The bestMaddie Zieglermovies and TV shows include several that showcase her talents as a dancer and singer, but she is proving to be much more than that as her acting career progresses. Maddie got her start as a little girl when she appeared in the first season of the Lifetime reality seriesDance Momsat the age of eight, although she had been working withDance Momshost Abby Lee Miller since she was four. She won several competitions nationally and caught Hollywood’s eye.
Aftermaking some appearances in music videos for Sia and Todrick Hall, Ziegler went on to start a full-time acting career after a few small guest roles on television shows. Since then, she has done voice-acting in animated movies, taken roles in musical movies and dramas alike, and got the biggest break of her career when Steven Spielbergcast her in his remake ofWest Side Story.Ziegler proved she is more than just a dancer and for this up-and-coming star, the best is yet to come.
Musicis easily the most polarizing movie of Maddie Ziegler’s career. That is because she plays an autistic character even though she is neurotypical in real lief. This was a huge controversy, as many (such as theAutistic Self Advocacy Network) wanted the movie canceled and bashed director Sia’s casting choices, while others (such asThe National Council on Severe Autism) praised the film for a positive portrayal of autism.
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Kate Hudson stars in the film as Zu, a newly sober alcoholic drug dealer who isleft as the sole guardian of her teenage, nonverbal, autistic half-sister Music (Ziegler)after their grandmother dies. The story follows Zu as she fights to make ends meet while trying to stay out of trouble. It also follows Music, as fantasy musical dance sequences take place inside her mind to show how she views the world.Musicreceived two Golden Globe nominations, and while critics bashed the film, Ziegler did receive praise for her performance.
Maddie Ziegler’s first actual feature-length movie role came in the 2016 animated movieLeap!(which was originally titledBallerina). In the film, Ziegler joins Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan, and Carly Rae Jepsen ina musical adventure about an orphaned girl in 1880s France named Félicie who dreams of being a ballerinaand gets a chance to audition for the Paris Opera Ballet when she pretends to be someone else. She chases her dreams until her ruse is uncovered, and she almost loses everything.
Elle Fanning voices Félicie, while Maddie Ziegler voices Camille, the girl from whom Félicie steals her identity and admittance letter to the Paris Opera Ballet. While Camille is not a villain, she is the opposing force to Félicie. That makes her an important secondary character, which Ziegler pulls off well, considering it was her first movie role. Critics praised the film, with a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Maddie Ziegler Plays Herself
Dance Moms
Dance Moms is a reality television series that aired on Lifetime between 2011 and 2019. Across its eight seasons, the show follows the progress of a group of young dancers at the Abby Lee Dance Company, as well as the company’s founder Abby Lee Miller’s relationships with both the girls and their mothers. You can watch and buy Dance Moms for just $9.99 for Prime Day.
The world first met Maddie Ziegler when she appeared on the very first season ofDance Moms. This reality TV show follows Abby Lee Miller and her Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh. At the start,Dance Momsis centered onthe Junior Elite Competition Team of dancers as they travel to various dance competitionswhile Abby Lee teaches them how to conduct themselves as “professionals” in the dance world. Ziegler had trained under Miller since she was four and was eight when the show started.
Ziegler left the series to become a judge onSo You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation.
Mother Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni brought up Maddie as a lyrical/contemporary and tap dancer, while her little sister Mackenzie was an acro/hip hop dancer. Maddie remains best known as Miller’s favorite student on the show, which causes problems with the other mothers. Both Ziegler sisters remained onDance Momsuntil midway through season 6 in 2016, when they both left the series. Ziegler left the series to become a judge onSo You Think you may Dance: The Next Generation.
So You Think You Can Dance
Cast
So You Think You Can Dance is a reality television competition series that airs on FOX. The series premiered in 2005 and was a smash hit. Hosted by Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance requires dancers to master a variety of dance styles, including musical theater, street, club, jazz, hip hop, ballroom, classical, and contemporary. A combination of viewer votes and judges' input determines which dancers advance each week until the winner is announced.
After Maddie Zeigler leftDance Moms, she took on a more mature role as she went from a student under Abby Lee Miller to a judge onSo You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, the 13th season of the show. What was most impressive about this was thatshe was a judge in 2016 when she was only 13 years old.She joined Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul, and Jason Derulo as judges. It was also a big year for Ziegler because she was also touring with Sia as one of her dancers on theNostalgic for the Present Tour.
Ziegler’s insight into the experience made her comments almost more valuable than the older, more experienced judges.
This was a very unique season because all the contestants were between the ages of eight and 13. That made Ziegler a perfect judge since she had just gone through what all these young dancers were currently experiencing. Ziegler’s insight into the experience made her comments almost more valuable than the older, more experienced judges on the show. This was her only appearance as a judge on the series, which has 18 seasons and counting as of 2024.
In 2017, Maddie Ziegler took on a voice role in an animated DreamWorks series on Netflix calledSpirit Riding Free.This spinoff series was based on the movieSpirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, which had several sequels that followed as DTV efforts. There was even a feature film calledSpirit Untamedthat was based on the actual Netflix series. The story follows a 12-year-old girl named Lucky who bonds with Spirit Jr. (the son of Spirit and Ram from the original movie).
