You probably remember where you were when Mikey Madison took the stage at the 97th Academy Awards. It was March 2025. Most of the betting money was on Demi Moore's career-defining comeback in The Substance. Then, Conan O’Brien opened the envelope.
Mikey Madison. Best Actress.
The room didn't just clap; it exhaled. It was one of those rare moments where the Academy actually rewarded the most raw, unpolished, and frankly terrifying performance of the year. Madison didn't just play Ani in Anora; she seemingly inhabited the very concrete of Brighton Beach to bring her to life. At 25, she became the first Gen Z actress to snag that trophy. But if you think she’s an overnight success, you haven’t been paying attention.
The Road to Brighton Beach
Long before Sean Baker called her agent, Mikey was "the weird horse girl." That’s her own description. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, she wasn't some Hollywood legacy kid. She was an equestrian who decided at 14 that she wanted a "deeper connection" than competitive riding could give her.
She's an all-or-nothing person. Honestly, you can see it in her eyes.
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Her breakthrough started with FX’s Better Things. For five seasons, she played Max, the eldest daughter of Pamela Adlon’s character. She grew up on that set. It was a masterclass in subtlety, but the industry really started whispering when she played Sadie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. You know the scene. The one where she’s screaming, covered in flames, and charging with a knife. Tarantino liked her "unhinged" energy. Sean Baker, the director of Anora, saw that same fire and knew he’d found his lead.
What Most People Get Wrong About Anora
People call Anora a "Cinderella story." That’s a massive oversimplification. Basically, it’s a story about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch on a whim in Vegas. But where a typical movie would focus on the glitz or the tragedy, Baker and Madison focus on the labor.
Ani isn't a victim. She’s a professional.
Madison spent six months learning the trade. She didn't just "take a class." She tortured her body. She trained on the pole for hours every single day, building muscle in places she didn't know existed just so the movement would look effortless. There's a story from the set that perfectly captures her stubbornness: at one point, Baker thought about cutting a pole dancing scene because they were filming in a club that didn't have one. Madison basically protested. She had the bruises to prove she’d earned that scene. She won.
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Breaking Down the Preparation
- The Accent: She moved to Brighton Beach a month before filming to soak up the specific Russian-American cadence.
- The Language: She learned Russian dialogue phonetically and through immersion to ensure she sounded like a local.
- The Research: She shadowed real dancers at clubs in LA and New York, learning the "etiquette"—like how much to tip the DJ or the bouncer.
- The Look: She worked with the hair and makeup team on things like "hair tinsel" to show Ani’s curated, high-effort aesthetic.
Why the Performance Still Matters
The movie hits a gear in the second half that most actors couldn't handle. When the oligarch parents send their henchmen (led by the incredible Yura Borisov) to annul the marriage, the film turns into a chaotic, hilarious, and eventually devastating road movie.
Madison’s performance is loud. It’s brash. She screams, she kicks, she bites. But it’s the quiet moments at the very end—the realization of her husband’s cowardice—that actually won her the Oscar.
She avoids the "hooker with a heart of gold" trope entirely. Ani is often unlikeable. She’s aggressive. She’s transactional. But she is also undeniably human. Madison’s BAFTA and Oscar speeches weren't just thank-yous; they were calls for "respect and human decency" for the sex worker community. She used her moment to bridge the gap between Hollywood’s fantasy and the reality of the people she represented.
The "Anora" Legacy and What’s Next
So, where does she go from here? Winning Best Actress at 25 is a blessing and a curse. It puts you in the company of Jennifer Lawrence and Brie Larson—actors who suddenly have the world’s eyes on their every move.
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Madison doesn't have social media. She doesn't Google herself. She lives a quiet life with her dog, Strawberry Jam, and her cat, Biscuit. This lack of an online "brand" is probably why she’s such a good actor. She’s a blank slate.
If you’re looking to follow her career or understand why Anora was the "it" movie of 2024 and 2025, here is how you should approach it:
- Watch "Better Things" first. See her grow from a teenager into a nuanced adult actor over five seasons.
- Don't skip the "Scream" (2022) reboot. Her performance as Amber Freeman is the bridge between her TV work and the physical intensity of Anora.
- Read the memoirs she did. She specifically cited Andrea Werhun’s Modern Whore as a key influence. Reading it gives you a deeper appreciation for the "work" in sex work that the movie portrays.
- Look for the "Night Butterfly" detail. In the movie, Ani is called a night butterfly in Russian. Madison chose a butterfly nail charm for the character before she even knew that line was in the script. It’s that kind of "kismet" that makes a performance legendary.
The reality is that Anora isn't just a movie about a stripper and a billionaire. It’s a film about agency. Mikey Madison gave a voice to a character who usually gets sidelined as a plot point. By the time the credits roll, you realize you haven't just watched a performance; you've witnessed the arrival of the most important actress of her generation.