Madison Shamoun is an actress on the rise, best known for her roles in ABC’s Black-ish and Netflix’s BlackAF. At a young age, Madison Shamoun’s passion for musical theater led her to shows such as 13 and Hairspray. Beyond acting, Madison recently graduated from UCLA where she earned her Bachelors in acting! Following her graduation from UCLA, Madison has guest starred in shows such as Sydney To The Max. She even appeared in Maren Morris’ newest music video ‘Girl.’ YEM spoke with Madison abotu her impressive career below. Head to YEM’s Instagram highlights to see Madison Shamoun’s takeover of our account!
Young Entertainment Mag: What has been your favorite thing to happen on set to date?
Madison Shamoun: I got to ride a vespa/motorbike for a pilot I shot, and that was so much fun!
YEM: Since starting in the business, what’s the best advice you’ve gotten?
Madison: To be kind to myself. Actors are often their own worst enemies, and we can be our toughest critics. My professors and mentors always say, “be kind to my actors” and I love that.
YEM: What can you tell others pursuing the same career?
Madison: Be prepared to work harder than you ever have. It’s a career like any other. Invest in yourself, because you are your business.
YEM: What sort of changes have you seen in Hollywood over the past few months?
Madison: The entertainment industry has kind of been on pause for the past few months, so nothing substantial yet. But as we get up and running again, I feel like so much will change. I’m excited for what’s to come.
YEM: What are some big differences about being on stage vs being behind the camera?
Madison: You have a live audience when performing on stage, so you feed off the energy in the space. That fuels an actor; the laughs, the cries. Whereas on camera acting is a lot quieter. There’s typically way less people on set than there are in a theater, and you have more than one opportunity to get it right. If you mess up on stage, you have to improv and continue. There’s no one yelling “cut!”
YEM: Who are some of your favorite performers to watch?
Madison: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep of course, Andrew Scott, Zendaya. The list goes on!
YEM: What’s next for you?
Madison: Lots of auditioning, script reading! A couple projects I shot last year will hopefully be making their way to the public this year.
YEM: What are some types of story-lines you’d like to work on moving forward?
Madison: I’m drawn to dark comedies. When you don’t necessarily root for a character at first but by the end of it you do, and you understand another part of the human condition better. Those are my favorite!
