Madelyn wears Clothing and Accessories (worn throughout) Tommy Hilfiger.
Madelyn Cline knows fame’s a trip. From her breakout role on Outer Banks to stealing I Know What You Did Last Summer with her comedic chops, she’s gone from Netflix ingénue to someone more self-possessed. Fresh off Day Drinker with Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp, she’s calling the shots. But first, a catch-up with bestie Lukas Gage that’s equal parts chaos, comedy, and codependence.
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FRIDAY 4 PM OCT. 10 , 2025 NYC
MADELYN CLINE: Oh, my god.
LUKAS GAGE: I’m doing the DMK face mask in your honor. You’re the one who told me about this.
CLINE: [Laughs] Lukas, I’m fucking dead.
GAGE: My skin is pulsing.
CLINE: It’s going to get so itchy.
GAGE: It’s getting itchy already.
CLINE: It’s really, really bad.
GAGE: I can’t move. Madelyn Cline.
CLINE: Lukas Gage, my love.
GAGE: First question is, what did you do last summer?
CLINE: [Laughs] Not you, unfortunately.
GAGE: That lavender marriage is going down.
CLINE: I love us.
GAGE: Do you remember what you did last summer for real though, besides make this beautiful movie?
CLINE: I was in Barcelona, and we just missed each other.
GAGE: By a week, right? I remember I had the same crew as you on my movie in Barcelona. Every day, the driver would drive by the bingo place, and he would say, “Madelyn Cline loves Barcelona bingo.”
CLINE: That was my stomping grounds. I love bingo. You know what I loved about it?
GAGE: What?
CLINE: Because I don’t speak a lick of Spanish, going to the bingo palace was a fever dream because they would say the numbers really fast, and I didn’t know what they were saying. [Laughs] It was almost a humiliation ritual for me. Then, if you get a line, you say, “Línea.” I would refuse to leave until I got bingo. I had gotten bingo five times, but I didn’t know because I didn’t speak Spanish.
GAGE: You’re huge in the bingo community in Barcelona, just so you know.
CLINE: I’ve got my bingo wings.
GAGE: Well, I’ve learned a lot from you, Miss Kahn. A lot about not taking things too seriously and only having a certain amount of fucks to give. I wanted to know, was that always in Miss Madeline Kahn, or was that something you had to make a conscious effort to adopt?
CLINE: I put the “Kahn” in conscious. You know this about me because you met me—
GAGE: Eight years ago?
CLINE: Almost nine.
GAGE: You were a little shy.
CLINE: I was so shy.
GAGE: What changed? How did you get that to shift?
CLINE: Honestly, just embarrassment.
GAGE: I love that.
CLINE: Also, the older you get, the less you care, and I just stopped caring. I think I learned from you because you’re one of the freest people I know, and that’s how I want to be.
GAGE: We’re like a mirror for each other.
CLINE: You’re my Gemini sister.
GAGE: God, I really fucking am, for life. I know this is about you, but what about me? What was your impression of me on set eight, nine years ago for that movie?
CLINE: I had the biggest crush on you.
GAGE: Are you serious?
CLINE: Yes.
GAGE: I’m such an idiot.
CLINE: I thought you were so funny.
GAGE: Shut up. I thought you were so cool. I thought you were such a serious actor. I remember you had a crying scene, and you had to take 15 minutes and get in the zone. I remember I watched you do a single tear, and I was like, “That’s a real actress.”
CLINE: Just the one tear?
GAGE: One-Tear Cline.
CLINE: That was before I knew that people put Vicks in their eyes.
GAGE: Before the tear sticks?
CLINE: Yeah.
GAGE: You worked so hard to get to those tears.
CLINE: I had no idea, and then I learned about it, and I was like, whoa.
GAGE: People are like, that’s cheating, but that’s bullshit. When you do it, your body doesn’t know that you’re lying, so then you actually start crying for real.
CLINE: It’s one of those things where the nervous system can’t tell the difference. If I’m dried out, and we’ve been doing take after take after take after take, I’m like, “You know what? For continuity’s sake…”
GAGE: Give me that tear stick.
CLINE: I’ll put it on my eyeball. [Laughs]
GAGE: Tell me, what is the ugliest quality in a friend or a partner?
CLINE: I would say jealousy, when it’s invasive. Let people live. Let people enjoy things. You’re not the boss of me.
GAGE: Reminds me of somebody.
CLINE: Love don’t pay the bills, honey.
GAGE: [Laughs] If you had to pick a John from a list, would it be John A, John B, or John C?
CLINE: For posterity, I’ll pick John B, but I like John C a lot.
GAGE: John C’s hot. John B or Topper?
