Madison Wolfe – Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches

By starrymag | February 19, 2023

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

Q) When you landed the role for Tessa, had you been aware of the Anne Rice novels or the books, or was this all a new world for you?

A) Yeah, definitely. So, I’m from New Orleans. I grew up in New Orleans, so Anne Rice is… Her writing is kind of legendary around here. So, I definitely knew the stories and once I learned that AMC had acquired the rights to this whole Anne Rice universe, it was super exciting. And then when I got to audition for the show, it was just so cool! So I was so excited.

Q) I’m sure everyone in your life since you grew up in New Orleans was also very excited about this.

A) Yeah, yeah, definitely. And the show has been so popular here and because, like I said, Anne Rice is so well known and so well loved throughout the city. So, yeah, all my family and my friends have been watching along and we’re so excited to find out what happens throughout the season.

Q) Well, let’s talk about Episode 6, we kind of got a little bit more info about Tessa, and the following episode is named after the character. Tessa gets captured by a group of angry, modern witch hunters when she tries to get Deidre’s (Annabeth Gish) heart back from a morgue worker who stole it. Talk about being in that dog cage they put you in and how many hours you were locked behind those bars. How uncomfortable was it?

A) It definitely wasn’t comfortable, but sometimes, as an actress, that sort of situation helps me because if you think about it in that situation, you wouldn’t be comfortable. So I try to just use everything that I’m feeling in the moment for my performance. And, of course, everyone was super nice and tried to be as accommodating as possible, helping me out with knee pads and everything like that in between takes. But, yeah, I mean we were filming that sequence for a couple of days. So, it was pretty grueling, I have to say. But fun.

Q) You get pretty used to those bars I guess, after a few days?

A) [laughs] Yeah, yeah, definitely. Definitely.

Q) After Rowan (Alexandra Daddario) gave Lasher (Jack Huston) the boot in “Transference” the demon bounced from one Mayfair witch to the more welcoming host in Tessa. Rowan’s younger cousin is more knowledgeable and dedicated to a family’s gifts than the newcomer. Do you think that Tessa would’ve made a good designee?

A) That’s a good question. I do think Tessa would’ve been a good designee. I mean, we can see from episodes 6 and 7 that Tessa’s thing is she really just wants to protect her family, and she really just wants to stand up for the women in her life and for herself too. And so she’s so determined to do that. So, I think in that way she would’ve been a really great, brave, powerful designee. But I will say that sometimes I think she can let that get the best of her a little bit. We see maybe she overestimates her ability to go up against the world and ultimately that leads to her downfall.

Q) Yeah, I thought that she was very brave to do what she did. And in the last scene of episode seven, you and Alexandra had some intense moments. Did the two of you talk about how you were going to approach those final scenes together before you got on set?

A) Yeah, so in rehearsal, leading up to it we talked about it a little bit, especially because there were a lot of stunts and physical activity involved and special effects and props with the gun and everything like that. So, we did talk a little bit. But, to be honest, most of it was super organic. And I think that’s the beauty of working with someone who’s as talented and experienced as Alex. It’s getting to just prep the material and then have that faith of, all right, we’re going to go on the day and we’re going to play and we’re both going to bring it and kind of balance off of each other. And it was really great. It felt super, super real and organic, which I loved. That’s a way that I love to work.

Q) Well, the whole episode was a really a harrowing experience for your character. The cage was not the end of Tessa’s time in captivity, she was being tied up, blindfolded, hanged by her wrists and screaming for thirty minutes. It really added to the lengths the group would go to rid the world of witches. What was the most challenging part of filming these scenes? You talked a little bit about being in the dog cage for a few days, but were there other parts of it that were really challenging where you had to work to keep that level of emotion going for three days? It must have been exhausting.

