Georgia peach Madison Thompson gives the inside scoop on all things Ozark season four, what it’s like playing Erin Pierce, her favorite Atlanta spots and more.
Born and raised in Atlanta (and a Lovett School graduate!), Georgia peach Madison Thompson (@madisonthompson) is living out her dream as an actress. When she’s not busy filming season four of Ozark, you can find the spunky 20-something hanging with friends, traveling (especially to NYC), bingeing The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ahead of the season four release, or whipping up some seriously tasty chocolate creations to post to her foodie Insta. We sat down with the blond bombshell to chat all things Ozark season four, what it’s like playing Erin Pierce, her favorite Atlanta spots and more.
What can fans expect from Erin Pierce in season four of Ozark? At the end of season three, Erin was last seen fleeing the Ozarks back to Chicago to live with her dad. Helen, on the other hand, was last seen with her brain matter splattered all over Wendy and Marty Byrde after Navarro shot her in the head. This obviously leaves a huge cliffhanger for many of the Ozark characters, including the Byrdes and Erin. Season four will pick up a few moments after where season three left off… and the Byrdes will be left to clean up the (literal) mess that was made, including dealing with Erin.
What can you tell us about season four of Ozark? Season four has the seemingly impossible task of ending this amazing series. I don’t know how the writers do it. But now that we are coming to the end of the series, it only makes sense that the Byrdes are still trying to escape their situation and resume some kind of normal life. Meanwhile, Omar Navarro is trying to strike a deal that frees his kids from a life of crime. I am looking forward to seeing this final season focus on the power struggles between three very strong women: With Wendy and Ruth at odds and Darlene trying to climb back on top in the heroin business, it is going to be intense.
What are you most excited about with the premiere of the fourth season, especially with it being the last? I am most looking forward to the opportunity to see everyone again one more time after so long, hopefully at our final season premiere (whether that be online or in person). Because of the pandemic, the show was very strict about letting cast members interact outside of scenes and plotlines or have any big celebrations. I am looking forward, at some point, to having the chance to give people like Skylar, Sofia, Carson and Julia a big hug! The whole cast and crew of this show have a lot to celebrate.
Favorite part about playing Erin Pierce? Playing Erin was like getting to relive my teen years as a totally different person, without fear of being grounded by my real mom. Erin Pierce was everything I was not as a teen—grungy, angsty, and unafraid to talk back and break the rules. I loved getting to break out of my shell with her, especially with her wardrobe! She wears lots of cool graphic tees, rings and killer Doc Martens. I went and got my own pair after we finished the show because I loved them so much! I guess you could say Erin rubbed off on me a bit.
How does Ozark compare to other projects you’ve been a part of?Ozark is by far the biggest, darkest and most challenging show I have ever been a part of (in a good way). I am a very positive person and dark shows (like Ozark) actually scare me! When I watch season four, it will be through the spaces between my fingers as I try to cover my eyes. But in all seriousness, working on Ozark has also been an absolute master class in acting. It is not often in an actor’s career that you have the privilege of working with such powerhouses as Laura Linney, Jason Bateman and Julia Garner!
Any favorite restaurants to frequent while back home filming in Atlanta? Some of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta are Canoe, Le Bilboquet and Goldbergs Bagels—admittedly, quite a range of cuisines! My dad brought my mom to Canoe for dinner the night he proposed to her, so that restaurant holds a lot of meaning for our family. I love going back to Canoe to visit when I am working in Atlanta.
Any new projects in the works? I am excited to share that I’m appearing as a leading actress in the new film Emergency, produced by Amazon Prime and Temple Hill. It premiered on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival Jan. 20. I also have some other fun projects in the works that will hopefully be announced soon! The best way to keep up with all my new projects is my Instagram.
Photography by: Ben Cope
