Mikey Madison has been waiting for a film like Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’

“I was constantly exerting a lot of energy to play her, because she is so different from me. I think that I’m more of a low-energy person, and she is certainly not.”

Mikey Madison has been dreaming of a film like Anora since she started acting as a teenager on Better Things. “It’s been a dream of mine to have that kind of collaboration with a filmmaker like Sean [Baker].” That dream has come true in a big way, with the film and her performance picking up a lot of awards buzz. “I’m so happy that people are excited about the film because I’m so proud of it.” Madison plays Ani, a young sex worker who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch. But the Cinderella story quickly turns dark. Madison and Baker collaborated on creating the title role. “I did a lot of work to bring her to life, I knew everything about her, and I was able to just very easily slip into that character and feel all the things she was feeling.” Because of her careful preparation, when it came time to film, she just wanted to get it right. “I think any pressure was pressure that I put on myself, just because I’ve fallen in love with this character and really wanted to represent her in an honest way and just do her justice and the story.”

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Editor’s Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication.

How does it feel to be the star of one of the most anticipated and talked about films coming out this year?

I think maybe I’m still processing a lot of it. I’m so happy that people are excited about the film because I’m so proud of it. I love the movie so much. It makes me really happy. It’s a film that was made with a lot of love and passion, so I think people have been recognizing that, which is nice.

What do you think it is about the film that made it get the kind of reception that it has gotten?

Well, Sean is an amazing filmmaker. I think he’s one of a kind, and one of the best working filmmakers today. I think that his vision is so singular to him. Everyone who worked on that film was very passionate about the story that we were telling. And so I think that you can see that, it wasn’t just a job for everyone. It was also a passion project. I also think that all the creatives that we were able to bring together were also in sync in some kind of perfect kismet way.

What stood out to you about this movie that made you think that you could do this?

Well, when I accepted the role, I didn’t even really know what the script would be. I hadn’t read the script yet. I met Sean, and he said, “Hey, I have this idea, and if you like it, I’ll write it for you.” And so I said, “Of course, I want to work with you.” I had a very loose idea of what the film would be about. And then a handful of months later, he presented me a script, and so I knew more about the character and we had been talking while he was writing it and collaborating a little bit. I think it’s a testament to Sean’s creative vision that he was able to see some of the work I’ve done and think that I was able to play this character who was so different from anything that I’ve ever thought that I could do. So it was a very challenging role for me, but I’m very grateful that he saw something in me.

What was it like being able to shape a character in a way that you probably haven’t been able to before?

Yeah, it’s not common, at least for me. I’ve never had someone say that they wanted to write a film for me before, especially not anybody like Sean, whose films I already loved and admired. So I was surprised, confused, and excited that he wanted to work with me. I tried not to question it too much, and was just like, “Okay, I’m gonna roll with this and just dive into whatever character we decide to create together.” He also is really one of the first filmmakers who wanted me to collaborate with him in this big of a way. He had asked me questions that no one had really asked me before, about my opinion. He made it really clear how much he wanted me to be a part of creating this movie with him, so that was very special, and not an experience I’d ever had before. I remember it took me a couple months after meeting him to kind of feel comfortable to share all of my ideas and everything with him, because I guess I had never felt like it was valued as much as he valued it.

I get that, because often you’re just presented a script and have to find your way into the character.

Right. And it’s also been a dream of mine to have that kind of collaboration with a filmmaker like Sean for a decade now. So I wanted to get it right, and I wanted him to like my ideas and all that. And he did. So, I’m so lucky that I met him and we were able to make this movie together.

Considering you had so much involvement in the creation of the character, does that raise the stakes when it comes time to actually deliver the performance?

Well, I think any pressure was pressure that I put on myself just because I’ve fallen in love with this character and really wanted to represent her in an honest way and just do her justice and the story. I saw how much everyone was bringing to the film, and I was like, “Okay, I really need to step up in every single way, do things in preparation that I’ve never done before.” Because I felt that I needed to.

How do you find her voice and her rhythm and keep her centered so that she isn’t just one long parade of extreme?

