Mikey Madison’s portrayal of Ani in the Oscar-nominated film “Anora,” is being called a “tour de force.”
On Sunday she took home the BAFTA for Best Actress for her portrayal of Ani, a sex worker who believes she found her fairytale after a high-rolling Russian oligarch sweeps her off her feet. That is until complications ensue.
When the L.A. native heard her name called at the ceremony, she said she was in “complete shock.”
“I was not expecting it at all. It was a total surprise, and my co-stars and my friends literally jumped up and screamed. It scared me, and it was amazing,” she gushed to KTLA 5’s Scott “Movie” Mantz. “It’s very surreal. I never thought that something like this would ever happen for me. I mean, we made this film for $6 million a small independent film, and people have still been going to see it in theaters for months now. It’s so amazing.”
Madison took her preparations for the role very seriously.
She learned Russian and underwent the necessary physical preparations for the role. She also researched sex workers and the community of Brighton Beach, the New York neighborhood where the film takes place.
“I’ve never quite done this amount of preparation before for a film,” she revealed. “I learned Russian for this film. I’ve never had to learn another language before for a role and the accent and immersing myself in Brighton Beach in that community. I also just think the collaboration with Sean [Baker], my director, was something I’ve never done before. He really welcomed me into making this film in such a big way, and I got to really feel like I had a partnership in making this film. So it was, it was challenging and amazing and really, really special.”
It turns out Baker cast Madison in the film before the was even a script. All he had was a loose idea about what the film would be.
“He saw me in a horror film, went and saw it opening weekend, and he cast me just a couple of days later. He pitched me the idea, and was like, ‘If you want to do this. I’ll write it for you.’ So it was pretty amazing. I’ve never had to not audition for a role before.”
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 where it won the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize.
“We’ve literally been all over the world with this film, premiering it on such a grand scale, which truly has just been a dream come true for me. I keep saying dream, but it’s true, because that’s how I feel. Even just going to a film festival was a career dream of mine.”
Among the many screenings was a special one that took place at The Grove in Los Angeles where the filmmakers invited sex workers to get their take on the project.
“We filled an entire theater at The Grove with all of these incredible people and were able to just celebrate that community and enjoy the film, and that was so wonderful so much fun,” she explained. “The response that we received from those women, from that community, was just so positive and really made me feel good.”
When Madison received the BAFTA Award, she took a moment to recognize the sex worker community.
So far the movie has taken home the Best Picture award from the Critics Choice Awards, the Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the Producers Guild of America Award and the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film.
The film is currently up for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, which takes place on Feb. 23. It’s also up for seven Academy Awards. Madison is up for Best Actress for both of them.
The 97th Academy Awards take place on March 2.
“Anora” is in theaters now.
Mikey Madison’s portrayal of Ani in the Oscar-nominated film “Anora,” is being called a “tour de force.”On Sunday she took home the BAFTA for Best Actress for her portrayal of Ani, a sex worker who believes she found her fairytale after a high-rolling Russian oligarch sweeps her off her feet. That is until complications ensue. […]
Leave a Reply