Magic Mikey: The ‘Anora’ Star Just Woke Up With an Oscar. What Other Tricks Does She Have Up Her Sleeve?
Less than 24 hours after standing in front of the world to accept the best actress Oscar for her performance in Anora, Mikey Madison is getting glammed up at a friend’s guest house in Beverly Hills to shoot her morning-after cover for The Hollywood Reporter, when she receives a congratulatory text from an unknown number. “Who is this?!” she asks no one in particular, speculating aloud that it might be a producer of a past project … or perhaps a stranger who had tracked her down? As her two little dogs rest on the laps of friends, her proud twin brother watches from a corner and her newly acquired statuette gleams on a table nearby, one of her representatives quietly suggests, “It might be time for you to change your number.”
It’s not unreasonable advice for a 25-year-old whom everyone suddenly wants a piece of. After all, in one magical evening, she’s become the newest addition to Hollywood’s A-list, the face — not to mention the beating heart — of the film that took home a field-leading five Oscars, including best picture.
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Born Mikaela Madison Rosberg, referred to by family as “Mikin” but known professionally as Mikey, Madison noted in her Oscar acceptance speech, “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me.” The daughter of psychologists, she was raised in the Valley — Woodland Hills, specifically — and spent her early years seriously pursuing a future as a competitive equestrian. (She was homeschooled after seventh grade, in part to allow her to focus on that.) But at 14 she decided to pivot to acting — wisely, it seems.
Madison began taking classes, working on small student films and, at 16, scored her breakthrough role as Pamela Adlon’s oldest daughter on the FX series Better Things. During the seven years that she worked on that critically acclaimed show, she also auditioned for movies, landing supporting parts in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the fifth installment of the Scream horror franchise. It was in those big-screen projects that she caught the eye of indie film maverick Sean Baker.
Baker reached out to Madison for a meeting and caught her off guard by offering her, without an audition, the leading role in his next film. To prepare to play a Brighton Beach stripper turned escort to a Russian oligarch’s son, she spent a year immersing herself in research about sex workers; studied Russian, pole dancing and twerking; and even temporarily relocated to the Brooklyn neighborhood in which the film is set. Then, over the course of a 40-day shoot, deploying those mournful eyes that belie her character’s confident demeanor (at least until the film’s unforgettably heartbreaking final scene), she knocked it out of the park.
During Anora’s nine-month awards campaign, spanning the film’s world premiere at Cannes in May 2024 through Oscar night, Anora and Madison picked up plenty of steam (and honors). Still, heading into Sunday’s ceremony, she was hardly the favorite. She had lost best actress at the Critics Choice, Golden Globe and SAG awards to Demi Moore (though she won best actress at the BAFTA and Spirit awards), and oddsmakers almost universally forecasted a Moore win, leaving much of the audience — inside the Dolby Theatre and watching on TV — stunned when the ingenue upset the veteran.
Now, with the doors of the industry suddenly wide open for her, Madison tells THR that she is still trying to figure out how she got here — and where she wants to go next.
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Has it sunk in yet that, for the rest of your life, you will be “Oscar winner Mikey Madison”?
Absolutely not, no. I don’t know when it will. I’m still kind of floating in a dreamlike state. It was a very, very surreal night — very interesting and obviously, celebratory and wonderful. But I think that I need time to really digest the magnitude of it.
What time did you get to sleep last night?
Late! And I love going to bed early, so it was very foreign to me. But, you know, “When in Rome,” right?
I heard it might have been 3 or 4 in the morning …
Sounds about right.
How did you sleep?
I slept great. I had some very interesting dreams.
Do you remember them?
I do, but I’m still processing what they mean to me. (Laughs.)
Let’s go back in time for a second. Did you watch the Oscars as a kid?
I did, yes, a bunch of times. When I was younger, it was just sort of a thing that we did every year.
You hear about young aspiring actors and actresses who, in the shower, use a shampoo bottle to practice an imaginary acceptance speech. Was winning an Oscar something that you dreamed about?
I mean, of course. I’m such a big daydreamer. It kind of runs in my family; my dad is, too. So I’ve definitely gotten lost in random little pockets of dreams. I never thought that it would be a reality, but it was fun to think about.
Who accompanied you to the Oscars, apart from your collaborators on the film?
My twin brother, Miles, was sitting next to me. My little brother was there. One of my sisters, Natasha. My dad and my mom. And my team, of course.
Who were some of the people you were most excited to meet who you hadn’t met before?
Emma Stone.
Did you meet her for the first time when she handed you your Oscar?
Yes, I did. I’ve been such an admirer of her work for forever, so it was very special. Gosh, I met so many people last night, but it’s overwhelming. I need to, like, journal and try to write everything down. I asked my mom [who was with her for most of the night after the ceremony] if she could write down a bunch of memories that she has so I can try to keep them.
Just before the presentation of best actress, when Quentin Tarantino presented best director to Sean Baker, I imagine it was like seeing your career, if not your life, flash before your eyes.
