Madison Burge, an 18-year-old Hutto resident and 2009 graduate of Round Rock Christian Academy, will appear in an ongoing, major role in the new season of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.”
Burge, who has previously appeared in school and local theater productions and a local independent film, has been cast as a 15-year-old troublemaker named Becky, a beauty queen raised by a single mother.
“Friday Night Lights” will air on DirecTV starting in October but will not reach NBC until next summer. Local filming begins in a couple of weeks. Departing characters have left holes in the show’s lineup, but other new cast members have more film and television credits than Burge, which makes her selection by NBC executives (including executive writer and producer Peter Berg) even more remarkable.
“While it looks on paper like Madison does not have a lot of experience, it is more accurate to say she has not had much opportunity as a young actor here in Texas,” said Emmy Award-winning location casting director Beth Sepko, who recommended Burge for the part. “I have every confidence she is ready for this opportunity.”
“She clearly beat out a lot of very experienced and talented performers for this role,” Liz Atherton, Burge’s agent, said.
TV Guide reports that Burge’s character, who uses her looks to get what she wants, will cause problems for characters Tim Riggins and Tami Taylor.
“She can stir up trouble,” Burge said, “but not in a mean way — I think more of in a way that she likes to amuse herself with everyone in a small town.”
Burge had not regularly watched the show prior to being cast.
“When I found out I had the part, I started watching from Season One,” she said. “I have my entire family hooked on it now.”
“It’s exciting!” Sepko said. “I have been auditioning her probably since she was 8 and have never been able to cast her in anything. But she kept training; she kept working at it.”
Sepko said Burge was “so right on” when she read for the part.
“Her instincts were great, and it was just really fun to see that,” Sepko said.
Sepko flew Burge to Los Angeles for a series of auditions that culminated in a reading with Taylor Kitsch, who portrays Tim.
“That could have been the top for her,” Sepko said. “She was so excited when she left the studio. And that would have been awesome to her. But to actually get it? She’s going to have to be a disciplined actor now.”
Burge remembers being in shock when Atherton told her she’d nabbed the part.
“Of course I had thought about it and how cool it would be and how perfect it would be, but I have been to callbacks before, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up,” she said. “But when they called, I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited. I was jumping up and down. I was like, ‘I knew something like this would happen!’ ”
Burge said Atherton told her that “everything’s about to change, but in a good way.” “Friday Night Lights” has been a launching pad to film careers for several of the show’s young regulars: Kitsch appeared in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and is starring in the big-budget sci-fi film “John Carter of Mars.”
With her new role, Burge has put her plans to attend the University of North Texas on hold.
“I actually bought all of my dorm stuff the same day that I found out I got that part,” she said, so she took most of it back.
Burge began performing on stage at age 11 and has appeared at Austin’s Paramount Theatre and the Sam Bass Theatre in Round Rock, as well as in numerous productions at Round Rock Christian Academy.
She’s also worked with Austin filmmaker Kat Candler, both as a film student and as a featured extra in Candler’s “Jumping Off Bridges.”
“Well, I think it’s pretty incredible, but to be expected,” Candler said. “Madison’s an incredibly talented, smart and driven young lady. I’m absolutely thrilled to hear the great news and can’t wait to see her on the little screen. I expect only great things to come for Ms. Burge.”
