Inside Michelle Pfeiffer’s Grueling The Madison Shoot: No Bathroom, No Food, No AC
Michelle Pfeiffer says The Madison shoot was a survival test—no AC, scant food, and basics in short supply.
Onscreen, Season 1 of The Madison is all about the Clyburn family working through grief and finding some quiet peace. Offscreen? Not so zen. Michelle Pfeiffer says the cast and crew were filming in gorgeous locations with basically zero basics: no food, no bathrooms, and not even air conditioning. In 2024, that is... a choice.
How a pretty show turned into a rough shoot
Pfeiffer, who plays Stacy Clyburn, talked about it on the 'In Conversation' podcast. The show leans hard into its serene valley setting — big skies, sweeping views, all that — and the production committed to shooting 360 degrees, which meant they didn’t want any trailers or equipment in sight. Visually, mission accomplished. Comfort-wise, not so much.
"We didn’t really have trailers there, because they were shooting 360, so they couldn’t have a bunch of trailers around... There was no bathroom nearby. There was no food. And in the winter, it was cold... Could we have a heater? And in the summer, it was like, Could I get an umbrella because the sun’s really intense?"
She also said the pace was so fast there wasn’t time to set up proper accommodations. Normally, modern sets have strict rules and infrastructure to keep people safe and sane — trailers, craft services, climate control. Here, a creative decision essentially wiped that off the board.
The ripple effect beyond this show
It’s not just The Madison dealing with extremes. Over in Taylor Sheridan’s TV universe, Dutton Ranch reportedly put its cast through brutal summer heat. Cole Hauser told Variety that shooting in July and August was particularly tough. Different show, same story: the land looks amazing; the weather does not care.
- Pfeiffer says there were no trailers because the cameras were capturing in all directions.
- No bathrooms or food nearby on location.
- No AC; in the winter they asked for heaters, in the summer they asked for shade.
- The production moved so quickly there wasn’t time to build out amenities.
- These conditions stemmed from creative choices, not budget-era nostalgia — which is unusual by today’s standards.
Where things stand for Season 2 (and 3?)
The Madison launched strong on Paramount+, pulling in 8 million global views in its first 10 days. Here’s where it gets a little strange: Season 2 hasn’t been officially announced, yet production on it has reportedly already started. No release date, but it’s expected to mirror Season 1’s six-episode run. And despite the lack of a formal Season 2 announcement, the show is reportedly renewed for Season 3 as well. Studio confidence? Seems like it.
As for whether working conditions have improved for the new season, that’s unclear. The series is filming again, so we’ll see if the off-camera experience catches up to how good everything looks on camera. It should. It’s 2024.
What do you think about how The Madison was filmed? Drop your take in the comments.