Belle Black’s status in Salem took a major power turn when she was appointed Salem’s district attorney in 2024. For Martha Madison the move also cemented her status with Days of Our Lives. The actress discussed all of the above with Soap Opera Digest, including her real-life legal dreams and determination to play a woman who’s intimidating and likable.
When you first read that Belle was being offered the DA job, what was your reaction?
Martha Madison: I was excited by it, because at the time we had only talked about me coming back to DAYS for a short period of time. So when I saw that script come in and that they wanted to make me the district attorney, it was not only fun as a character thing, but I also realized it was going to keep the door open for us to continue working together. I was very happy to see that. For Belle as a character it opens the door for her to explore all these new relationships both personally, professionally and romantically, whatever that is.
Digest: Yet Belle was initially reluctant to take the job.
Madison: She had a lot of hesitation. When she came back for Doug’s funeral, it was not meant to be a long term stay. So when she was offered the DA position, she knew that would move her permanently to Salem. Then she found out that Shawn was going to stay in Salem, and that [if she took the job] it would unseat EJ. So, you know, she doesn’t want to cause World War III. There were a million reasons why she didn’t want take the job at first.
Digest: Obviously you’re happy she took the position?
Madison: Oh yeah. It’s great drama. Because if she said no, then everything stayed copacetic. If she said yes, we have a show, right?
Digest: How do you handle all the technical stuff, like learning all the legalese and making the words feel comfortable coming out your mouth?
Madison: I love it. If they were going to make me, Martha, play any career professional, a lawyer is the right choice. I wanted to be a lawyer when I was a little kid. It’s been so fun playing pretend. It feels like Law and Order: SVU, my other favorite show. So while it’s a lot of dialogue and a lot of legal jargon, I guess I’ve watched enough Law and Order: SVU to know what it all means.
Digest: Does anything from Law and Order: SVU inspire you when you’re playing professional Belle?
Madison: I just think that to be a great TV lawyer, and specifically a great female TV lawyer, you get to really find like this deep level of power. But you can’t be a bitch about it, because everybody hates that. It’s fun to play it in a way that’s almost, “Gotcha.” I don’t know if there’s anyone specific I can point to and say that I was inspired by, but throughout the many years of watching Law and Order: SVU, the really great performances from the women ADAs are always more about strategy. It’s like they’re playing chess and you see their intelligence behind it. They’re not yelling and screaming and being angry. So I try to take a page out of that book and play it more that way, because I want Belle to be likable and smart. I want people to be intimidated by her, but still like her.
Digest: Are you excited to be working more with Dan Feuerriegel (EJ) as the story continues to unfold?
Madison: That has been really wonderful. Dan and I have a great relationship, and he’s always really fun. He finds lots of cool moments to play. I love playing a dynamic of the sort of conflicted woman and the bad man, and all of the stuff that goes with that. I told Dan when I first came back and we started working together that it felt like that show Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, where they have to be around each other all the time, but they hate each other. It’s fun, and I really enjoy it. It gives us a lot to play with. I think that Belle has always felt like EJ should not be in her orbit. So it’s always been a collection of feelings like guilt and confusion and an undeniable attraction. And she’s battling with all of that.
