It’s not easy being the new kid in town, especially when it’s a town like The Hardy Boys’ Bridgeport. For Bailee Madison, though, joining the cast as the mysterious Drew for Season 3 was the perfect opportunity to shake things up and join in on the mystery before things come to a close.

In this on-set interview from December 2022 with Collider’s Arezou Amin, Madison talks about what it was like joining the series for the third and final season. She also teases what fans can expect from her mysterious character Drew and how she ruffles the feathers of the Hardy boys and their friends.

COLLIDER: So, you are joining Hardy Boys this season. What has it been like stepping into this world?

BAILEE MADISON: Oh, it’s been so much fun. It really has. I was nervous, I think at first, because I’m obviously the newbie to the Hardy Boys family. So I was really excited to get here and get to meet everybody. I was a fan of the show and went back and rewatched both of the seasons, and I just think what they’ve been able to do with something that’s already so beloved and cherished, but introduce it for new people, and it’s been a joy to be here. What they have planned for the last season is crazy, and bigger and better every single episode. So yeah, it’s been a blast.

So I don’t know how much you can say, but what can you tease about your character?

MADISON: I can’t say much, in typical fashion. What I can say is, you’ll meet Drew very early on, right away in the season. She loves a good mystery. She is equally as invested in solving cases and finding out the truth on things. She kind of tells it how it is, and beats to her own drum, but at times I think can kind of ruffle the feathers of the Hardy Boys and the crew, at times, but will be very resourceful and helpful with unlocking a lot of answers in this final season.

Image via HBO

It keeps them on their toes.

MADISON: Yeah, definitely.

So what has been the biggest challenge of being on the Hardy Boys, would you say?

MADISON: Where do I start? Honestly, I mean personally, no challenges. Everyone has just been so welcoming and so kind with inviting me into what’s already a very established family, and a very beautiful set. I think the reason why this show is so much fun to get to watch as a viewer is really the core of these characters, and the people who bring them to life. It’s just their hearts that you kind of fall in love with, with the storytelling. So I felt very much at ease and at home.

But I would say it’s always nerve-wracking, kind of, you know, being handed someone new to close out a series. So, more so the challenge is just like being kinder to myself like, “You’re not ruining the show, Bailee, it’s okay.” No, so far it’s just been a joy, and I feel like even though I haven’t been here the last three years they’ve welcomed me as if I have been, so it’s made everyday really nice.

And would you say that that kind of camaraderie with the cast has been the most fun part of all of this?

MADISON: Yeah. 100% that goes without saying, and I mean everyone here is so kind and so lovely, and so tuned into their characters and what they’re doing. I’ve worked with a lot of the crew that’s actually on this set, I did a show with them for about five years. So, coming back on a show where I already have relationships and friendly faces has been really special.

I think, also, what the team does. I mean, their creatives are so talented and so wonderful with storytelling, and the way their minds move and are able to tie things together from the first season all the way to the third is always really special when you’re handed two pages that are so elaborate, yet make the most sense and kind of throw you head-on into the universe. The sets have been a blast, and kind of playing with the different eras, and the tricks that you know people might have up their sleeves, and the callbacks. It’s kind of just been a really immersive experience in all of the ways, and that’s why I think it’s hard to pick one thing because it really is a team effort here to bring this show to life and you could feel it. It’s across the board. There’s so much love and care. And it’s just a beautiful show. Every time I see a shot I’m like, “What a special show.” It’s visually handcrafted with such love and care, as well. So it’s all been really such a joy.

Image via Hulu

I love that, I love the shout-out to the crew.

MADISON: It always takes a village, but it’s really special when it takes a village and everyone happens to love what they’re doing and deeply care about the story at the same time. You don’t see that often, I feel like, but there isn’t a frame or a moment in the show that isn’t thoughtfully cared for or thought out.

You mentioned getting to play with the different eras. So, in researching to sort of put your head in the space of like an ‘80s teenager, what really jumped out to you? Like music, pop culture, fashion, what part of that?

