How Mikey Madison Went From Rising Star to Oscar-Winning Icon

by

For Mikey Madison, the Oscars night turned out to be more extraordinary than she had ever imagined. As she shared with reporters after winning the Best Actress award on March 2, “It’s hard to find words for how surreal this experience is. I never thought something like this would happen in my life. Making movies and becoming an actress who could star in a film like ‘Anora’ has been a lifelong dream of mine. It’s a great honor—one that I hope will fully sink in later on. Frankly, I didn’t see it coming at all.”

Mikey’s victory was one of the five Academy Awards that the indie drama ‘Anora’ received that evening, including the Best Picture award and multiple honors for its writer and director Sean Baker (Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay). As Mikey put it, “We set out to make this strange, eccentric movie, have fun, and invest our hearts into it.

Despite having only 13 movie credits prior to her breakthrough, there’s much anticipation about where the actress’s new Oscar status might lead her next. In an interview with reporters, she expressed, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I plan on continuing to create movies and work alongside inspiring individuals, portraying intriguing characters, and telling captivating stories.” Her journey is only beginning; here’s a brief introduction to this freshly crowned Oscar winner.

How old is Mikey Madison?

25-year-old Mikey, born in 1999, is one of five siblings and has a twin brother. She started acting at age 14 after spending much time as a dedicated equestrian. In her own words to Esquire in August, she felt drawn towards seeking a deeper emotional connection with others and wanted more than what horseback riding offered. The choice to transition into acting was easy for her but also painful because it meant fully committing to it, which conflicted with her commitment to equestrianism, a time-consuming activity. Consequently, she temporarily put that part of her life on hold.

What other movies has Mikey Madison been in?

Following her appearances in various short films, Mikey marked her cinematic debut in 2015’s “Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey.” Subsequently, she secured the role of Max, the eldest daughter of Pamela Adlon’s character Sam Fox, on “Better Things,” which aired from 2016 to 2022. During this period, Mikey also featured in films like “Nostalgia” and “Monster,” as well as TV shows such as “Imposters.”

In 2019, she landed a role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” as Sadie, one of Charles Manson’s cultists. This part was instrumental in her career advancement, with Sean praising Quentin for casting Mikey, stating that without her role in “Once Upon a Time…, there’d be no Anora.”

However, it was Mikey’s work in 2022’s “Scream” that led Sean to propose the creation of “Anora” without the Los Angeles native needing to audition. As she shared with the Associated Press in October, Sean said, “If you want to do it, I will write it for you,” to which Mikey promptly agreed, and from there, it took approximately a year for them to begin filming.

Who does Mikey Madison play in Anora?

In the movie titled “Anora,” Mikey portrays Ani, a Brooklyn-based sex worker who’s also the main character. During her work, she encounters Ivan, or Vanya as he’s known, who is the partying son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. He hires Ani to be his girlfriend for a week and they travel to Las Vegas together. There, Vanya proposes to avoid returning to Russia to work for his father. Ani agrees, and is quickly immersed in Vanya’s extravagant lifestyle. However, complications arise when Vanya’s parents discover their marriage and send enforcers to annul it.

To prepare for her role, Mikey made a significant effort. She learned Russian, moved to Brighton Beach in New York to perfect her Brooklyn accent, practiced pole dancing, compiled an Ani-inspired Pinterest board for her character’s appearance, and even shadowed women at clubs to help her improvise interactions during the opening scene filming. As she explained to The Sunday Times, “I was meeting someone for the first time, walking up to them and giving them a full lap dance.

What other awards has Mikey Madison won?

Besides claiming the Oscar, Anora additionally won the BAFTA and Film Independent Spirit Award for her outstanding performance, was nominated for a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Critics Choice Award. Last summer, she also bagged the prestigious Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Anora, who has recently graced our screens in the TV series Lady in the Lake, is yet to unveil her future plans but seems eager about what lies ahead, including potentially creating her own content someday.

Speaking to The Cut in September, Anora (the Academy Award winner) expressed interest in collaborating with her twin brother Miles on some personal stories she has. “When it comes to me,” she added, “I’ll be prepared.”

Stay tuned to find out who else took home a trophy during Hollywood’s glamorous evening.

WINNER: Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown 

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez 

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys 

The Substance

Wicked

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez 

WINNER: Mikey Madison – Anora

Demi Moore – The Substance

Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown 

Ariana Grande – Wicked 

Felicity Jones – The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

WINNER: Zoé Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

WINNER: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown 

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

Yura Borisov – Anora

WINNER: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain 

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown 

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

WINNER: Sean Baker – Anora

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

James Mangold – A Complete Unknown  

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Mike Marino, Dave Presto and Crystal Jurado – A Different Man

Julia Floch Carbonel & Simon Livet – Emilia Pérez

Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton & David White – Nosferatu 

WINNER: Pierre-Olivier Persin – The Substance

Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked

A Lien 

WINNER: I’m Not a Robot

Anuja 

The Last Ranger

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

WINNER: I’m Still Here

The Girl with the Needle 

Emilia Pérez

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Flow

WINNER: Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

Arianne Phillips – A Complete Unknown

Lisy Christy – Conclave

Janty Yates – Gladiator II 

Linda Muir – Nosferatu

WINNER: Paul Tazewell – Wicked

WINNER: Sean Baker – Anora 

Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist 

Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain

Tim Fehlbaum & Moritz Binder – September 5 

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Jay Cocks & James Mangold – A Complete Unknown 

WINNER: Peter Straughan – Conclave

Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Livecchi – Emilia Pérez

Joslyn Barnes & RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys

Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar – Sing Sing 

Alien: Romulus 

Better Man

WINNER: Dune: Part Two

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked

A Complete Unknown

WINNER: Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

Judy Becker – The Brutalist

Suzie Davies & Roberta Federico – Conclave

Zsuzsanna Sipos, Shane Vieau & Patrice Vermette – Dune: Part Two 

Beatrice Brentnerova, Paul Ghirardani & Craig Lanthorp – Nosferatu

WINNER: Nathan Crawley – Wicked

Victory goes to the film “The Bad One,” penned by Clement Ducol, Camille & Jacques Audiard, starring Zoé Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascon, portrayed by Emilia Pérez.

“The Journey” written by Diane Warren, performed by H.E.R. – The Six Triple Eight

“Like a Bird” written by Adrian Quesada and Abraham Alexander-  Sing Sing

Emilia Pérez’s Journey

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but express my admiration for the heartfelt melody titled “Never Too Late.” Penned by the legendary trio of Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin, and Andrew Watt, this masterpiece is brought to life by none other than Sir Elton himself. To me, hearing him sing these powerful words feels like a personal invitation into his soulful world.

WINNER: The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Wicked

The Wild Robot

WINNER: Lol Crawley – The Brutalist

Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two

Paul Guilhaume – Emilia Pérez

Edward Lachman – Maria

Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu

WINNER: Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail 

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Beautiful Men

WINNER: In the Shadow of the Cypress

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Black Box Diaries

WINNER: No Other Land 

Porcelain War

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Sugarcane

I Am Ready, Warden

Death By Numbers

Incident 

Instruments of a Beating Heart 

WINNER: The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Read More

2025-03-03 20:48