By james art Mikey madison knows what it means to steal a scene. The California-born actor played a deranged member of the knife-wielding Manson cult in Quentin Tarantino’s film Once upon a time in Hollywoodher bloodcurdling screams successfully take all the focus away from the main stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. She exercised these piercing tubes again in 2022 screams remake, leaving with guns blazing once more (pun intended for anyone who has seen the scorching conclusions of both films).
In her last film Anorarom-com-turned-mob-drama-turned-something-else-entirely, Madison steals the entire show, leaving an impression that will leave audiences stunned and speechless. Written and directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Red rocket), the film has already won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is generating major buzz from the Oscars.
The rising star plays the titular Brooklyn stripper (who goes by the name Annie) whose life is derailed when she impulsively marries the son of a Russian billionaire (played by the dashing “Russian Timothée Chalamet” Marc Eidelstein). When the less-than-impressed oligarch finds out about the happy union, they hire bumbling henchmen to try to get the lovers to break up. “I was excited to play a character like that because she’s very complex,” Madison explains quietly, clutching a glass bottle of water. “I always wanted the audience to recognize her pain behind everything.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Madison might share some of the sharp disposition of her on-screen personas, but luckily, that’s not the case. NME meets the LA native at one of central London’s most luxurious hotels on a crisp autumn afternoon under blue skies, just hours before she hits the red carpet for AnoraUK premiere at the London Film Festival. Seated at an elegant coffee table in the middle of a private suite, she’s wearing a cozy beige v-neck sweater, timeless blue ankle-length jeans, and black ballet flats. Her hair is pulled back in a bun, accentuating her wide smile and kind eyes lifted with fluffy false eyelashes.
Anora is a big step forward for the 25-year-old, both in terms of presentation and subject matter. The film is anti-A beautiful woman arc is an incredibly moving journey of marital chaos in the Russian-American Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach during the winter, while also serving as a thoughtful exploration of power dynamics and sex work. “She’s a very vulnerable person inside,” Madison explains. “There are times when she’s very hurt, very sad, but she’s always hiding it. She doesn’t want anyone to see her break down.”
The icy underbelly of New York, where Anora happening is the polar opposite of where Madison grew up. She was raised in the sunny San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles with her parents, both psychologists, and four siblings. In addition to being a competitive equestrian in her teenage years, she was outdoorsy and loved to read. Madison first wanted to be an actor after imagining herself as the characters in books like Suzanne Collins’ YA thriller The Hunger Gameslater adapted into the hit film series starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Her teenage years were spent in roles in low-budget student films before she landed a gig playing the outspoken eldest daughter Max on the FX comedy-drama series Better things. Three years later, at the age of 19, she starred in one of the most star-studded films of the decade: Once upon a time in Hollywood. “I learned so much from Quentin and from this experience,” she says. “It really reinvigorated my love of filmmaking and reminded me of why I wanted to be an actress in the first place.” This performance, along with screamstold Baker that Madison was a star in waiting—so much so that he wrote Anora script especially for her. “It’s very important that someone sees something in you that no one has seen before or given me the opportunity to show.”
Preparation for the role was extensive – she learned Russian, took pole dancing lessons, talked to real sex workers and even adapted her listening habits. “When I was shooting the film, I was listening to a lot of different music than I was ever used to,” she says. “My friend Luna [Sofía Miranda, who plays Lulu in the film] make me an amazing stripper playlist.” It featured masterful rap and hip-hop tracks from Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and Slayyyter. On a normal day, though, you’re more likely to find Madison blasting The Cranberries, Mazzy Star, or King Krule.
Anora also features some pretty notable on-screen soundtrack moments in the form of tATu’s ‘All The Things She Said’ and Take That’s stunning needle-drop ‘Greatest Day’, which is completely unexpected and strangely beautiful. “I wasn’t familiar with their work before, but now I am,” Maddison says of the iconic British boy band. “I think it’s such a catchy tune and it works really well for the opening.”
At the center of the film is an almost heart-stopping 28-minute home invasion sequence where the entire narrative is reversed. The scene is impressively gory, hilarious and chaotic all at once, showcasing Madison’s acting prowess and sending her star points off the charts. “I was aware that these scenes would be very heightened and from the audience’s point of view would be perceived as possibly comical. But for Annie, it’s very serious—it’s a life-or-death situation. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to her, so she’s going to fight tooth and nail to get out of this situation,” she says. “She’s tough and understated and fights hard.”
Critics are already predicting Anora could be a favorite at next year’s Oscars, which means Madison has had time to hone her modest media response to the inevitable curiosity of reporters ahead of the nominations. “So many people have asked me [about] this,” she says with a slight sigh and a giggle. “I get to go to all these amazing places and premiere our film in front of a bunch of movie lovers, so it’s amazing,” she says. “If people like this story, that’s great. That makes me really happy.”
Anora opens in UK cinemas on November 1