CLINE: Maybe I’ll rile people up and say Topper.
GAGE: Fuck yeah.
CLINE: Let’s activate Topper Nation real quick.
GAGE: Conrad or Jeremiah?
CLINE: Conrad. Connie.
GAGE: I’m the only person out there that’s team Jeremiah.
CLINE: You? No, really?
GAGE: I mean, look what Conrad has done.
CLINE: What did he do?
GAGE: He’s done some kind of fucked-up things.
CLINE: They all did fucked-up things. He cheated on her in Cabo.
GAGE: But also Jennifer Lawrence said that she was Team Jeremiah, so now I am.
CLINE: What?! Okay. So Ross or Joey?
GAGE: Joey.
CLINE: I agree.
GAGE: I’m a Phoebe all the way.
CLINE: One hundred percent. Phoebe and Rachel forever.
GAGE: Those were my rapid-fire ones, but I have some philosophical ones I want to run by you.
CLINE: [Laughs] Beam me up, Scotty. You look like you’ve gotten so much Botox in your face because you can’t move it.
GAGE: It’s literally like I fucking got chemicals thrown on my face.
CLINE: I love it.
GAGE: Do you think fame changes people, or do you think it reveals them?
CLINE: I think both. It whittles you down to your core, and it makes it harder to hide.
GAGE: Yeah.
CLINE: I think it holds up a mirror to people, too. I was just talking with Sam [Lansky] about the Johari Window. Have you heard about that?
GAGE: No.
CLINE: Let me look it up. It’s a psychological tool that improves interpersonal understanding by mapping self-knowledge. You have known to others and known to self; known to others, not known to self; not known to others, known to self; not known to others, not known to self. What’s really interesting about fame is that it puts on blast not known to others and not known to self, which is a complete unknown because you’re just being observed all the time. It feels like a social experiment, that’s for sure.
GAGE: I like this. Okay. Experiencing fame and stuff, what do you think is the first thing people misunderstand about you?
CLINE: I get a lot of, “You’re a lot nicer in person.”
GAGE: You are nice.
CLINE: But people assume I’m not.
GAGE: What comes to mind for me is people don’t know how funny you are.
CLINE: That’s nice. Thank you.
GAGE: That’s why I love I Know What You Did Last Summer, because people could see how fucking hilarious you are. You’re one of the funniest friends I have. It’s not fair that you’re this hot and also have this good of a personality.
CLINE: [Laughs] I had to. I was homeschooled.
GAGE: But I feel like most homeschooled people don’t have personalities.
CLINE: I had to, otherwise, I wasn’t going to survive. I was probably going to go like cha-cha real smooth on the 101. [Laughs]
GAGE: Oh my god. Have you ever genuinely thought about quitting the industry or doing something else?
CLINE: Yes.
GAGE: What job did you have this thought on?
CLINE: I can say with my entire chest, every single one I’ve ever done. I’m on set a lot, when I’m swimming with rats or yesterday, we were—oh, I can’t say anything. I’ll just say they put us in the elements. Yesterday I was soggy, and there was a lot of wind, and I was cold.
GAGE: Water scenes are really difficult.
CLINE: And I didn’t even have the worst of it. I was standing there like a wet rat, really uncomfy. I think I have athlete’s foot now. [Laughs] I definitely have an amoeba. I was just like, this is a torture ritual. I’m not complaining. I’m very grateful. On very physical jobs sometimes you have to put yourself through the wringer, and like any job, there’s some days you just don’t want to do it.
GAGE: One hundred percent.
CLINE: Then there’s other jobs where it’s a little bit more of an emotional thing, where you put yourself into some sort of mindset or mental space to be empathetic towards a situation or a character that’s actually really, really difficult to be in. You come home at night, and you’re just restless because you’ve disassociated from yourself for the day, and you need to come back. That’s hard.
GAGE: Look, we’re very lucky and have great jobs. But the physical aspect and the emotional spiral that we can get into when we’re away from home for so long—you and I have been anchors for each other when we’re in the middle of the Mojave Desert on month four, and we’re like, “I don’t know if I’m going to get through this.”
CLINE: I’m so grateful because I feel like our friendship is one of the constants of my life that has kept me sane. But let’s face it, neither of us are sane. [Laughs]
GAGE: No, we’re both very unwell people. We are not well women, but I feel like you are my go-to person for a crash out, which is really sweet. I’ve known you for longer than most people in this industry, and to have you as that anchor is nice.
CLINE: I know. It’s so nice to have a safe space for a crash out, because some crash outs are not valid. But the worst is when you look at the time, and you’re in another country, and you’re like, “There’s no one for me to call right now.” I can say with almost certainty that you will answer the phone, and you’ll probably be in a crash out, too.
