A Career on Fire

Television’s first “Golden Age” spawned small-screen careers that expanded into the world of feature films.

Names like Julie Harris, Paul Newman, and Piper Laurie come to mind. A contemporary example is Dora Madison, who stars as the paramedic Jessica 'Chili' Chilton on NBC’s drama Chicago Fire. 

The Texas-born Madison has bootstrapped a significant television resume—Showtime’s Dexter, ABC Family's The Lying Game, CW's Star Crossed and NBC’s Friday Night Lights—to roles in upcoming films by directors Richard Linklater and Terrence Malick. 

Sometimes we see you credited as Dora Madison Burge. 

I was named for my great-grandmother Dora. For a while, I was on a kick that full names give the essence of who people are. At least it sounds fancier! 

How did you get into acting?

As the youngest of seven children, I was definitely the adorable little sister, like, “Look at me, do you wanna hear me sing?” I would visit my cousin in the summer and help her study for her acting class. That’s when I first thought, okay, this is something I could do. I was bitten by the bug.

What happened next?

I started to go to Austin and work on UT student films. One film, Dear Viddy, I did at 15. It was based on The Diary of Anne Frank, but set in the near future. Instead of Jews in Germany, it was Muslims in America, and my character was Hasma. I had a little video camera I would talk into, like a diary, the entire film. I’ve been thinking about that recently.

That’s a pretty relevant theme, although it dates from a decade ago.

When the arts are done from a place of purity, you are the mouthpiece of truth. You can say a lot without actually saying it, through the characters. I have been watching Fargo lately and noticing how much social commentary is embedded in that show. Especially with the Kirsten Dunst character, her whole dynamic with Jesse Plemens (he’s a friend from Friday Night Lights) is amazing. 

Do you enjoy the social commentaries of Chicago Fire?

Yes, we have powerful moments. The writers chose to give my character a deep story line this season. Chili is going to go on a really crazy journey. They are showing her struggle. I think it will hit home for a lot of people.

This line of work is very, very traumatizing (not being an actor, being a paramedic!). Being a first responder means coming in when people are at their most desperate—when they are hurting, or even dying. You get held at gunpoint, threatened, and irate people who are drunk or on drugs can try to hurt you. Sometimes you lose people.

That first episode, when Kara [Killmer, as paramedic Sylvie Brett] and I lost that baby, I was a mess. But you still have to show up at work. You have to compartmentalize. A lot of people can hold it in. They are allowing me to show what happens when you can’t take it anymore.

Dick Wolf has been bold in recent story lines. All of his shows are bold yet sensitive to current events. On Law and Order SVU, there was a really good episode where they dove into police brutality and what is considered excessive force.

Have you met Dick Wolf?

I have, yes! We were at our big cast-dinner at the start of the season. I was seated across the table from him. My impression is that he’s a really cool, confident guy who sees potential, has a vision, and is able to carry it out. He’s got a pretty funny sense of humor. Like, one second, he was saying, “This wine is very good.” Then he was talking about Roscoe’s chicken and waffles.

Wait. Dick Wolf eats at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles?

When they were looking for a new detective on SVU, he met Ice T there. I think Dick’s publicist, Pam, set up the meeting at Roscoe’s. 

That’s funny. I just watched Chili’s nasty-girl shower seduction of Jimmy Borelli (Steven R. McQueen) on Chicago Fire. That must have been fun to do.

It was good clean fun, let’s leave it at that.

No, no. Tell more. How fake was that?

It was so fake. Our seamstress Julie and our costumers are amazing. They came up with this red thing; it was basically like nude Spanx material. They double-layered it and made a halter that was … fixed … to my chest and belly. It would stick on, so I could take my shirt off and you could see my back. So I had this weird sticky cloth thing on my front, and I was wearing shorts under my station pants.

I had to change into a little nude lace scandal bra, so when I was in the shower you could see my shoulders and stuff. [laughing] If you actually saw what I wearing on that scene, it was pretty silly looking.

Television versus movies. What do you think?

Television is great. Some of the most amazing actors, like Jessica Lange, are branching into television. The best thing that can happen for a young actor is to get a recurring part on a television show (that happened for me with Friday Night Lights). It’s a crash course on how to show up and be professional as an actor.



With movies, you are immersed in another world. Movies feel like a Neverland; it’s intimate and you are so involved. Then it all breaks apart, like a carnival.

You’ve just worked with two modern cinema masters. First, Terrence Malick.

I was so moved by Tree of Life, I watched it over and over and over. I thought, I need to work with Terrence Malick. When I found out this film was coming to Austin, I kept cleverly popping up. First I was told, “You are going to have a scene with Michael Fassbender.” Then, “You are dating Boyd [Holbrook, who plays Natalie Portman’s brother].” Boyd and I had great scenes and chemistry.

The way Terry goes, he gave us pages and we did scenes in different settings. Then he gave us different directions, do this, do that. It was such a fun exercise because most of it was improv’ed. Terry goes with his inspiration. He is so invested in the truth of the moment. 

Then you worked on Everybody Wants Some, Richard Linklater’s follow-up project to Boyhood.

Linklater is amazing; he is [also] very collaborative, although the film was scripted. He’s very open to ideas; he would shout funny things at us to say or do. That film was a blast. It’s about college baseball team in 1980. My character, Val, is really fun: she’s in college and she’s a little disco queen.

Do you disco-dance in the movie?

Yes, the cast danced together; it was a nice ice breaker. We had this amazing instructor, she was yelling, “This is how you disco … Get down! Pel-vis! In the hips! Shake your bootie! Move your shoulders!” We got to listen to funky disco music and just have fun.

I was dancing with Will [Brittain]. The next day, a friend said to me, “Dora, you made him look like the coolest guy in the world.” As an actor, that’s a way bigger compliment than, “You looked great.” So, I am proud of that.