Maddie Ziegler Interview

“Inside the heart of every ballerina beats the blood of a warrior,” reads the opening line of Pretty Lethal—a sentiment few embody more than Maddie Ziegler. 

Thanks to the craft, she has filled our screens since she was seven years old: pirouetting from competition stages to Hollywood’s biggest sets, never a hair out of place. She’s handled a 16-year-long stint in the public eye with the same grit, determination, strength and poise as some of the industry’s most celebrated veterans. But if you were to ask Maddie now – 23, a seasoned dancer, actor and author – she’ll tell you she’s still a work in progress. 

“She’s a sensitive gangster,” comments Lana Condor, Maddie’s co-star in Amazon Prime’s hot new action-thriller—and she should know. The pair spent weeks together in Budapest alongside the likes of Uma Thurman and Avantika Vandanapu, filming scenes that made Pretty Lethal live up to its namesake. Released in March, it quickly garnered number one status globally, with critics hailing Maddie as the standout. The film follows a ballerina troupe stranded in a remote inn in the Hungarian countryside. Maddie plays Bones, their leader, who weaponises her ballet training against a gang of thugs hellbent on tearing the group apart. Knocking out men with a perfectly executed arabesque – or a kick from a razor-embedded pointe shoe – certainly gave the cast some bruises from the battle. For Maddie, however, it was an act of catharsis. 

As anyone who has followed the starlet since her childhood will know, the journey of a dancer adds much credence to the saying “beauty is pain.” As young as two years old when she first danced the Nutcracker, Maddie became well-versed in the penalties a performer must pay. She’s a self-diagnosed perfectionist, physically incapable of doing a job without giving it her all. When she took her first break from dance back in 2016 to explore acting and modelling, the effects of it became impossible to ignore. But it also solidified the mindset she’s carried her whole life: “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

The setting might have shifted, the pace may have softened, but Maddie – for better or worse – has never lost her appetite for work. Always learning, never sitting still. Her global recognition as a dancer precedes her, as do the acting credits that continue to stack up. She can’t imagine a world in which she’s not creating, whether on a stage, set or page. But since Pretty Lethal, she’s learned to nurture the most important role of all: herself. 

Off-screen, the battles look different. There are no choreographed fights, no stunt doubles to soften the fall—only the quiet work of unlearning, growing, and loosening perfection’s grip. And, most crucially, of knowing when not to do it alone.

After a short break from the chaos, Maddie reconnects with Lana Condor—someone who knows that process all too well. Together, they speak candidly about past struggles, present successes and the uncertainty and excitement of what comes next, their bond extending far beyond the screen they once shared.

Because if Pretty Lethal makes one thing clear, it’s this: inside the heart of every ballerina may beat the blood of a warrior—but for Maddie Ziegler, that strength is no longer measured by how much she can endure, but by knowing when to put herself first.

LANA CONDOR: MADDIE! WE’RE HERE! I’m going to give you the best interview of your life… 

MADDIE ZIEGLER: I’m so nervous… Just kidding. 

LANA: Okay, so, my first question is just an introduction question because we met years ago on a different project and then a bunch of years passed and we've seen each other at events and different fashion stuff. But I feel like the first proper time that we met was on Pretty Lethal and I was so curious about what our first impressions were of each other back then, and how has that changed?

MADDIE: Well, I was always a fan of you and always admired you—and I still am. I always thought you were just so nice, because I don't think we ever spent more than an hour or two hours at a time with each other, but the one thing that just popped into my head that sticks out was at Paris Fashion Week. I remember you saw me and then – I don't know if I looked stressed to you or something – but you were like, “We're going to go get food, text me and you can come with us!” I don't know if you remember that, but you invited me to come hang out with you. And that was just so nice—and I don't feel like people go out of their way to do that, it’s rare that you have that. Especially when you didn't even really know me. 

LANA: Maddie, I remember when I first met you – when we first worked together – I remember production was like, “Oh yeah, Maddie's coming in. She's flying in really quickly to do this.” And I remember being, like, starstruck. I remember being like, “How did we get her? That doesn't make any sense. Why is she here?” 

MADDIE: What do you mean!

LANA: I felt like you were doing us the biggest favour ever by being there. 

MADDIE: Are you kidding?!

LANA: No, I'm not. And so ever since then, whenever I would see you out, I always felt so indebted to you and would be like, “I want to be her friend!” 

MADDIE: Stop it. Are you serious? That is so funny. 

LANA: I truthfully felt like you were so much bigger than what the project or the role was. 

MADDIE: Oh my gosh, that is so sweet. No, I was SO happy to do it. 

LANA: For me, I remember when we were on the plane to Budapest, you were so nice and you were just so friendly and I remember I was struggling with my luggage and I asked that dude to help me and he wouldn't help me and you were like, “Hey! Help her!” You were such an amazing advocate. And then through our whole process of filming Pretty Lethal we've become so close, I've seen how protective you are of the people that you love. I feel like your values are just so strong and you’re probably one of the most disciplined, resilient people that I have ever gotten the chance to meet. There were just so many days where I would watch you push through physical pain, push through mental exhaustion in a way that was like watching an athlete. I was so impressed by your morals and what drives you. With your work ethic, it feels like I'm watching honestly someone that's like 60 years old—especially with the life experience you have. Because you have such mental fortitude. I guess I've always wondered, what do you credit that to? What makes you have the mind of an Olympian?

MADDIE: Well, first of all, thank you. That is so nice. And I just have to quickly say as well, I feel that way about you, too—and I think that's why we connect so much and why you are now genuinely one of my best friends. So it just means so much to hear you say that because I look back on when we filmed that, knowing what you were going through, and you were able to show up every day and be the biggest light in the room and just be the comedic relief for so many people—you’ve worked so hard and all of us girls were honoured to be working with you.

LANA: Maddie this isn’t about me! This is about you! 

MADDIE: Okay fine, I'll try keep it short—but I love you. Anyway… I think for me – thinking about having that sort of mindset or whatnot – is weird because it almost feels like it's been in me forever. A lot of people think I'm an old soul and I do feel that like because I do feel like I have lived a lot of life even though I'm so young. And, technically, I have lived so many different versions of my life. When I hear stories of little me that my mum will tell me – because I don't really remember them myself – she'll tell me about when I started ballet when I was two. And then when I was like, I want to say three or four, I did my first Nutcracker and was on stage and when I came off, my mum said I was sobbing. My mum was like, “What happened? What's wrong?” And she was saying that I wanted to go back on stage so bad. And so I think that's literally been in me forever—I don't know what that says about me. I'm not an attention whore or anything—

LANA: —Oh my god, you're so not an attention whore. I think something that would surprise so many people about you is that you are innately shy and introverted. 

MADDIE: Yes, very. It's so opposite. Because I do switch it on when I need to, but I think the years of competitive training and the really harsh and rough sort of teaching that I had growing up really informed how I am: the perfectionist in me, the really hard worker. But I think also once you start, you want to set the tone for everyone else and then they'll move accordingly. I really want to show up and show out and be as present as possible and give my all. I want that to reflect to everyone else. There's pros and cons to it because I think sometimes I take things SO seriously or I'm SO hard on myself. But I also think sometimes that I need to do that in order to have the best results.  

LANA: It’s so interesting. Its almost like you’re acting like a machine, but that’s not the right word—

MADDIE: —It does kind of feel like that though. 

LANA: But I feel like saying machine almost makes it sound like you shut off your emotions—but I do think that the amount that you are able to put yourself through and how composed you are while you're working through something is so impressive. So many people have it in them to push through challenging situations, but I don't think that all people can do it with as much grace and outward peace. I know there's always light and dark to all things. I know that at least for me, I can kind of compartmentalise and zone in and get something done, but I’ll almost neglect myself in the process.  

MADDIE: I honestly relate to that, though. 

LANA: Really? Because that’s what I wanted to ask you… Do you ever feel like after you do a stint that’s really challenging, like Pretty Lethal, that there's a “come down” where you have to basically rot or help get your energy back afterwards? 

MADDIE: 100%. I feel like because we put ourselves mentally and physically through so much, it definitely feels like we're in fight or flight the whole time. It's how I felt when I took a break from dancing for the first time. When I stopped, every single injury came up, all at once. My body was yelling at me. It was like, “You have to take care of me now.” And that's been the biggest challenge for me, or something that I've really had to figure out, is how do I actually take care of myself during the downtime— and I mean really take care of myself? Not just like, “Oh yeah, I'm feeling kind of sad and also my shoulder hurts, but it's fine.” I mean actually addressing the emotions that are coming up. This isn’t, I guess, healthy, but when we wrapped Pretty Lethal I was so sad and depressed, but I remember I had a week in between and then I went to shoot something else and I was so grateful that I had that because I don't know what I would have done with myself.

LANA: Is it hard for you to rest? 

MADDIE: Yes. What’s also hard is just the concept of putting your all into something, prepping for something, giving yourself everything, and then it's just over. And then you're like, “Oh my gosh, that was my life.” We talked about this before… You're in this bubble with these people. You’re in this little new world that you've created and then suddenly you stop seeing those people, you stop having that same routine, you drop the character and you just go back to your life. 

LANA: I know and I feel like it is one of those situations that truly no one would understand unless you're in it. Oh my god, actually, as a total side tangent… I saw you did this thing like “Some of Maddie's favourites” and you talked about the the vibration plate and so then, Maddie, I was at this place where I do hyperbaric stuff for my brain and body and they had one of those plates… That plate's amazing! 

MADDIE: I will send you the link for mine as soon as we get off this, because that makes me so happy. The amount of people I have forced to get a vibration plate is insane, I do it every single morning. 

LANA: Did you do it in Budapest? 

MADDIE: I discovered it after Budapest—and that would have been literally the best thing. I have my routine every morning where I foam roll and then I dry brush and then I get on the shake plate and I do it early. 

LANA: Are you a routine girly? 

MADDIE: I do the same exact thing every morning. I get on my shake plate, I put it outside. And I just take it all in with deep breaths.

LANA: Look at us taking care of ourselves! For me, I know when I give my 100%, I know its value. I'm a confident person and I know what I have to offer, but I cannot offer that unless I have such strong boundaries in my rituals, in my habits, in my things that I have to do to get the best version of myself. Do you feel like you can relate to that? 

MADDIE: Literally, so much. And I actually learned that from you. Whereas for me, in the past, I felt nervous to speak up for myself or I’d worry that I'm asking for too much or whatever. But you are the perfect mix of someone who can be confident in what they want and speak your mind while still maintaining being an amazing, nice, kind, genuine person. I learned that when we were filming, just watching you do that. And you obviously have more experience than all of us do in this. I've really learned to practice that because it goes back to the ritual thing. I need to learn to say, “These are the things I need on set to feel comfortable.” 

LANA: Well, a small example of that that you did for yourself on Pretty Lethal was having the ice buckets! I did have another question kind of along those lines—but also kinda different. I wrote in my little journal, see? [Holds up notebook.] And I titled it “Maddie's mag interview”. 

MADDIE: Wait, I love that. I want to frame that, that’s so cute. Also, everyone needs to know that Lana has an insane amount of journals, pens and stationery… 

LANA: Yeah, we were doing press with Pretty Lethal, and Maddie came to my room in New York before one of our press days and in my little carry-on was just all my pencils and crayons. 

MADDIE: She brought everything! And when we went to New York, it was so cute to watch her on the plane with all of her things. I loved it.

LANA: Okay, my question – and it's probably badly worded – but you grew up in the industry as maybe one of the few child superstars who has successfully survived the growing up phase unblemished—which is almost unheard of. Tell me about that process of navigating, because a lot of my friends who have gone through similar experiences navigating from childhood to adulthood haven't really come out unscathed. It's a very difficult time period to do that. Was there something that helped you navigate that? 

MADDIE: Thank you. It is really hard because I felt like the hardest thing that I've ever gone through was working so young—like that experience starting out on TV at seven years old and doing that for six years, that was definitely, mentally, the hardest time of my life. 

LANA: You were literally a child!

MADDIE: Yes! And it almost felt like anything else outside of that or beyond that was going to be easier and more fun. I was just so looking forward to that. I think honestly, this may be weird because it sounds so robotic of me, but it really feels like the through line that made me be level-headed or just more grounded or to not rebel or whatever was just I love nothing more than working—it’s like my passion in life. I've had one mindset my whole life: “I have no other option. This is what I want to do.” That's been the thing that saves my life: putting my energy into dance and now acting… It’s my escape. So if anything was hard, that was my place to go and sort of ground myself. I do feel extremely grateful that I've had my sister with me throughout this whole experience and my mum, too. I feel very lucky to have been with my sister through all of that. 

LANA: It’s so funny because as I was writing that question I was thinking to myself “that’s just who she is.” I know that sounds like you're a superwoman, but truly your answer makes so much sense to me. When we were filming Pretty Lethal, that to me is my example of being able to dedicate yourself to your craft for 12 hours a day and how it saves you. The work can save you, it can give you so much purpose. It almost seems like because you were so focused on your work, all of the distractions were less loud because of that. 

MADDIE: Yes, 100%. But I will say I was so aware of everything that was going on. I definitely was in situations that I absolutely shouldn't have been in or seen, but I think I was also way more naive—whereas now I'm sort of desensitised to it so much. What I'm trying to say is that you going through what you went through when we filmed, being an adult and experiencing something like that, and then I had a similar-ish experience after you, that feeling as an adult while pushing through is so completely different. It's been way harder than handling stuff like that as a kid and having to work through that. 

LANA: It’s almost like the naivety that you have as a kid almost saves you—

MADDIE: —It does! You have to face things front on as an adult. And then also with our job, you're playing these characters and there's themes that relate so much to what your life is like. It is very cathartic, but it can also be extremely triggering in ways.

LANA: Absolutely.

MADDIE: It’s so interesting, putting ourselves in those vulnerable positions where life imitates art and vice versa.

LANA: It’s crazy. I know Pretty Lethal was such a unique experience because the physical aspect was so important in our film. Have you had other experiences in your acting career that have felt similar to Pretty Lethal or was Pretty Lethal a little bit of a standalone? 

MADDIE: It 100% feels like a standalone. Physically and mentally, it was the hardest thing that we've done—but also the most fun project. And even just with the friendships, I was excited to show up to work every day; even though we were bruised and so sore, our feet hurt—it was so worth it. Also, I really loved me and you getting the chance to heal a lot of our sort of early-on dance traumas; we talked about that a lot, and we really got to see that this was actually a very positive experience. It is so scary to take a break and then step back into the world of ballet, which is beautiful, but there are also so many hardships that come with it. We kind of were going in expecting it, like, “Okay. This is probably gonna bring up some stuff.” 

LANA: And I think to so much of your point, being able to do it together, I think, is what made it possible. There's no one that I would have wanted to go through any of that process with than you.

MADDIE: I feel the same. 

LANA: I believe that so much happens for a reason. And I believe nothing was really an accident. And I am so grateful that we got to be such strong partners together in the movie. I say all the time I fucking love this movie. I've watched it so many times.

MADDIE: Right?! It's actually good!

LANA: Right! I love this movie and the relationships that we build outside of movie, just as much. That doesn't happen often. All the time, people will do press tours and they're saying that they're all close and they say that they're friends, but they're really not. 

MADDIE: That's been so rewarding, to have so many people be like, “You guys literally love each other. Like you genuinely love each other and you're genuinely friends.” And we're like, “Yes, we talk all the time!” I feel so lucky. We're obviously all in different places in the world. But I feel so lucky that we are both in LA and the sort of relationship that we've been able to share with our partners as well. It’s those things… I cherish you guys so much. 

LANA: Whenever you guys come over, I make you cook for me or paint—I make you work. 

MADDIE: That’s my favourite thing. I'm like, “Put me to work! What else do you want me to do? Organise your closet? Because I will do that.” Like, I love that. We have to feed the craving to create!

LANA: We have a few more minutes… I tried to come up with like questions that I would want to be asked—

MADDIE: —This is like the best interview I've ever had. 

LANA: Period! Oh, I remember now. As an actor, is there a role or story that you've just been dying to tell? 

MADDIE: It’s so interesting because a lot of people – whether it be filmmakers or whatnot – when they know my story, they're basically like, “You have an entire movie that you need to write.” I think that would be fun—but I think it's too soon to do that right now. Maybe down the line. And it would be have to be an artful interpretation. 

LANA: Maddie, I'm gonna go through an entire facial reconstruction surgery, because I wanna play you— 

MADDIE: —The craziest thing is that when I'm ready to do that, by the time I'm like 40 or whatever, you're still going to look how you look now. And it's so annoying because you literally look fake. My friend literally bought the face mask that you said you use because she's like, "I need to look like Lana.” But honestly, since doing Pretty Lethal, I would love to do a female assassin role. And I look at young Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional, and I just think with my dance background, it would be so fun to really train hard again and do it. But then on the flip side of things, I love really artful, weird movies. Like, I see what Emma Stone did in Poor Things… I've heard her say in interviews that that's literally the dream as an actor: getting to do something like that because it's just so free, weird and cool. You get to just try as many different cool random things as possible. And I would love to put myself and push myself in that way. 

LANA: I think what's so incredible, Maddie, is that you are so unbelievably talented at so many things. And I think that's what sets you apart from a lot of people… I do genuinely believe that you've proven that you have, and you will continue to be able to do multiple genres and do them well. 

MADDIE: That’s literally what you're best at. 

LANA: I think you have set yourself up in a way where you can absolutely do movies like Pretty Lethal, or big action or thriller movies, while at the same time being able to go in and do more of the arthouse films. That makes total sense to me—I love that for you. I'm really excited to see you continue to do that because it feels like you have already started. I'm so excited to continue to watch that and celebrate you. And I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you. You inspire me every day. And I'm just so grateful to know you. I've said it before, I've loved doing this movie, but I've loved getting to connect with you the most. 

MADDIE: I feel the same. They say don't be your heroes, but you're my hero. 

LANA: You’re my hero, Maddie!

MADDIE: Seriously, you're mine. You’re one of my favourite people ever.