It was amazing. Quentin is the director who really welcomed me into the film world. I had been doing primarily television, but I’d always dreamed of working in film and working with someone like Quentin — specifically Quentin — so I’m so grateful for the experience that he gave me and for the character he let me play [Susan ‘Sadie’ Atkins, a member of the Manson family]. For a 19-year-old to be able to play such an interesting, rich, fun character like that was really special. Quentin really just reinvigorated my love of filmmaking and reminded me how I wanted to feel making a movie and the kind of work I wanted to do going forward. And Sean first saw me in Once Upon a Time, and years down the line, when he saw me in another film [Scream], he was reminded of me and how much he enjoyed that character. So Quentin had a huge part of bringing us together creatively. And for Sean to be presented an award by Quentin, it was such an incredible surprise and made me so happy. That was definitely a highlight of the evening.
If you had taken truth serum before the ceremony and had been asked whether or not you thought you were going to win, what would your answer have been?
Absolutely not. No, I didn’t. Absolutely not. Last-minute, I was like, “I should just write down a bunch of names just in case — even if only to just have a list of names for myself.” And I’m glad that I did, because I got to read them! But I would have wanted to be a little more studious and prepared.
Some people allegedly practice their expression, knowing that they’re in a close-up with the other nominees when the winner is announced, just in case they don’t win. Did you do that?
Oh, no. I mean, it’s just a celebration, you know? Even to get nominated is so unbelievable and amazing. And every performance that was recognized is worthy. To just be there in that room was spectacular. I was happy, you know? Obviously, I’m incredibly honored and deeply overjoyed and totally in shock and humbled. But no, it’s just a celebration.
Can you take me into your thinking from the time Emma Stone came out to present the award until you walked offstage with it? How did you process it?
I didn’t process it, really. I was just sort floating five feet above the ground, really trying to be present. But in a moment like that, that is so spectacular, you’re just taking everything that comes at you at, like, 10-times speed — but I also simultaneously felt like I was moving in slow motion. But it was such an honor to be given the award by her. I think her performance in Poor Things is one of the most incredible performances in history.
Did she say anything to you when she was handing you the Oscar or when you were walking off together after your speech?
She was very, very kind, yeah.
When, after winning, did you reconnect with your family?
Right after the film won picture, which I was backstage for. It was so incredible and spectacular. I was like, “Wow! This is happening, isn’t it?” (Laughs.) I think all of us were just sort of shocked a bit. My twin brother told me that he had dreams a few nights in a row that were basically what happened, which is so funny — sort of twin-telepathy, seeing into the future — and we all just hugged each other. It’s really special to have your family there for something like that.
Did they tell you how they reacted when your name was called?
My little brother [age 24] is so funny. He does an incredible impression of my dad, and so he was, all night, reenacting my dad’s expression when I went onstage — I took a video of my little brother reenacting it. He said my dad made this, like, animal sound, and then looked like he was going to faint, and kind of leaned to the side, and all of the things fell out of his pockets, and then my family screamed so loud that an usher had to walk over to them and tell them that they can’t do that. (Laughs.)
After the ceremony, where else did you go over the course of the night?
There’s photos and things backstage, where I got to see the other acting honorees [Adrien Brody, Zoe Salda?a and Kieran Culkin], which was really fun; we’ve all been around the same places these last handful of months and become really friendly. And then you get the plaque for your Oscar [at the Governors Ball]. And then a couple of parties — Vanity Fair, Neon and Guy Oseary — and eating food, cutting a cake with my family.
I heard that your parents have a lot of stamina — they were up with you all night?
I was really concerned for them. (Laughs.) They’re so sweet. I was like, “I feel like it’s too loud for them here.” But they wanted to go wherever I went. I kept looking behind, like, “Are you OK? Do you need anything? Do you need water?” Because I’ve never seen my parents up at like 3 a.m. before. (Laughs.) My brothers were fine, I was not worried about them.
When, after winning, did you first look at your phone?
I wanted to message my best friend right away, because she wasn’t able to be there, so I went to message her and I saw all these funny texts from people — like my doctor and this guy that sold me a carpet a couple of weeks ago. (Laughs.)
How many texts did you have?
More than usual. I felt popular. (Laughs.) I usually don’t feel like that.
Hundreds?
I guess.
Did you speak, after you won, with any of your fellow best actress nominees?
Yes, I did. I saw Fernanda [Torres, of I’m Still Here] and we hugged. And I texted with Demi, who I adore. She’s one of the sweetest, kindest women I’ve ever met, and I’m so grateful that I was able to meet her and witness her brilliance and talent in person. I adore her and I can’t wait to see what she does next, what kind of characters she brings us. I think we’re all so ready and excited to see that.
What time did you wake up this morning?
I slept in. My brother slept over, and me and my two brothers went and had breakfast with my two puppies. I think we had breakfast at 11.
Have you read any of the news coverage since last night?
