Madison Pettis Prepped For The Wrong Paris By Watching Reality TV

Madison Pettis has been in the spotlight for almost 20 years now, but that doesn’t mean she’s done growing. Pettis had her breakout role at just 8 years old in The Game Plan, where she captivated audiences with her emotional depth as Peyton Kelley, the long-lost daughter of uptight football star Joe Kingman (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). After that, she was everywhere, nabbing roles in the beloved Disney Channel shows Corey in the House and Hannah Montana, as well as the Nickelodeon show Life with Boys.

However, the most valuable lesson she learned in those years wasn’t about embracing opportunity, but dealing with rejection. “That definitely strengthened me and gave me tough skin to be able to last this long,” the 27-year-old actor says. “If I'm going in for an audition, I just give it my best shot, and when I walk out of the room, I release it. If it's meant to be, it'll be.”

Because of her unique situation as a young star with an already-stacked résumé, Pettis feels a dichotomy between being a seasoned pro and a newbie. “I'm still learning new stuff constantly,” she says. “I feel like a rookie and a vet all at the same time.”

Luckily, Pettis found a friend who could relate in Miranda Cosgrove on the set of their upcoming movie, The Wrong Paris. The Nickelodeon stars had surprisingly never crossed paths before, but they had ample opportunity to bond over their similar childhoods. “We both loved school and wanted to take it seriously, even though we were having a full career going on at the same time,” she says. “We were like, ‘When can I finish my math quiz? I want to get to that scene, but I'm literally in the middle of a test. Can I have 10 more minutes?’”

The movie, which premieres on Sept. 12, follows Texas-born and raised Dawn (Cosgrove), who gets cast in a dating show set in Paris... kind of. In typical reality television fashion, the producers trick Dawn, Lexie (Pettis), and the other contestants by sending them to Paris, Texas — not Paris, France. Disoriented and frustrated about the change of plans, Lexie fights to sabotage Dawn’s plans to win over the bachelor, Trey (Pierson Fodé).

I think there's a gap in feel-good movies, the ones that we love from the 2000s that you want to go back and watch 10 times.

Even though Lexie is the villain in the movie, Pettis found a lot of nuance in the part. “I wanted to make sure that Lexie was still a likable contestant. I didn't want to go too far as a mean girl with her, because if Trey sees her being this b*tchy, he won’t want to pick her to be his wife.”

While Pettis enjoys the challenges of acting, her larger ambitions lie more behind the scenes. “I'm manifesting writing my first screenplay,” she says. “I think there's a gap in feel-good movies, the ones that we love from the 2000s that you want to go back and watch 10 times.”

Below, she reveals her favorite comfort movies, her astrological signs explained by Sex and the City, and her favorite Addison Rae song.

Elite Daily: Which reality TV shows did you watch to prepare for The Wrong Paris?

Madison Pettis: I watched some of Farmer Wants a Wife and Southern Charm, but I'm a classic The Bachelor girl. I lean into the shows that are people truly looking for love, even though some of the other ones are more entertaining and drama-filled. I am a romantic at heart.

ED: Speaking of drama, you had to do some pretty crazy challenges in the movie, including fighting in a mud bath. Was that a nightmare or fun to film?

MP: That was a hilarious day, but it also wasn’t the most glamorous. It was freezing cold and raining. It ended up being 80% water, 20% mud. More of a drowning situation in the mud instead of just hitting each other with it.

ED: Who made you laugh the most on set?

MP: Yvonne Orji, whom I was already a huge fan of from Insecure. She's hilarious on the show, and she's more hilarious in real life. At the table read, she added so much improv and ad-libs. I felt like I was watching a real-life taping of Insecure.

I’m a Carrie sun, a Miranda moon, and a Samantha rising.

ED: Who’s your dream co-star?

MP: I'm obsessed with Molly Shannon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Bob Odenkirk. I love that they're such strong comedians, but also have done really amazing dramatic work in the last decade. I aspire to have that same balance of comedy and drama and be able to switch back and forth between genres.

ED: What’s your favorite comfort movie?

MP: 13 Going on 30. I've seen it 200 times. It's perfect comedy, perfect romance, and Mark [Ruffalo] and Jennifer [Garner’s] chemistry is amazing. Judy [Greer] is the perfect mean girl. It checks all of my boxes.

ED: What are some TV shows you loved growing up?

MP: I watched Gilmore Girls with my mom. She was a single mom, so the two of us felt so connected to that show. Also, That's So Raven and later in life, Sex and the City. It is my favorite show ever. I could quote every episode.

ED: Have you watched And Just Like That... ?

MP: Of course. When they announced it was ending, I cried. I haven't loved every episode, but it feels like Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are my life-long friends. Maybe they have some questionable behavior going on right now, but they're still our friends and we still love watching them every week. Sarah Jessica Parker's tribute to Carrie had me fully bawling.

ED: Which SATC character do you most identify with?

MP: I’m a Carrie sun, a Miranda moon, and a Samantha rising.

ED: Who do you predict will be on your 2025 Apple Music Replay?

MP: K1, she's a new singer from the U.K. Her EP With All Due Respect is fantastic. Lorde’s new album, Virgin, was fantastic, and Tyler the Creator’s new album DON’T TAP THE GLASS is really good. It's super high energy, and I can tell he had fun making it.

ED: You acted alongside Addison Rae in the movie He’s All That. What do you think about her new album?

MP: Her music is great. I'm really good friends with one of the producers of her album, Luka Kloser, so I'm super happy for her. I love that they're an all-female producing team, too.

ED: What’s your favorite song off the album?

MP: “Diet Pepsi” is iconic. Coming out of the gate with that first single was really strong. I think that one's still my favorite.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.