Michelle Pfeiffer and the rest of The Madison cast and crew were really roughing it when they showed up and shot Seasons 1 and 2.
Judging by the latest comments from the Hollywood star, Taylor Sheridan had everyone involved with the show battling the elements when it was shot on location in Three Forks, Montana. Though conditions may have been challenging, there’s no doubt that all of the trouble was worth it… at least from a ratings perspective.
Paramount reported that The Madison achieved massive ratings in its first 10 days of availability. In a little over a week, the series starring Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell brought in 8 million viewers. That translated to the largest launch for a Taylor Sheridan original series on streaming, and it was also the most popular series launch for the demographic of women ages 35 and older.
They also decided to drop the first three episodes one weekend (March 14), and then the other three episodes of the six-part season the next (March 21). That binge friendly release schedule undoubtedly played a role in brining in that many viewers.
While viewers clearly enjoyed the series, it sounds like those that actually worked to bring it to life had good days and bad days. Pfeiffer sat down with the In Conservation podcast and revealed that the shooting process for The Madison felt rushed, which meant that the beautiful location they were shooting on had some not-so-beautiful accommodations:
“It was all a little bit rushed for everyone, and so there weren’t certain accommodations set up. There is no bathroom, even the outhouse is not real. So there’s no AC, there’s no plumbing, there isn’t anything. But it is breathtakingly glorious.”
That’s not exactly the scene that actors and actresses are used to.
Pfeiffer went on to explain that there were certain limitations of the set – mainly because they were shooting 360. That meant that there wasn’t really any room for the typical things you would see on a set, like trailers or catering or… bathrooms:
“We didn’t really have trailers there, because they were shooting 360, so they couldn’t have a bunch of trailers around. So there’s really no place for us to sit. There was no bathroom nearby. There was no food. And in the winter, it was cold. It was like, ‘Could we have a heater?’ And in the summer, it was like, ‘Could I get an umbrella because the sun’s really intense?’ It took us about halfway through to figure that all out.”
So it sounds like Pfeiffer and the rest of the cast were really tested by being thrown out into the outdoors… there was even a scene that the leading woman tried to get cut from the show because of the elements. Of course, that isn’t exactly out of the norm for a Taylor Sheridan project. Just ask Sam Elliott and the cast of 1883 about how much fun they had on set.
But at the end of the day, all of the performances came together beautifully, and led to one of the more poignant pieces of work in Taylor Sheridan’s career. That being said… when everyone gets back together to shoot Season 3, maybe a more pleasant bathroom situation can be arranged?
I’m sure Michelle Pfeiffer and the rest of the crew would appreciate an upgrade in that department, and you can hear her talk more about The Madison‘s shooting conditions below:
