Aahana Swrup
‘Elle’ follows the high school years of the titular Elle Woods, the protagonist of the 2000s classic film ‘Legally Blonde.’ In the prequel series, fans get a deeper dive into some of the existing characters, like the eventual Stanford students’ parents, Eva and Wyatt, as well as an origin story for her lifelong companion, Bruiser, the Chihuahua. However, this dive into the protagonist’s teenage years also introduces a number of new faces that fans of the franchise are meeting for the first time. One such character is Madison, an equally blonde high schooler who is a near-permanent fixture by Elle’s side in Los Angeles. Since she’s a new addition to the world, distinct from the heroine’s college friends, Serena and Margot, Madison becomes a natural source of intrigue.
Madison is Elle Woods’ Childhood Best Friend From LA
Season 1 of ‘Elle’ introduces a daunting challenge into the life of the 16-year-old protagonist. Due to complications with her Wyatt Woods’ work in LA, the family has to withdraw from the social life of the city and avoid any controversial attention for a while. This means that a relocation to Seattle is in order. Naturally, this comes as a disastrous move for Elle, who has big plans of making a mark for herself as she forays into her junior year of high school. In fact, she and her friend, Madison, who has been by her side for almost twelve and a half years, have come up with a three-point plan to ensure everything goes swimmingly. Therefore, more than anything, the protagonist dreads the reality of leaving her best friend behind.
Even so, despite the geographical distance between them, Elle and Madison remain close throughout the narrative. Phone calls become their number one salvation as the girl back in LA supplies her dubious advice to her friend for fitting in at a place where both of them are perpetual outcasts. However, the two friends inevitably face some friction over winter break when Madison plans a visit to Seattle, hoping to pick up in Elle’s life right where she left off. Yet, the ugly truth remains that her new experiences have changed her friend in subtle but significant ways. Although this initially becomes a source of conflict, the two teenagers are able to work through their differences and stay BFF’s until the end. As such, this raises the question of Madison’s apparent absence from Elle Woods’ life in her college years, as the character isn’t present in any of the future movies. Ultimately, season 1 offers no clear answers for the same.
Jessica Belkin Brings Madison to Life in the Prequel Series
Jessica Belkin started out in the industry as a child actor, earning her first credit at just the age of eight with a one-off appearance in the TV show ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine.’ From there, she continued to work on well-known projects like ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘The Neighbors,’ ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ and more. In 2015, she joined ‘American Horror Story’ season 5, in which she plays the recurring role of Wren, the daughter of Scáthach, the Countess (Lady Gaga). Since then, she has appeared on various other projects.
Fans might recognize Belkin from the Nickelodeon show ‘Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn.’ ‘Just Add Magic,’ ‘American Housewife,’ and ‘The Hunting Wives.’ Her more recent works include her starring role as Charlotte in ‘Singing in My Sleep.’ Reportedly, the project reignited the actress’ long-harbored love for music, compelling her to pursue music alongside her acting career. With ‘Elle,’ the young actress adds another memorable role to her filmography, which will likely become a foundational part of her already impressive career. Fans can look forward to seeing Belkin in future projects like the ‘Baywatch’ revival series, in which she plays Charlie Vale, and upcoming films like ‘The Upside of Unrequited,’ ‘Candy Flip,’ ‘The Designer,’ and more.
Read More: Elle Season 1 Ending Explained: Does Elle End Up With Miles or Dustin?
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