Taylor Sheridan’s Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, was initially thought to be connected to another of his hit shows, Yellowstone.
“I haven’t made any effort to be able to navigate the decision-making process inside Taylor’s head,” series director and executive producer Christina Alexandra Volos told Page Six exclusively, referring to why the show is no longer being promoted as a spinoff.
Voros, who frequently collaborates with Sheridan and has been nominated for an Emmy, said Madison feels like a story that “has its own identity” separate from the Kevin Costner cowboy drama that ran from 2018 to 2024.
“We don’t know what the original intent was and what it was or should have been,” Voros said. “But it’s now very clear that that’s a unique tone in the storytelling of Taylor’s world.”
“The Madison,” currently streaming on Paramount+, follows the wealthy Clyburn family, including Stacey (Pfeiffer), her husband Preston (Russell), and their two adult daughters Abigail (Beau Garrett) and Paige (Elle Chapman), as they grieve Preston’s sudden death in a plane crash. Despite being killed in the first episode, Russell appears in flashbacks throughout the series.
“Kurt is like a ray of sunshine,” Voros says. “He’s always smiling, happy to talk to, and has an easygoing approachability. From the first day we met, I feel like I’ve known him forever.”
“Madison” marks the first time Russell, 75, and Pfeiffer, 67, have worked together since 1988’s “Tequila Sunrise.”
“You feel the love story. You feel the history. You feel the resonance of the relationship. That’s the central point of the whole story,” Voros explains.
“And to really make this love story work, I think we needed two actors who were so captivating. I can’t imagine doing it with two other actors.”
Pfeiffer has many emotionally intense scenes as Stacy grieves for her husband.
“Michelle is such a great performer. She’s so precise in her work and so fierce in the way she allows herself to be vulnerable,” Voros said.
“It’s very difficult to express so many different sounds of sadness in one story, but I felt like she was always looking for the authenticity of the moment, and it never felt like she was repeating the emotional beats, which is a truly amazing accomplishment.”
Sheridan has a number of shows including “The Mayor of Kingstown” starring Jeremy Renner, “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone and “Landman” starring Billy Bob Thornton.
Voros, who directed all six episodes, says of Taylor’s dedication to Madison: “Taylor was very involved in the casting, the dailies, the editing process.”
Having worked with him for years, she says, “He’s very reliable and a very loyal collaborator. I think there are some people who are lucky enough to work with him for a long time…We’re really given a lot of space.”
“Madison” Season 1 is currently streaming on Paramount+, with the final three episodes released on Saturday, March 21st. This show has been renewed for season 2.
