Madelyn Keys Breaks Through On Finding Her Edge

Over the past year, viewers fiercely debated the YA love triangle of The Summer I Turned Pretty and found steamy inspiration in the hockey romance Heated Rivalry. So perhaps it’s no wonder that Netflix’s Finding Her Edge — a show about the criss-crossing passions of Olympics-bound, ice-dancing teens — debuted to such fervid viewership. The series scored a swift renewal and, as of writing, is the streamer’s No. 3 TV title globally.

“In figure skating, specifically ice dance, they are scored on their artistic elements, so their job is to have passion with each other,” Finding Her Edge star Madelyn Keys tells Bustle. “This craze we are seeing with our show, and with the amazing Heated Rivalry, has to do with those two things intersecting — that passion and drive that happens in sports.”

Based on the novel by Jennifer Iacopelli, Finding Her Edge revolves around Adriana Russo (Keys), an ice dancer navigating her role in a famous skating family while pretending to date her partner, Brayden (Cale Ambrozic), for sponsorship prospects and revisiting feelings for her former flame, Freddie (Olly Atkins).

Spoilers ahead. Indeed, Adriana’s romantic dilemma stirs big feelings in viewers — especially after she chooses Freddie over Brayden at the end of Season 1. Though Finding Her Edge marks Keys’ first major role, the 24-year-old Canadian actor is remarkably grounded when it comes to navigating online discourse.

“Having lots of people have opinions on both your character, but also yourself as a person — that is a thing that I thought I was mentally prepared for, but maybe not as emotionally prepared,” she says. “But I’m talking to the cast, spending lots of time not on my phone, and doing other things that I enjoy. So it doesn’t feel like it is taking over my life.”

Below, Keys opens up about Jennifer Lawrence comparisons, skating doubles, and what she hopes to see in Season 2.

People have noted your resemblance to Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. And I saw on Instagram that you’ve met before! How did that come about?

I had booked a short film that shot in Montreal, and some of the team that was working on that film was working on X-Men, so they invited me to come to set one day. I sat in the little director’s chair and made no sound, because I was so nervous about getting in trouble. I had two seconds with her, and then I cried the whole way home.

As someone who now gets to create those moments for other people, I absolutely use her as an example of the way that I want to act. She was able to put me at ease and be like, I’m gonna take care of you. We’re gonna have a good interaction right now. Don’t even worry about it.

Another thing fans have noticed is the skating doubles. Have you had moments in the show where you can see, That’s not me and Brayden?

Definitely, you can notice those moments if you’re looking for them. My hope is that they become a part of the sequence, and they’re used to tell the story. There are skills that Nadiia [Bashynska] and Peter [Beaumont] — who are our doubles — have that in a million years, I’m never going to be able to do.

Jennifer Iacopelli has said that when writing the book, she was wary of making a predictable love triangle. How would you explain her choice?

Adriana is at a point in her life where she is thinking about these relationships — not only who she enjoys spending time with more, but also what kind of person she wants to be. There is a lot of value in Freddie’s reliable kindness. Even when he is upset with her, he is always rooting for her quietly, even in ways that he never asks credit for. And that is such an admirable quality.

There’s also the fact that Adriana was with Freddie when things in her life were really good — when her mom was still alive, when she had better relationships with her family. So being with Freddie feels like being with safety, and that is really important. Will that be the most important thing for her forever? I have no idea. But that is a big factor in her choice right now. She didn’t have a choice in Freddie leaving the first time, so having the opportunity to get him back and being with him feels like a way to reconcile with that original loss.

What are you excited for in Season 2?

I would love to see Adriana be a better older sister to Maria. Adriana is always going to her younger sister for advice, for reassurance, and I would love to make sure Adriana doesn’t become what [her older sister] Elise was to her. I want her to be there for people as well. There are definitely moments where Adriana can be in her own head, which is understandable, but [it’s] something I want to see her work through. I would love to see the relationship with [fellow skater] Riley expanded. Riley’s come into her own confidence. And of course, I have to see where this love triangle is going.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.