A) Yeah, definitely. And I think honestly, that whole ending sequence was pretty grueling. I mean, we’re in New Orleans, it’s like summertime. We’re in this abandoned warehouse. It’s like swell…sweldering? Hot. I don’t even know if that’s the word…

Q) Sweltering, but we got you. We knew what you meant…,

A) [laughs] Yeah, it’s so hot and we’re all doing this huge physical action over and over again. So, I think to answer your question, the most difficult part was keeping up that same physicality and emotional state for three days while we were filming and keeping it consistent and raw basically just being in that state for three days was probably the most challenging part.  And we did shoot relatively in order for that sequence, which is super useful as an actress and not always typical. So, I think that that helped a lot because I got a little bit of that emotional build-up. But, yeah, I remember when we got to the part where I’m kind of tied up and there’s a fire and it’s me and Chris [Coy] who plays the main bad guy screaming at each other and crying for three days. That part was tough too.

Q) That was tough to watch. As you said earlier, you’re from New Orleans, so New Orleans, dark magic, and demonic possessions seem like a fun world for an actor to play around in. What’s been the best part of working on Mayfair Witches for you as an actress and just as someone who’s from New Orleans?

A) I think being from New Orleans and then being able to participate and be a part of this amazing show that highlights those really unique aspects of New Orleans is something that’s really special. And one of my favorite parts about the show and then also those challenging moments that we were just talking about were also some of my favorite moments while simultaneously being some of the hardest moments, that kind of emotional and physical challenge and being able to play off of so many amazing actors and other cast members. I think those were probably my favorite parts of the show.

Q) Well, I have to ask: which is a worse way to die? Death by Fire or Rowan Mayfair’s Brain Zap special?

A) [laughs] Man, that is a tough question! Okay. Me, personally, I think death by fire would be worse. I would rather die by Rowan’s zapping than fire because fire is a long process and I feel like a super painful one. Not that Rowan’s zapping is not painful, but I feel like it’s a little bit quicker, and that’s a cooler way to die. Imagine people being like, oh, she died by Rowan Mayfair zapping her! That’s so cool.

Q) You obviously know how terrifying it is to die by fire. How did you decompress from all that terror? You know, how did you leave it on set and not carry it home with you? Did you have any techniques to come down from all of that?

A) That’s a really good question because I think, especially personally, when I have to do a scene of such high intensity, it does take me a minute to calm down from it. So, I think the main thing for me is just getting clean. That helps me a lot. Taking off all my makeup and the blood. I had a big prosthetic neck thing on for that episode. It was such a relief when that was off of my neck. And then just taking a shower and sitting and scrolling on my phone mindlessly for a little bit just helps me to get back to reality a little bit,

Q) What do you think it is about this series that makes it a fan favorite? It obviously comes with a built-in fandom thanks to the novels but it is also attracting the TV audience’s attention too. What is it that’s getting people talking and tuning in?

A) Yeah, I think, to be completely honest, I don’t really have an answer that for certain. But, for me, I think it’s the unique kind of combination of Anne Rice’s incredible writing and that foundation she set and then our show, the show’s creators kind of taking that and having their own spin on it. And this modern interpretation that is maybe a little bit more relatable, which sounds kind of ridiculous because it’s a show about witches, but at the root of it you have these themes of self-discovery and there’s the use of modern technology and it’s about Rowan kind of coming to terms with her relationships and her family. So, I think maybe a combination of all of that is why it has been so well received.

Q) It’s also really female-forward. Anything that has to do with witches is going to have sort of an undercurrent of feminism that I think young girls, women, every age female really, would be drawn to. It also delivers some heavy female empowerment while facing common tropes of oppression and what women have always gone through. That’s something that I think we’re all dealing with right now and might be why fans relate – in general to witches. Then you add the Anne Rice aspect and women are really excited about it. Speaking of Anne, you got the chance to film inside her house, right?

A) So, we did actually film partially in Anne’s house and it’s funny because you would never know it, but the Mayfair house in the show, part of it is like…it’s like different sets. So, some of it is like the real house, and some of it is not. And that’s just movie magic. But, yeah, it was super, super cool.

Q) What are you working on next that the fans can keep an eye out for?

A) So, I have a movie called Man in the White Van that doesn’t have a release date quite yet. A little bit too early for that, but it’s coming up and I’m always up to something. Not too much I can talk about other than that at the moment. But yeah…