Debunking AI: The Madison Star Shares The Unique Experience Of Reading A Taylor Sheridan Script

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Published Mar 20, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT

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Patrick J. Adams has traded the fast-paced world of New York City for Montana's Madison River Valley in The Madison. The Canadian actor plays Russell McIntosh in the new Taylor Sheridan show, which follows the Clyburn family, who move to the country after experiencing a tragic loss that takes two loved ones from them in one fell swoop. Russell is the Clyburns' fixer, as well as the husband of their daughter Paige (Elle Chapman).

The Madison also stars Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Fox, Beau Garrett, Amaiah Miller, Kevin Zegers, and Alaina Pollock. The stacked cast was naturally drawn to the show thanks to the prestige Taylor Sheridan has cultivated, which leaves audiences breathlessly waiting for the next anvil of emotion he is sure to drop on them. Of course, Adams is no stranger to appointment television, having previously brought Mike Ross to life in the long-running and much-beloved Suits.

In this week's episode of Debunking AI, Adams shared his thoughts on Sheridan's screenwriting prowess, which character in The Madison is closest to the actor portraying them, and what he thinks happened to Mike after Suits ended.

Reading Taylor Sheridan’s The Madison Scripts Is A Unique Experience

Adams was hooked by the Neo-Western drama from the moment he picked up the script, gushing, "Taylor's an incredible writer, and he's a very singular writer, so reading the script for the first time was great." Perhaps the most intriguing element about Sheridan's work is that, "He doesn't write with plot in mind, and he'd be the first person to admit that. It's not what he's interested in."

His scripts aren't like, "Oh, this one scene has to lead to that one scene." It's more emotional and from the heart, so it grabs you, and it keeps you turning the page. It makes you very upset that you don't have the next script in hand to figure out where it's going. But he, more than anything, writes from the heart.

Of course, this also means that the actors sometimes don't know what happens next due to logistical reasons. Adams explained, "You'd get a script sometimes literally days before you start shooting. I don't care to speculate on what his writing process is, but it does seem that he's got a lot on his plate, and he writes a lot. So, you get the script when you get the scripts." He laughed about learning lines under pressure: "We don't know what we're doing on Monday, and then you get it, and you spend the weekend just cramming and prepping and figuring it out."

He's done a really good job of creating something brand new.

While Sheridan may currently be best known for Yellowstone and its various spinoffs, he has several unrelated projects under his belt that are equally acclaimed. The Madison is one such unconnected series, according to Adams, who corrected the AI when it claimed they belonged to the same universe. "My superiors over at Paramount+ would argue that this is not a spinoff, nor is it set in the same universe as Yellowstone," he replied. "This is an entirely new world with a new group of people, and I don't know that the Duttons exist anywhere in this particular universe."

Anyone missing the Dutton can rest assured that The Madison is just as addictive, however. "He's done a really good job of creating something brand new, and I think everyone's interested in having it be completely separate."

Which Actor Is Furthest From Their Character In The Madison?

Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn in The Madison (2026)

While AI pointed to Adams as the actor least like his character in real life, he took issue with the description of Russell as "serious and restrained" versus himself as "playful, chatty, and comedic between takes."

"I'm pretty different from my character," Adams agreed. "But then the way you say it, it's like a backhanded compliment." While Russell is something of a goofball in Adam's eyes, it is Stacy Clyburn that he would introduce as serious and retrained. Meanwhile, "Michelle Pfeiffer is the warmest human being in the world," which might come as a surprise to those watching the show. Kurt Russell, on the other hand, is "playing a very similar version of himself: a very loving guy who's connected to the earth and has a foot in the city and the country."

As for Adams' own behavior in real life and onscreen, "I try to keep it light, both in the role and on set," he revealed. His reason for that was quite touching: "I'm outnumbered as a man around a lot of very incredible, powerful, talented, amazing women. So, I try to do my best to take care of everybody and hang out and be there for everyone in any way I can."

Patrick J. Adams Reflects On Mike Ross’ Life After Suits

Mike and Harvey in Suits standing up in court and looking surprised

Adams may not be much like his character in The Madison, but he readily admits to several similarities with Mike Ross from Suits. "I think by virtue of playing a part for a lot of years, there's a lot of intermingling between the two parts," he explained. "I don't know who Mike Ross is when he's in his 40s like I am, but it's probably similar to who I am. I like to think I'm clever, and I do have a mix of charm and mischief, but I don't think I'm particularly secretive."

With any role that you play for years on end, the writers inevitably take your sense of humor and the way that you deliver things. I think I brought a lot of that. Sarcasm too. We're very sarcastic.

AI made a quick guess about Mike's future after Suits, suggesting that Harvey remained Mike's trusted right hand in Seattle, where they would run the firm together and handle high-stakes cases. Adams graciously played along: "Now we're in imaginary land, but that sounds right."

While he admitted that he hadn't thought too much about it, he did reveal that "I always wanted Mike to become a Supreme Court justice. I want to skip ahead 30 years and see him as a judge or in some massive role with a lot of responsibility. I thought that'd be fun. Alternate universe, maybe he's president."

The Madison season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+, with the last 3 episodes dropping March 21.

Check out our previous Debunking AI interviews here: