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When you’re watching ‘The Madison,’ the latest show straight from Taylor Sheridan’s stable, you spot a face that rings a bell, and, from this point, you look like Leonardo DiCaprio pointing his finger at a TV in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ That’s right, it’s him: Patrick J. Adams, the actor you probably know from ‘Suits.’ But, as he tells Schön!, Adams tries to escape this sort of typecasting. “There are things I have and have not control over. I can give the best out of me, and still it might not be enough, as it all comes down to the way someone or the entire world sees me,” Adams admits.
It works there, though: in ‘The Madison,’ he plays the opposite of his iconic Mike Ross, a loving and caring husband named Russell, who is a little bit of a Clyde, but constantly works within the reputation of his family. When his father-in-law unexpectedly dies in a plane crash, Russell will do anything to be there for his family and help them survive this difficult time. Just like in ‘Landman,’ the show touches on the idea of grief, a topic that Taylor Sheridan surely treasures in his writing.
In conversation with Schön!, Patrick J. Adams talks about pigeonholing, tells us more about his latest show, ‘The Madison,’ and reflects on working with Taylor Sheridan and Michelle Pfeiffer.
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‘The Madison’ is another show you made, although I suppose a lot of people will still spot you and say, “Look, that’s the guy from ‘Suits.’” Cult TV shows tend to pigeonhole actors – how do you reflect on this today? Is it something that bothers you? Or did you embrace it?
I am constantly concerned about that. There are things I have and have not control over. I can give the best out of me, and still it might not be enough, as it all comes down to the way someone or the entire world sees me. It all comes down to casting, and it’s just a fool’s way to believe I have any agency in it.
How come?
Many times, I’ve tried to put my hands on that wheel, and it has always backfired. When ‘Suits’ came out, I couldn’t really get a job after it. It was a grind to convince people that I can do anything other than be a cocky lawyer. In my forties, I have decided to release myself from such pressure.
And here we are, talking about ‘The Madison,’ which is now a huge hit. Paramount has already ordered two additional seasons.
It’s a gift, to say the least. I don’t know if starring in this show is going to change anything for my career. There is always a fear of what might happen once you play someone like Russell. He is a great character, has some comedic moments, but do I want to be pigeonholed as this guy for the rest of my life? No, I would not. However, if I go into jobs with that being forefront, it already makes me less brave and puts me in a mindset I should not be in while I’m trying to do my job properly. After playing Russell, I will need to find a different character to use the energy of my body through other means. But that’s a long way ahead. It’s a great mystery where exactly I am going to find myself in the near future.
Regardless of your previous experiences, you found yourself attracted to this particular show. What is so special about Taylor Sheridan and his writing that actors want to be a part of his stories?
Taylor became a sort of institution; an entity that exists somewhere else, separately from mainstream Hollywood. When you’re in it, a lot of pressures and limitations do not seem to apply to a set of his shows. So, by this, he attracts a level of talent. His shows attract audiences all around the world, and I find it rather exciting as an actor. There is some alchemy he is working with, which often appears to be both successful and prominent. He is always left with his own devices, and he is allowed to tell the stories he desires in the first place.
People respond to his storytelling rather enthusiastically, as Taylor is often able to reach some kind of truth that resonates with all of us. Before you even read the script, you already know that you’re entering a certain ecosphere that has its own set of rules and aesthetics. And, in those circumstances, you have Michelle Pfeiffer as a lead – that being said, you can’t say no to this! It’s a big playground, and you’re encouraged to play in it and make the best out of it.
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sweater. Filson
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His shows remind me of the great American novels. Would you agree?
There is a size and scope to his stories about which we have recently forgotten. We only explore it in Marvel movies, but this is something different now, relying on more modern and sci-fi themes. When it comes to Taylor, he is interested in characters bigger than life. It’s all about ordinary in extraordinary situations. Or, when it comes to his writing, we’re talking about extraordinary characters that find themselves in equally extraordinary situations.
Walk me through your character’s role in ‘The Madison.’ Who is Russell, and what can you tell us about him?
He is married to Paige (Elle Chapman), the youngest daughter of Stacy (Michelle Pfeiffer). And, he is a little bit of a fool. He is committed to his wife; he lives in fear for her and the entire family, but he remains truly bound. However, when it comes to grieving, he lacks the proper tools to support those women. He is there, yes, his presence is important, but sometimes it’s just not enough. Playing a character like Russell, who is completely out of place and his comfort zone, gives the actor unlimited possibilities.