I had a long time to work on the character and develop her since meeting Sean for the first time, it was about a year until we were filming, so I had time to develop the character and do all of the internal work I needed to do so that I knew everything about my character. I knew what her life was like, and then I was able to go in and fine-tune lots of other things. But I think it’s the questions that I asked myself as an actor in preparation for playing this character that that’s why the character, to me, felt like a fully formed person. I never wanted it to be like a caricature. I was constantly exerting a lot of energy to play her, because she is so different from me. I think that I’m more of a low-energy person, and she is certainly not.

Considering the differences between you and the character, how did you balance out your performance?

She’s constantly covering something or hiding something. I wanted her to be deeply, deeply vulnerable on the inside, but she’s not really letting anybody see it. It’s in those private moments that you get to see something under the surface. And so I was very aware of where my character would be at mentally, in the whole grand scheme of the story. And for me, I knew, like, “Okay, this is where my character is emotionally.” And so it was never just going to be one thing, she’s feeling 20 other emotions inside of that. And so, I think for me, I did a lot of work to bring her to life, I knew everything about her, and I was able to just very easily slip into that character and feel all the things she was feeling because of all the work I did. But I also have to say, l don’t have a specific acting method. I’m not a trained actor that went to theater school. A lot of the work I do is just very instinctive and intuitive, so sometimes I find it hard to describe my specific process. I feel a lot of it is just internal.

Did anything about the portrayal make you nervous?

I was never nervous. I think just because, the first day I got to set I just [knew] this person and I’ve done x, y and z for months on end to get to this point. The only pressure I would put on myself is just that I’m carrying this film on my shoulders, so I needed to be really clear in her emotional arc. But I was never scared or nervous about any aspect of playing this character. I was very excited about all of the things I would get to do and really embraced that journey. It was difficult, but I wasn’t scared.

There’s a lot of awards talk for this film. How does it feel to have your name part of that conversation?

I’m very flattered by it. I just love making movies, and I’ve been working or trying to work for 10 years now, and so I’ve dreamed of making a movie like Anora since I started acting. And so to me, what I am most excited about is just the movie being seen. This is my dream project. I’m so in love with this film, and so the fact that people are able to watch it on such a broader scale, because of how people have been reacting to it, that is so special to me.

You started acting when you were a kid, and this film is certainly a very clear adult direction. Does it feel intentional on your end to move into a space like this?

The first season of Better Things, I think I just turned 16, and so I never thought of myself as a child actor. I guess I technically was, but a lot of people were a lot younger than I was when they got into this acting industry. I think that I’ve been really lucky and grateful for every job that I’ve had. I’ve always been in love with independent film, and film specifically. The moment where I’m at is just a huge passion of mine. I love acting in conjunction with filmmaking, and so that’s where I dream of hopefully staying in this space, but I don’t know. There’s just been certain roles or characters that I’ve been cast in for whatever reason, and I’ve been very grateful to play those roles. I have lots of hopes and dreams, and I’d like to continue on a certain path. So I don’t know, sometimes people ask me, “What kind of character do you want to play next?” I never know how to answer that, because I feel like I just know it when I see it. It’s just about a feeling for me, you know? My job is an emotional job, so I think that I have to just follow a feeling.

I have to tell you, I have the strangest compliment for you. But your death in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of the best deaths ever captured on film. How does that feel?

Well, thank you. I think it’ll probably always be my favorite, my personal favorite death. Maybe I’ll have more in the future. But that film itself was so special to me. I was 19, and it was my first big film role, and I got to work with Quentin Tarantino, who has been a hero of mine since I fell in love with movies. So, working with him and having that be my introduction into film was such a spectacular introduction.

About the writer

H. Alan Scott


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A writer/comedian based in Los Angeles. Host of the weekly podcast Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott, every week H. Alan is joined by a different celebrity. Past guests include Tom Hanks, Keke Palmer, Melissa McCarthy, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Probst, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Idris Elba, Bette Midler, and many more. He also writes the Parting Shot portion of the magazine, the iconic last page of every issue. Subscribe to H. Alan’s For the Culture newsletter, everything you need to know in pop culture delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday. H. Alan has previously appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Ellen, CNN, MTV, and has published work in Esquire, OUT Magazine and VICE. Follow him @HAlanScott. 

A writer/comedian based in Los Angeles. Host of the weekly podcast Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott, …
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