Rising Hollywood actress Mikey Madison recently shot to fame for her acclaimed performance in the 2024 romantic drama Anora, which earned her the BAFTA award for Leading Actress last night.
The American actress triumphed over other nominees, Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Demi Moore (The Substance), Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths), and Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Pérez), at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, which were held last night at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Born in Los Angeles, Mikey began acting at the age of 14 in the short films Retirement and Pani’s Box. Following her 2013 debut, she worked on numerous other movies and TV shows. Her breakthrough role came in 2016 when she played Max Fox in the FX comedy series Better Things, which aired until 2022.
In 2019, she landed the role of Sadie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where she famously played a member of the Manson family. Following her iconic performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mikey was cast as Amber Freeman alongside Jenna Ortega and Courtney Cox in the fifth film of the Scream franchise, which premiered in 2022.
Mikey Madison has had a steady career for the last decade, with every new role becoming increasingly more significant. However, it wasn’t until 2024 that she really earned recognition for her acting. When Anora was released in cinemas on November 1, 2024, many viewers quickly highlighted Mikey’s performance.
Top film critic Stephen Romei reviewed the film on Rotten Tomatoes, saying, “Anora is a grittier experience. All the performances are impressive, and I will not be surprised if Madison receives an Oscar nomination.”
At the same time, another user added, “A triumph. Mikey Madison gives one of the year’s best performances in this hilarious, audacious, and thought-provoking story about social mobility in today’s hustle culture.”
The film, produced, written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker, follows the journey of a young sex worker from Brooklyn who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. When the news of the newlywed couple reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened.
When Mikey accepted her BAFTA award, she jokingly admitted that she didn’t expect to win and hadn’t planned as far ahead as an acceptance speech, remarking, “I probably should’ve listened to my publicist when she told me to write a speech.”
After thanking her co-stars and director, Sean Baker, the actress concluded her speech by paying tribute to sex workers: “I just wanna say that I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and ally and urge others to do the same.”
Mikey Madison has now stolen the hearts of many. While her fame may seem sudden, the actress proves that notoriety doesn’t come overnight and that working hard, no matter the role, will always be the key to success.
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