No.
And you don’t really do social media?
No, I don’t. I don’t have any.
I’ll share a few things that have been discussed since you won. To begin with, you are the ninth-youngest person to ever win best actress, and the youngest best actress winner since Jennifer Lawrence 12 years ago.
Oh, interesting.
This Oscars is only the third in the 97-year history of the Oscars, and the first time in 38 years, at which best actor and best actress were both won by people who are Jewish [Brody won the former for The Brutalist]. Does that mean anything to you?
Oh, wow, I didn’t know that. I think that the character that Adrien played in his film is so special, and the film tells such an important story that needed to be told, so I’m really happy for him, and I think that the win was so well deserved. But there were other performances in that category, too — like, all of them — that were just incredible. I mean, Sebastian Stan [as Donald Trump in The Apprentice] gave a knockout performance. So anyone of any religion — it doesn’t matter to me.
Quite a few actresses have won Oscars for playing sex workers, but it appears that none, prior to you, ever thanked sex workers in their acceptance speech. Why was it important to you to do that?
Sean has dedicated a lot of his career to telling these marginalized stories in an honest way, in a way that isn’t sensationalized or darkly dramatized. He’s interested in just telling the truth about the work, and destigmatizing the work, and that was also something that I was interested in. Through the process of researching the character and getting ready to play this role, I studied a lot — I read memoirs, I talked to incredible consultants that were brought onto the film, and I met so many amazing women that are part of this community, and that’s the reason that we were able to make the film. But even that aside, just being able to meet and sort of, I don’t know, fall in love with a community that I really didn’t know much about before, has been a really special part of all of this, one of the most impactful parts. I’ll forever be a supporter of sex workers, and an ally, and a friend, and continue to try, as much as I can, to uplift and support everyone in that community so that they can live the lives that they deserve and tell their own stories.
Some of the way the awards season is covered — and I, as one of the people who cover it, am guilty of this at times — is like a horse race. That’s certainly been the case with this season’s best actress race. Has that ever felt uncomfortable for you?
Well, I mean the idea of that is uncomfortable, of course, for any of those things to be projected onto me, because it’s not how I feel. I know how I feel, and I know that it’s just been a celebration of Anora and a celebration of all of these women and their performances. I continue to feel that way, and I always will.
The awards season, for you, really started back in May, before Anora was even theatrically released, at the Cannes Film Festival, which you’ve said was the first film festival that you ever attended. The film premiered there — ultimately winning the Palme d’Or — and won best picture at the Oscars 285 days later.
Wow. About nine months, huh?
Nine months and nine days.
I’ve felt it.
What is the Anora-related question you’d be happiest to never have to answer ever again?
(Laughs.) I don’t know, I like talking about the film. The thing is, when you talk to someone about it, even if they ask the same questions, it’s still new to them, so for me, it’s OK.
OK, let me rephrase the question. What question do you think you were asked the most often?
I was asked a lot about my comfortability [performing sex scenes] and about my views on the topic of sex work.
It seems that one of the highlights of the film enduring so far into the awards season was that the gang kept getting back together.
In a fucked-up way, I was like, “Yes, now they can’t leave me! I get to see my friends that live in different countries for longer.” Because you make a movie, and you have an amazing experience, and then everyone leaves and goes back to different cities and countries. So I felt like I got to hold on to that for longer, which was really special to me. And now I’m like, “Oh, man, it’s over.” So I forced Yura [Borisov] to promise me that we will still be friends forever, multiple times. He was like (with exasperation), “Yes! OK!” (Laughs.)
Do you feel pressure about how to follow something like this film and, in particular, this award? I don’t think you’ve yet announced your next project. Is that because you’re being very deliberative about what to do?
I don’t know. I hope to continue to work with interesting people. It’s all about following a feeling, because it’s an emotional job, and I think I just have to really feel that pull toward something, that really strong pull, like, “I absolutely have to do it.” Because of this film, I’ve been able to just think about it.
I’m sure you’re inundated with interest.
I’ve never had this happen before. It’s a whole new experience. I’m very used to fighting for an audition, trying to kick the door open, for more than a decade now, so it’s a little different. I’m really excited for the future, and I’m excited for the roles that I might get to play and the people I might get to work with. I have lots of dreams and things I’d like to do, but you know, I’m only 25. I feel like I’m a student, in so many ways. I feel like I’m only just learning about all of this. So this (gestures toward her Oscar) is an amazing reminder to continue on that path and keep learning and growing and pushing myself in different ways. I hope to keep feeling like a student, even 40 years from now.
You mentioned that you have specific dreams. Can you share some of them?
No. (Laughs.)
Lastly, I don’t know if you’ve heard about this, but I swear it’s true: There have literally been scientific studies that have concluded that Oscar winners live longer than Oscar nominees. Have you ever seen that?
No. (Laughs.) I believe you. That’s interesting. Well, I plan on living a long life, so that’s nice to hear.
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