# Martha Madison

Martha Madison (born Martha Anne Butterworth; July 27, 1977) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Belle Black on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives.

## Early life

Madison was born in Newport News, Virginia. She was raised in Houston, Texas, attended Cypress Creek High School, and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1999 with a degree in psychology. She was also the Captain of the Texas A&M Dance Team. In 1999, she moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She danced with the Peyari Dance Project for two years. However, after several injuries, she was forced to retire from dance.

## Television career

Madison had a small role in the film Kate & Leopold in 2001. She moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a career in film/television, and briefly appeared on the NBC soap opera Passions in 2004. Madison next played the role of Belle Black on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 2004 to 2008. During this time in 2007, she appeared on The Tyra Banks Show to help model/host Tyra Banks through "soap opera school."
In 2008, Madison appeared in the Without a Trace episode "Rewind", and in the Criminal Minds episode "The Big Wheel" in 2009. From 2010 to 2014, Madison appeared on the soap opera web series The Bay as Marly Nelson-Foster. In June 2011, Madison temporarily took over the role as Elizabeth Webber on General Hospital, appearing from June 8–20, 2011. She and General Hospital's Lilly Melgar currently co-host TradioV.com's SoapBox with Lilly and Martha, which airs live every Thursday at 2pm Pacific time (PT) on tradiov.com. In 2015, Madison began starring as Miranda Winterthorne in the soap opera web series Winterthorne. Later in 2015, Madison returned to her role as Belle Black on Days of Our Lives.

## Other pursuits

Starting in 2005, Madison was named an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and helped re-design their website. Her mother has been living with multiple sclerosis for nearly 25 years.
In July 2009, Madison and her husband A.J. Gilbert opened a gastro sports pub in Studio City called Henry's Hat (which they named after their Weimeraner, Henry). Together, Madison and Gilbert also own Luna Park in Hollywood and Luna Park in San Francisco. The couple sold Henry's Hat in August 2012, and sold Luna Park Los Angeles in March 2013.
In October 2012, Madison and Gilbert launched the first, free, web-based restaurant inventory management system called ChefSheet, available on iTunes.

## Personal life

Madison announced on her official forum, that she had become engaged to her boyfriend, restaurateur A.J. Gilbert, the owner of Luna Park in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, on July 29, 2006, when he took her to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego for her birthday. Madison and Gilbert married on August 25, 2007.
In April 2013, Madison announced that she was pregnant with her first child. On November 3, 2013, she gave birth to her daughter Charley Elizabeth Gilbert.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Kate & Leopold | Office Woman | |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Susan Watkins | Episode: "Cherry Red" |
| 2004 | Passions | Lola | April 8–14, 2004 |
| 2004–08, 2015–2023 | Days of Our Lives | Isabella "Belle" Black | August 10, 2004 – March 24, 2008, November 25, 2015 – September 12, 2016, January 24 – February 20, 2017, December 4, 2017 – March 27, 2018, August 21 – November 8, 2018, March 18 – July 9, 2019, June 8, 2020 – November 9, 2023 |
| 2006 | Biker Mice from Mars | Catalina Cat/Cataina Mouse (voice) | Episodes: "New Cats in Town" and "The Tender Mouse Trap" |
| 2007 | The Singles Table | Married woman | Episode: "The Work Dinner" |
| 2008 | Without a Trace | Jolie | Episode: "Rewind" |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds | Kate | Episode: "The Big Wheel" |
| 2009 | The Mother of Invention | Chandra | |
| 2011 | General Hospital | Elizabeth Webber # 2 | Temporary recast: June 8–20, 2011 |
| 2011 | Undercover Bridesmaid | Sally | Television film |
| 2010–14 | The Bay | Marly Nelson-Foster | 26 episodes |
| 2015 | Winterthorne | Miranda Winterthorne | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | One Mississippi | Bibby Baxter | Episodes: "The Cat's Out", "Let the Good Times Roll" |
| 2016 | Ladies of the Lake | Vivian Montgomery | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Great News | Belle Black | Episode: "War Is Hell" |
| 2018 | To The Beat! | Clare | Also associate producer |
| 2018 | The Price for Silence | Deana | |
| 2019 | A Place Called Hollywood | Sissy Satire | 3 episodes |
| 2019-2020 | Days of Our Lives: Last Blast Reunion | Belle Black | Web Series |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
| 2016 | Indie Series Awards | Best Lead Actress - Drama | Winterthorne | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Days of Our Lives | Nominated | |