With her Oscar for Best Actress in the film Anora, Mikey Madison establishes herself as one of the greatest revelations in American cinema. Her role as “Ani,” a stripper who falls in love with a young Russian heir and must fight against his powerful family, made a strong impression on the big screen.
Yet, nothing predestined the 25-year-old actress for a career in the spotlight. Here’s a look back at the journey of an actress who conquered Hollywood in just a few years.
A Start Far from the Spotlight
Born in Los Angeles, Mikey Madison grew up in the suburbs, raised by psychologist parents. Unlike many aspiring actors dreaming of fame, she never planned on a career in film. Her first love? Horseback riding. She even considered going professional before being drawn to the power of emotions conveyed on screen.
She didn’t attend drama school but honed her craft as a self-taught actress, guided by her cinephile father. This hands-on approach to acting quickly paid off: at 17, she landed a recurring role in the series Better Things, playing the rebellious eldest daughter of a divorced lawyer—a character completely opposite to her reserved nature.
Standout Supporting Roles: Scream, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
In 2019, Mikey Madison gained her first real recognition playing a fanatical hippie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Her character, a member of a cult, meets a gruesome fate in a now-iconic scene, burned alive with a flamethrower by Leonardo DiCaprio. Three years later, she took on the horror genre, portraying one of the masked killers in Scream (2022), cementing her reputation for playing unexpected roles.
“I’ve never seen an actress commit this much” – Breakthrough with Anora
It was Anora, directed by Sean Baker, that truly launched Mikey Madison to stardom. In this social drama, she plays a Brooklyn stripper who falls in love with a young Russian heir and must fight against his powerful family to save her marriage. The film, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes before dominating the Oscars, hinges on her electrifying performance—both physically and emotionally.
For the role, she learned pole dancing, perfected a New York accent, and immersed herself in the world of sex workers, visiting clubs to better understand their reality.
The result? A breathtaking 28-minute sequence where she fiercely battles Russian henchmen—biting, punching, and screaming for survival. Director Sean Baker was stunned: “I’ve never seen an actress commit this much,” he said in Cannes last May.
A Promising Career
Already compared to Jennifer Lawrence for her intensity and to Margot Robbie for her versatility, Mikey Madison is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s rising stars. The question now is whether she’ll continue playing strong female leads or explore new directions. One thing is certain: Hollywood has found its next big star.