You’re watching Season 2 of The Morning Show and a familiar face pops up. It's Madeleine. She’s sharp, she’s patient, and she is stuck in the unenviable position of being engaged to Charlie "Chip" Black. If you recognized the actress and couldn’t quite place her, that was Katie Aselton. She didn’t just wander onto the set; there is actually a pretty cool "meta" layer to her casting that most casual viewers totally miss.
Let's get the obvious thing out of the way first. Katie Aselton in The Morning Show isn't just a random casting choice. In the real world, she is married to Mark Duplass, the guy who plays Chip.
When you see them on screen together, that bickering and that specific, weary intimacy? Yeah, it’s coming from a place of nearly two decades of marriage. It adds this weirdly authentic flavor to their scenes that you can’t really fake with two strangers who just met at a table read.
Who Exactly is Madeleine?
In the chaotic universe of UBA, Madeleine serves as a grounded, albeit frustrated, anchor for Chip. She first appears in Season 2. While the rest of the world is literally falling apart due to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Madeleine is trying to build a life with a man who is pathologically obsessed with Alex Levy.
It’s a thankless job. Honestly.
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Madeleine represents the "normal" life Chip could have if he wasn't so addicted to the adrenaline and toxicity of morning television. She’s the fiancée who has to watch her partner drop everything—including his own safety—to go help a woman who rarely says thank you.
Why the Casting Matters
- The Duplass Connection: Katie and Mark are staples of the indie "mumblecore" film scene. They’ve worked together on projects like The Puffy Chair and The Freebie.
- The Chemistry: Their scenes in The Morning Show feel lived-in. When Madeleine looks at Chip with that "are you serious right now?" expression, it feels like a look she’s probably given him in real life when he forgot to take the trash out.
- The Drama: The show uses her character to highlight Chip's tragic flaw. He chooses the chaos of Alex over the stability of Madeleine.
The Most Frustrating Moment for Fans
The scene that everyone talks about is in the Season 2 finale, "Confirmations." Chip is freaking out because Alex has COVID. He’s basically acting like a man possessed. He lies to Madeleine, he puts himself at risk, and he ignores her calls.
It’s painful to watch.
We see Madeleine calling him, her name flashing on his phone, and he just... lets it ring. It’s the definitive moment where we realize Madeleine is never going to win against the pull of UBA. For a lot of fans, this was the "justice for Madeleine" moment. She deserved better than a guy who would fake having COVID just to produce a broadcast for his ex-boss.
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Katie Aselton Beyond the Newsroom
If you don't know Katie from this show, you definitely know her from The League. She played Jenny MacArthur for seven seasons. Jenny was the "one of the guys" character who was often smarter and more cutthroat than any of the men in her fantasy football league.
Switching from the high-energy comedy of The League to the prestige drama of The Morning Show shows some serious range. She’s also a director. She helmed the 2022 film Mack & Rita starring Diane Keaton.
She isn't just "Mark Duplass's wife." She's a power player in her own right.
Did She Return for Season 3 or 4?
Here is where it gets a bit murky. After the blow-up at the end of Season 2, Madeleine’s presence in the story shifted. Season 3 moved into the world of tech billionaires and corporate takeovers (thanks, Paul Marks).
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While the show often references the wreckage of Chip’s personal life, Madeleine didn't remain a central fixture. The series has a habit of cycling through supporting characters to keep the focus on the central duo of Alex and Bradley. However, her impact on Chip's character arc is permanent. She was the one who proved he couldn't be "fixed" by a healthy relationship.
What You Should Do Next
If you loved her performance, you should definitely check out some of her other work to see her full capability.
- Watch The League: It’s a completely different vibe, but her comedic timing is legendary.
- Look for Legion: She played Amy Haller in the FX Marvel series. It’s trippy, weird, and she is fantastic in it.
- Check out Old Dads: A more recent comedy on Netflix where she plays Leah Kelly.
- Re-watch Season 2, Episode 5 ("Ghosts"): This is one of the best showcases for the dynamic between her and Mark Duplass.
The takeaway here is that Katie Aselton brought a much-needed dose of reality to a show that often feels like it's vibrating at a thousand miles per hour. She played the "straight man" to the industry's insanity, and even if her screen time was limited, she made Madeleine a character we actually cared about—mostly because we felt so sorry for her.