GAGE: I feel like we trade off on who’s crashing out, but it’s a lonely existence. That’s a misconception that people don’t get.
CLINE: It can be really lonely. It’s one of the trade-offs for just how lucky we are.
GAGE: What do you want to do after Outer Banks? What’s the Madeline Kahn goal? We probably should explain at some point where Madeline Kahn came from?
CLINE: Madeline Kahn comes from our friend Phoebe. Her mother calls me Madeline Kahn, like the actress who is iconic, and it’s just stuck.
GAGE: Madeline Kahn.
CLINE: So I call her Joanna Kahn. Everyone’s last name is Kahn. What do I want to do? I want to go to work, and I want to laugh. I want to work with my friends. I want to work with you. I want to be around the people that help me feel grounded and shoot in places where we feel at home. I want to shoot in New York and I want to produce, so if we want to do a half day, we’ll be like, “Self-wrap. Everybody enjoy your afternoon.” [Laughs]
GAGE: How was shooting Day Drinker, and can you give us a little sneaky secret about it?
CLINE: That was a really emotionally intense one. I actually just heard some really wonderful feedback about it, so that’s exciting.
GAGE: Amazing.
CLINE: It’s a crime thriller, but it also exists in its own world. It’s Penélope and Johnny, and [the director] Marc Webb. The opportunity to be in another situation where I’m watching these legends work and learning from them is absolutely priceless.
GAGE: I’m sure 12-year-old Madeline Kahn would’ve been losing her shit.
CLINE: Oh, yeah. Watching Pirates of the Caribbean, being like, “Huh??”
GAGE: Another thing we have in common is that we both love love. What’s your love language?
CLINE: I really need quality time and words of affirmation.
GAGE: Interesting. I wouldn’t expect words of affirmation from you.
CLINE: I need it because I love love, but I get nervous. I know you love me, but do you like me? You know what I mean?
GAGE: I get that.
CLINE: Also, I need communication. Communication makes me feel like, okay, you are still in it like I am. Once I’m in, I’m 100 percent in. I’m a loyal bitch.
GAGE: You’re a very loyal friend, too. You’ve had my back.
CLINE: Through anything. No one can tell me shit about you.
GAGE: You are the biggest Lukas apologist in the world.
CLINE: [Laughs] I really am, and what about it?
GAGE: I love you. What’s your friendship love language?
CLINE: Whoa.
GAGE: Let me answer it. I think it’s gift giving. No, I think it’s acts of service. You are a friend that does things for other people.
CLINE: I one hundred percent agree. People know if I love them, I would literally do anything. Not to be dramatic, but I would stand in front of a train for my friend. Also just the bi-weekly check-ins on FaceTime.
GAGE: Bi-weekly? Bi-daily.
CLINE: Well, for you. That’s different.
GAGE: You’re so good to me.
CLINE: I guess because I need you. We need each other. I’m like your dog. I’m needy 2.0.
GAGE: Alright. I’m going to ask you a couple of rapid-fire questions, okay? They’re telling me to wrap it up. Unbelievable.
CLINE: That means we’re closer to our dinner. Let’s go.
GAGE: Alright. Biggest ick in a friend?
CLINE: Being mean.
GAGE: Biggest ick in yourself?
CLINE: Being mean.
GAGE: Last thing that made you cry?
CLINE: Making assumptions about something that wasn’t real.
GAGE: Same.
CLINE: [Laughs]
GAGE: Last thing that made you feel hot?
CLINE: Doing my hair this afternoon.
GAGE: It looks really good.
CLINE: Thanks.
GAGE: Most delusional dream that you—no, I don’t like that one. What’s the lie you tell most often?
CLINE: Oh, that I’m on my period, so I can have a five-minute break on set.
GAGE: My favorite is that I have to take a—I won’t say it. Do you believe in soulmates?
CLINE: I think you can have multiple soulmates in a lifetime.
GAGE: Last thing, finish this sentence: I’m at my most unhinged when…
CLINE: I’m with you.
GAGE: That’s tea.
CLINE: [Laughs]
GAGE: Maria is losing her mind behind the camera right now. Your publicist hates me.
CLINE: No, no. She loves you. I love you, Maria.
GAGE: I love you guys. Maddy, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.
CLINE: I can’t wait. I miss you already.
GAGE: I miss you more.
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Hair: Marc Mena using Great Lengths at Exclusive Artists Management.
Nails: Leanne Woodley using Essie at See Management.
Prop Stylist: Ruby Hartman.
Fashion Assistant: Yuliana Estrada.
Special Thanks: Carly Gallagher and Brownstone Cowboys.
