The upcoming film “Madden” is drawing attention, though it’s still unclear whether audiences will love it for the movie itself or simply for its subject. Either way, the cast has been fielding a very important question: Have they ever tried turducken?
For anyone unfamiliar with the dish, it’s a chicken stuffed inside a duck, which is then placed inside a turkey. John Madden helped make the elaborate Thanksgiving meal famous.
I haven’t tried one myself. Not because I’m opposed to the idea—I’m very much in favor—but I’ve never had the chance to sample the poultry triple-decker.
Maybe being in a movie about Madden would have helped. Christian Bale, who plays Al Davis, had a practical concern about the on-set version: food safety. Fair enough, especially if the prop had been sitting around for hours.
Nicolas Cage, who plays Madden, didn’t say whether he’d eaten turducken. He did mention getting plenty of it on his hands while chopping one up, as Madden used to do. It’s hard to imagine the dish would faze Cage, though perhaps that’s just a guess.
Former Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman said he hasn’t tried turducken either, but he’d always wanted one of the birds Madden prepared by hand each Thanksgiving. Honestly, that does sound like the top-shelf version.
Sienna Miller, who plays Carol Sagal Davis, was the cast member with firsthand experience. She said she and co-star Kathryn Hahn, who portrays Virginia Madden, tried some turducken that had been kept as a backup.
Now I’m considering making my own Thanksgiving bird-within-a-bird-within-a-bird this year. It might be a bit much, but I’m curious enough to give it a try.
