Madeleine "Maddy" Ferguson is a fictional character in the ''Twin Peaks'' franchise. She was created by the series creators

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

and

Mark Frost Mark Frost (born November 25, 1953) is an American novelist, screenwriter, film-and-television producer and director. He is the co-creator of the mystery television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and was a writer and executive story ...

and portrayed by

Sheryl Lee Sheryl Lynn Lee (born April 22, 1967) is a German-born American film, stage, and television actress. After studying acting in college, Lee relocated to Seattle, Washington to work in theater, where she was cast by David Lynch as Laura Palmer and ...

. Introduced in the fourth episode of the first season, Maddy is the older cousin of

Laura Palmer Laura Palmer is a fictional character in the ''Twin Peaks'' franchise. She is portrayed by Sheryl Lee and was created by the series creators David Lynch and Mark Frost. She first appears in the ABC original series ''Twin Peaks''. A high sc ...

(also played by Lee) who comes to Twin Peaks to help her aunt and uncle cope with the death of their daughter. Over the course of the series, Maddy forms a close friendship with

Donna Hayward Donna Marie Hayward is a fictional character in the ''Twin Peaks'' franchise. She was portrayed by Lara Flynn Boyle in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991) and by Moira Kelly in the film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me'' (1992) an ...

( Lara Flynn Boyle) and

James Hurley James Hurley may refer to: * James Hurley (Twin Peaks), a fictional character from the television show ''Twin Peaks'' * James Francis Hurley (born 1962), English murderer * James R. Hurley (born 1932), Southern New Jersey politician and gambling ...

( James Marshall), Laura's closest friends, and assists them in their investigation into her death. Originally, she was not intended to be a part of the series but was created by

so that Lee could have a larger role in the series.

Appearances

In television

In ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 ...

'', Maddy first appears midway through the first season, when she travels to Twin Peaks from her hometown of

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ; fla, label= Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork ...

(David Lynch's birthplace). She comes to comfort her uncle and aunt, Leland (

Ray Wise Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Vice President Hal Gardner i ...

) and Sarah Palmer ( Grace Zabriskie), after the death of their daughter Laura. Maddy is four years older than Laura, but otherwise looks identical apart from her dark hair and glasses. She remarks that she and Laura used to pretend they were sisters. Despite their resemblance, the innocent and sweet Maddy stands in stark contrast to Laura, whose personal life is steeped in deception. Like Laura's mother and Laura herself, Maddy has premonitions, including one of a bloodstain on the floor of the Palmers' living room and another of BOB (

Frank Silva Frank A. Silva (October 31, 1950 – September 13, 1995) was an American set dresser and actor best known for his performance as the evil spirit Killer BOB in the TV series ''Twin Peaks''. Silva had a degree in lighting design from San Franci ...

), a demonic entity plaguing the town. Maddy quickly befriends

and James Hurley, Laura's closest friends, and helps them in their investigation into Laura's death. At one point, Maddy even wears a blonde wig to lure one of Laura's acquaintances. During the second season, Maddy begins to resemble her cousin more and more: her hair (though still dark) straightens, she stops wearing her glasses, and in her carriage and demeanor she behaves more like Laura as seen in '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' than the Maddy of the first season. This causes conflict with Donna and James when James becomes attracted to her and she begins to return his feelings in spite of herself. Later, she is murdered by Leland Palmer, who is possessed by BOB, in a violent recreation of Laura's murder. Maddy's death quickly leads to Leland's arrest. A doppelgänger of Maddy later appears to

Dale Cooper Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, is a fictional character who is the protagonist of ABC's and Showtime's television series ''Twin Peaks''. He also plays a supporting role in ...

( Kyle MacLachlan) in the Black Lodge, warning him to "watch out for my cousin".

In literature

Maddy is referenced numerous times in

Jennifer Lynch Jennifer Chambers Lynch (born April 7, 1968) is an American filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker David Lynch, she made her directorial debut with the film '' Boxing Helena'' in 1993. Following a troubled production, the film was a critical and co ...

's novel ''

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer ''The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer'' is a 1990 spin-off novel from the television series ''Twin Peaks'' by Jennifer Lynch. Lynch, then aged 22, is the daughter of series co-creator David Lynch. It was published between the airing of the first and ...

''.

Conception

Originally,

was only cast to portray

. However, after

filmed a few scenes with her, he was so impressed that he created the role of Maddy so that Lee could have a larger role in the series.

Reception

In ''Cult Pop Culture: How the Fringe Became Mainstream'', Bob Batchelor states "Through Maddy, the audience is given a chance to view a more innocent, less world-weary Laura Palmer, one that is haunted only by the question of which boy to kiss as she tries to help solve the murder." In ''Twin Peaks FAQ: All That's Left to Know About a Place Both Wonderful and Strange'' David Bushman and Arthur Smith note the impact of Maddy's death, stating: :"Maddy emerges as perhaps ''Twin Peaks'' most tragic murder victim figure-unlike Laura, Maddy has a chance to connect with the audience over the course of many episodes..." :"It's the single most traumatic sequence in a show that never feared to confront the most lurid and depraved aspects of human nature, and one of the most disturbing murder scenes in the history of the medium. The death of Maddy Ferguson reestablished the seriousness of the stakes in the story of ''Twin Peaks''; however eccentric, campy, and absurd the show could be, it derived from a deep undercurrent of sadness and outrage at the evil that men do."

References

External links

Madeleine Ferguson ''Twin Peaks'' card
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Maddy Twin Peaks characters Television characters introduced in 1990 Fictional characters from Montana American female characters in television Fictional murdered people