Mikaela Madison Rosberg, better known as Mikey Madison, was born in Los Angeles on March 25, 1999. At the 2025 Oscars, she became the youngest nominee in the Best Actress category. She surprised everyone by winning against actress like Fernanda Torres and Demi Moore.
Sean Baker wrote Anora for Mikey
Madison, the lead actress of Anora, began her acting career at the age of 14. She first gained recognition for her role as Max in the comedy series Better Things and later as Sadie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Although her early roles were relatively small, director Sean Baker saw her potential and wrote Anora specifically with her in mind.
The Challenges of Playing Anora
Anora tells the story of a sex worker who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. The film explores themes such as female independence and social class. Madison revealed that she had to learn Russian and pole dancing in preparation for the role.
The rising star also won the BAFTA, often considered the British equivalent of the Oscars. Additionally, Anora took home the Palme d’Or when it premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
The Biggest Winner of tHat Night
And of course, we can’t forget that it’s been a month since Anora was the big winner of the night, winning 5 of the 6 categories it was nominated for, including Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture. It triumphed over critically acclaimed films like I’m Still Here, Conclave, The Brutalist, and The Substance.
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The article above was edited by Brisa Kunichiro.
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