MADISON: The Walkman has been very helpful for me. Jason [Stone] put it on me one of the first days filming. I was like, “The headphones are so small, how did people–” But I think it’s just in all the detail, I think, like as actors you can, you can be handed such wonderful materials. But once you walk onto a set that’s been brought to life, and you’re in costumes, and you’re having hair and makeup conversations about, “Okay, how do we play with this? How do we give nods to that?” That’s, again, where the village comes in and helps kind of transport you into that world.

And so all of those things have been very, very helpful. I can’t say I’m like a genius at ‘80s knowledge, I don’t know if anyone is here, except for our crew. But I’m having a great time learning about it.

So, I’m gonna give you a second to think about this if you need it, but I’ve been asking everyone this–

MADISON: Did anyone take a second?

Yeah, so if you do, you won’t be the only one.

MAIDSON: Sorry for questioning. How long did [Rohan Campbell] take?

Image via Hulu

I don’t know yet.

MADISON: You don’t know yet… Yeah, I’m gonna beat him.

If you had to pick a theme song for your character – it doesn’t necessarily have to be an ‘80s song –

MADISON: It won’t be, so that’s good.

All right, what would you say that her theme song is?

MADISON: Honestly, oh… Tricky answering this. When is it running? Episodes have aired, not aired? Okay, I have a perfect song that we all talk about on set, but I don’t know if I can say that. “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” we’re gonna go with.

Okay.

MADISON: Just to really throw people off, let that mean whatever you want it to mean. Wait, actually, “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, let’s do that.

Moving away from the Hardy Boys just for a second, last time you spoke with Collider you were talking about the movie Play Dead, and how it made –

MADISON: Oh, Play Dead! Yeah!

So, you were talking about how it made your sister feel nauseous, and all of that. So looking back on it, I was wondering if you could tease a little bit of the intensity of that, the tense moments.

MADISON: No, for sure. The whole movie I would say doesn’t let you come up for air. It’s very much a cat-and-mouse game between me and Jerry O’Connell is the coroner. I can’t give too much away, but I can say it really is a film within these two people, and all taking place in a morgue. So it’s really just kind of dark and chaotic. And what happens when you put yourself in a situation that you think is already bad, and then you realize there might be no getting out of it.

So it’s a more psychological piece, I would say, that I’ve gotten to do before in the horror genre. I love the horror genre so, so much, and I love thrillers, and psychological thrillers, but this was very much a very intimate look into how far you can go without making it crazy. So it feels very intimate, and my sister still hasn’t watched it. I don’t think she’s ever going to watch it. We had to turn it off. I was like watching with the family, and she just kept talking, and she was like, “I can’t watch it,” and I was like, “Okay, we’re gonna turn it off and like try again another day.” It was a blast. It came from my friend, Johannes Roberts, who I did The Strangers: Prey at Night with. So he sent it over, and he was like, “What do you think?” I was like, “Let’s go. It’s crazy.” So I love that kind of stuff.

Image via Tubi

And as we wrap up, what do you hope fans take away from this season of The Hardy Boys?

MADISON: You know, from someone who’s only been here for the last season, I think very quickly I realized that this crew and this cast are just really special human beings. And I think my hope would be, as someone who’s a fan of them, and the work that they’ve done, and the show that they’ve crafted, is that they can celebrate the last three years that they’ve created. The show is really special and one-of-a-kind, and there’s nothing like it that really exists. There’s so much hard work and love and thoughtfulness that’s gone into this series. I hope that people are able to celebrate it and kind of embark on the ride, and the adventure, and go down the mysteries with them, and just immerse themselves into the world and allow themselves to enjoy the entertainment that’s been so deeply thought out, and cared for, for them.

I’m just excited to celebrate them and three years of a wonderful show. And the fact that I get to pop on for the last season is really exciting. So I’m excited to see their reactions.

The Hardy Boys Season 3 begins streaming on July 26.