Is Russell actually grieving? We learn that he lost his father six years earlier, but he hasn’t been close to his father-in-law.
I’ve always thought of Russell as a person who does not have any tools to cope with grief. He just does not speak to this person yet; it’s just easier for him to be in a “go-mode” and try to help by his actions instead of actually talking to his wife or other family members. He still hasn’t processed his own father’s death, I believe.
There is a moving conversation between him and Stacy, his mother-in-law, that happens in the latter part of the show. Both of them are touching on the death of Russel’s dad.
Yes, and Russell is on route to a much bigger grieving process, which we might show in the following seasons. We all have our own relationships with loss, and we all react differently. We should not be judging people when it comes to how they handle their emotions. I lost my stepfather a few years ago, and I’m aware it’s tough to react and live in a brand-new reality. I recall I was completely lost and needed some time to find myself in all of this.
Russell is less taciturn toward Stacy. He is less apprehensive of talking to her than to his wife. Why is that?
Before the events of ‘The Madison,’ I feel like they have never really connected with Stacy. He has been there within the family, but that’s just it. He was respectful, but he had just married her daughter, so nothing really happened. Now, Stacy sees that Russell is ready to show up and that he is drawn to the entire family. He might not even realise that yet, but he wants to be a part of this microcosm.
Russell seems like a guy who suppresses his emotions and sometimes is unable to act when necessary. He often says “yes” to every little thing. Russel wants to be supportive, yet lacks certain self-confidence.
Stacy begins to understand there is more to Russell and pushes him, so he can become a much better version of himself. “What do you really want from this life, Russell?” Who are you?” These are the sort of questions that Stacy starts to ask him throughout the first season of our show. The second season does not skip weeks and months. These characters are still slowly growing, and Sheridan is fully interested in this process.
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jacket. Filson
shirt. Citizens of Humanity shirt.
‘The Madison’ kept reminding me of Paul Auster’s last novel, ‘Baumgartner.’ Have you read it by any chance?
No, tell me more.
There is a theme of the main hero losing his wife to an accident caused by the tide while she was surfing. However, he says his beloved was wild at heart, and he couldn’t have stopped her with any of the decisions over the years. Otherwise, the relationship would have failed right from the start. There is something inevitable about the tragedy happening in your show – Preston loved his ranch, and something like this could have happened at any point. The show often asks if his choices were somewhat selfish.
There is a sense of regret in the show of what we haven’t done quicker. Stacy starts to understand that Preston built this ranch for the entire family, but he has always been there alone or with his brother. But, never with his wife or daughters. I think the show tries to tell us that Stacy could have at least tried to understand why Preston was doing all of this, and, maybe to some extent, embrace this element of his life, instead of treating it as a whim and something that does not really concern her. The suffering comes from the regret of not realising that sometimes we do not see the whole person because of the idealised version of them, which we have always had in our own heads.
In ‘The Madison,’ Preston (Kurt Russell), Stacy’s husband, kept his diary for twenty years. Do you have your own diary?
Yes, I write in it constantly! My wife and I were going through our old journals recently, and it has been an interesting process to go through. Sometimes, the only way to deal with some big feelings is just to write them down on a piece of paper. In the modern world, men are not used to expressing their feelings at all. They have a pretty difficult time with feeling emotions, as it is often perceived as a weakness. I grew up in a house full of women, so I feel lucky enough, and I’m really grateful for this. I can’t believe what kind of person I would become if it weren’t for them.
Do you feel like the love between Stacy and Preston is the one we should aspire to today? There is something both romantic and impressive in the way they talk to each other.
It’s a classic, beautiful love story. We see the most idealised version of it in the show, but what Taylor really wants to show is how two people, who madly love each other, can perceive themselves even on an everyday basis. Despite the disagreements, they are always a team. I suppose we can aspire to a certain version of a relationship in which we might argue, but still be a part of this journey together and never forget our second half, even in the worst possible moments.
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photography. Mekhi Turner
fashion. Caroline DeJean
talent. Patrick J. Adams
grooming. Kyumin Sonia Lee
interview. Jan Tracz