Lucky then makes friends with Pru and Abigail, who each own their own horses, and they go on adventures together with the horses. While not one of the main cast members,Maddie Ziegler voices Rose Pendleton, a young girl who started out as an antagonist but soon changed her tune and became friends with the others. Ziegler was on the show for its final eighth season but ended up as a strong supporting cast member by the end.
Maddie Ziegler made her first live-action movie appearance in 2017 in the drama movieThe Book of Henry. The film, directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World: Dominion), tells the story of an 11-year-old boy named Henry, a genius dying from cancer. However, Henry sees his neighbor Glenn (a police commissioner) abusing his stepdaughter Christina. After he develops an elaborate plan to expose the abuse and save Christina, he dies, and his mother (Naomi Watts) uses his plan to reveal the truth.
Maddie Ziegler plays Christina, a small but important role. Critics bashed the film, giving it a very low 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score showed more appreciation, giving it a higher 63% rating. While the movie was mostly dismissed upon its release,Trevorrow had nothing but praise for Ziegler’s performance, saying, “She really is extraordinarily capable … She finds whatever emotion she needs to dial in very quickly. No one taught her how to do that she just knows” (viaEW).
Fitting In
Fitting In is a teen comedy-drama written and directed by Molly McGlynn. The film centers on a 16-year-old named Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) whose diagnosis of MRKH syndrome impacts her relationships and understanding of sexual identity. The film also stars Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Ki Griffin.
In 2024, Maddie Ziegler took a role in the coming-of-age comedy-drama movieFitting In, which saw the actress in one of her first leading roles. Ziegler plays Lindy, a teenager diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome, a condition which often causes a missing uterus and underdeveloped genitalia. The movie hasLindy trying to figure out womanhood and her sexualitywhile seeing her relationships all falling apart.
Fitting Inis a semi-autobiographical because director Molly McGlynn was also diagnosed with MRKH as a teenager. The film debuted at South by Southwest (asBloody Hell) and was released in February 2024. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with a Certified Fresh 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score is lower at 65%. Maddie Ziegler won Outstanding Performance by an Actor at the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards for her performance.
My Old Ass
My Old Ass follows Elliott, who encounters her future 39-year-old self during a transformative summer marked by introspection and discovery. Celebrating her 18th birthday, Elliott’s psychedelic experience prompts her to reevaluate her ideals on family and love as her older self offers sage advice and warnings.
2024 has been a great year for Maddie Ziegler, as she also appeared inMy Old Ass. The film is directed by Megan Park (who played Grace inThe Secret Life of the American Teenager) and stars Maisy Stella as Elliott, a teenager who goes out to the woods where she trips on mushrooms with her best friends Ruthie and Ro. Maddie Ziegler stars as Ruthie. The story thentakes a strange turn when Elliott suddenly meets her future self (Audrey Plaza), a 39-year-old PhD student from the future.
The movie is a science fiction film in which older Elliott tries to save her younger self from something but refuses to admit what it is, which causes more problems than it fixes. In the end, the sci-fi aspect is all about setting up the coming-of-age story, and it is all an allegory for the confusion of growing up and finding oneself. While only in a small role, Ziegler won the Breakthrough Award at the Variety & Golden Globe’s Breakthrough Artist Awards.
The Fallout
The Fallout (2022) follows high school student Vada Cavell, played by Jenna Ortega, as she navigates the emotional aftermath of a school tragedy. Directed by Megan Park, the film explores the complexities of trauma, friendship, and healing, highlighting Vada’s evolving relationships with her family and peers.
In 2022, Maddie Ziegler co-starred with Jenna Ortega in the drama movieThe Fallout. Ortega plays Vada, a high school student who goes to the bathroom in the middle of class and sees a second student named Mia (Ziegler).While they are not friends and don’t say anything at the time, a school shooting starts taking place.A third student, Quinton (Niles Fitch) joins them in the girl’s bathroom, and they hide out until the shooting stops. This traumatic incident connects the three.
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While Ortega is the main star and Vada starts to go through significant personality changes following the trauma, Mia is just as important as her new best friend, who is also struggling to deal with the fallout from the school shooting, both for their survivor’s guilt and fear of another shooting. The film received universal positive ratings and both Ortega and Ziegler were praised for their performances, with Ortega taking home several awards.
West Side Story
Based on the 1957 Broadway musical, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is the second feature-length film to adapt the musical for the big screen. Starring Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort, the film tells the story of the forbidden love between a young couple on opposite sides of a conflict between two rival gangs in 1950s New York City.
The biggest movie Maddie Ziegler ever appeared in arrived in 2021 withSteven Spielberg’sWest Side Storyremake. It stars Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort in the lead roles as Maria and Tony, two star-crossed lovers destined to fall in thisRomeo & Julietstoryline.West Side Storyfollows the original movie and stageplay with Tony a member of one gang and Maria the sister of another gang’s top member. What results is a musical with tragedy at its core.
As forMaddie Ziegler, she played the role of Velma, one of the wealthy girls who hangs out with the Jets. She is best known in the newWest Side Storyas one of the two girls who get thrown out of the department store in that impressive dance scene where the Jets show up and attempt to attack Anita.West Side Storywas a mostly ensemble affair outside the two leads, but Ziegler held her own in the film, which received one Oscar win in seven nominations.
