. Finally, I plan on opening my small chocolate shop one day. This endeavor would certainly be for my amusement and taste buds. I am a huge chocoholic and I would love to help create different, creative chocolate-infused dishes,” reveals Thompson. From deciding after college living — “I feel like I ask myself this question every day. I love living in L.A. and going to school here, but I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to live in New York City again at some point” — the actress knows for sure what she wants to accomplish in her life, acting, producing and directing. When she is not hustling the audition rooms, Thompson spends her free time volunteering with The Foundation for Hospital Art (FFHA). A preeminent force in brightening hospital and shelter environments for more than thirty years, FFHA’s colorful paintings, murals, and ceiling tiles have been the driving force behind uplifting the spirits of global facilities. “Right now, I am finishing final paint touch-ups on 24 canvases for 4 murals that will then be shipped to healthcare facilities around the world. I have also used my voice on social media to connect with families in my community so that they can volunteer in their way during this challenging time. You can social distance and make a social difference. I love supporting this organization because of the message they spread about the meaningful and positive effect art has on healing lives,” heartens the actress.
From her debut on Ozark to balancing collegiate life and in-house quarantine projects, Thompson has a whirlwind career ahead of her. But first, she has to finish out her freshman year. Before wrapping up, the young actress had to share one piece of advice to every reader during this time: “Watch Ozark season three, eat lots of chocolate, and wash those hands!”
