Kevin Zegers admitted his latest role didn’t come easy.
The Gossip Girl alum revealed that he had to fight for his place in The Madison, the new Paramount+ series from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
Speaking exclusively at the show’s premiere, Zegers said the process was “not easy”.
The 41-year-old joked that he was even willing to knock on Sheridan’s door to prove he was right for the part.
“I wasn’t totally right for it, but I just wouldn’t give up. I just knew I was supposed to be doing it,” he explained.
The neo Western drama follows a New York City family relocating to rural Montana.
Alongside Zegers, the cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams, and Matthew Fox.
Zegers shared that his approach to the role was shaped by his commitment to sobriety and service.
“That’s like a huge tenet of how I live my life. I just hadn’t seen a representation of a guy without any expectation, just trying to help,” he said, noting his bond with child actor Alaina Pollack, who plays Pfeiffer’s granddaughter.
The Air Bud star attended the premiere with his 10 year old twin daughters, Zoë and Blake, who posed proudly with their dad.
“They think I’m the biggest loser in the world,” Zegers joked. “So this is like a moment where they’re like, ‘Oh, maybe you’re not so bad.’”
Reflecting on his own childhood acting career, Zegers admitted the pressures of growing up on set contributed to struggles later in life.
“I’ve never met a child actor who isn’t either actively like a drug addict or in recovery,” he said candidly.
Despite the challenges, Zegers said he’s proud of his work on The Madison. “It’s good for them to see what daddy does when he’s proud of something, and I’m really proud of this.”
