‘Wheel of Time’ Actress Madeleine Madden on Top of The World

In our previous post, we delved into Sydney-born Madeleine Madden’s heritage, her early acting career in local productions and how she has become a strong First Nations voice for her generation. Today, we will look at how her passions for the art of acting and activism have taken her to lead roles in an Australian Netflix series, Hollywood blockbuster and Amazon’s highly anticipated The Wheel of Time (2021-) series. 

While Madden had already launched a successful acting career in Australian television, being a part of the Australian produced fantasy mystery series Tidelands (2018) for Netflix and the small-screen series Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) on Amazon Prime helped her to cross over into the American film industry. The Netflix production gave Madden the amazing opportunity to star alongside a myriad of international talent, including the Fast and the Furious franchise’s Elsa Pataky, and Brazilian star Marco Pigossi (Bustle, 2018).

Madeleine Madden starred in Tidelands with Fast and the Furious star and wife of Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky. Courtesy of IMDb (2018).

Through streaming services, these shows that Madden starred in gained a lot of traction in America, which inevitably led to Madden landing her big break in American film. As her first American feature film role, she starred in the live-action Hollywood blockbuster Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019). In the film, Madden played as Dora’s friend Sammy, an introduced character for this teenage-rendition of the children’s cartoon show Dora The Explorer (Backstage, 2019). 

In an interview with hosts from the Australian breakfast television show Studio 10 (2018), Madden expressed how streaming services and the generation of incredible Indigenous actors before her have helped remove negative type-casting in the Australian stage and screen industry:

“If you’re an Indigenous woman, you’re not really being type-cast anymore, there’s so much more content coming into the country with streaming services…So, we’re producing a lot more…that’s something our union has really fought for, you know, characters or roles not to be race specific. And, you know, I’m really standing on the shoulders of a generation of incredible Indigenous actors who’ve really battled and paved the way for me, and that’s something that I try and be, is very selective with my roles and try and portray a good representation.”

Madeleine Madden plays Dora's friend Sammy in ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ (2019). Courtesy of The Guardian, 2019.

With her foot firmly in the door of the American film industry, Madden has landed her ‘dream role’ as Egwene al’Vere, one of the lead heroines in Amazon Prime’s fantasy series The Wheel of Time (2021-.). The series is a contemporised adaptation of the best-selling book sequel by Robert Jordan, which has sold over 90 million copies since their inception in 1990 (The Guardian, 2021). 

Madden’s apprentice healer character stars alongside the main character and sorceress of the Aes Sedai sisterhood, Moiraine Damodred, played by acclaimed Golden Globe Award winner Rosamund Pike. The Sydney-born actress told The Guardian (2021) that she really relates to her character’s core values and sense of duty:

“I’ve been raised by strong women in my life, who have sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am. And I think that’s the same with Egwene. You know, literally what doesn’t kill her makes her stronger, and I feel that’s something that I also take on.”

Actress Madeleine Madden plays apprentice healer Egwene al’Vere in The Wheel of Time. Courtesy of Jan Thijs/Amazon Prime Video, 2021.

Ever since her televised address to the nation, on behalf of Generation One, an Indigenous initiative seeking employment and education parity, she became a target of bullying for not just teenagers at her high school, but also adults. However, rather than letting the negativity get to her, she reminded herself that her connection to and love of her country, culture and community is much more important to focus on.

“It’s been instilled in me since I was young that I have to use my platform to change the world. That’s something that’s part of my DNA.

I think also that just being born as an Aboriginal woman, my life is politicised, so that’s something I’ve dealt with every day of my life,” she told The Guardian (2021). 

Actress Madeleine Madden plays apprentice healer Egwene al’Vere in The Wheel of Time. Courtesy of Jan Thijs/Amazon Prime Video, 2021.

This lavish fantasy takes a new approach to a narrative that doesn’t traditionally prioritise racial or gender inclusivity.Madden explained to Vogue Australia (2021) why she believes that this two-years-in-the-making show adapted by Rafe Judkin will really resonate with progressive, modern audiences across the globe:

“The books were written three decades ago. And even back then, they were known for being quite ahead of their time, the way that [author] Robert Jordan fleshed out gender dynamics and equality...I don’t think had been seen or explored in the fantasy genre…

It’s...about a celebration of different cultures and different peoples. And it’s not just diversity in ethnicity, or gender or identity. It’s also diverse in ways of thinking and perspectives of the world. Particularly for the fantasy genre, it’s quite unique and rare that women are at the forefront of the story. The world is run by an all-female organisation known as the Ais Sedai. So I think that is something that people will find exciting and relevant today.”

 At Yarn, we are passionate about sharing the stories of First Nations artists, shining a light on their creative journeys and how they give back to their communities. So, as Madeleine Madden conquers the acting and cinema world, we hope that her story inspires a new generation of young mob to get out there and pursue their acting career dreams, embracing their culture and heritage in the process!

Check out Madeleine Madden’s Instagram, if you want to find out more about this incredible Indigenous actress and activist.