Filmmaker Sean Baker Reveals Why He Chose Mikey Madison For His Oscar-Winning Film Anora: 'Her Ability To…'
Mikey Madison received acclaim for her role in Sean Baker's Anora, which won five Oscars at the 97th Academy Awards. Baker cast Madison after seeing her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream V.
Actor Mikey Madison received an Oscar for her performance in Sean Baker’s Anora. The film emerged as a major winner at the 97th Academy Awards, earning as many as five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director categories. The film received a newfound popularity when it started streaming on JioHotstar’s Peacock Hub. Amid this, Baker revealed what made him cast Madison for the part.
Mikey Madison, best known for her role as Pamela Adlon’s eldest daughter in Better Things, first caught Sean Baker’s eye in the film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019). “Although Mikey’s screen time in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood was brief, she made such a big impact," Baker said.
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The development process picked up momentum in January 2022 when Baker and his producing partner and wife, Samantha Quan, watched the horror reboot Scream V, solidifying their belief that Mikey was the perfect choice for Ani (Madison’s character in Anora). Baker continued, “Seeing her playing different roles, her ability to change her emotions on a dime, her sense of humor, her ability to make brave choices, and her amazing Scream. It was at that point that we reached out to her. After meeting with Mikey, finding out she was a budding cinephile with similar tastes and her expressing interest in my idea, the character was then written with her in mind."
When the news went to Madison, that Baker wanted to meet her for a role in his film, she was thrilled. “I was floored that Sean wanted to meet me, but I wasn’t about to question it," she recalled. “I’m a big fan of his work, and Tangerine is one of my favourite movies. I met Sean and Samantha for coffee and they pitched me this amazing, crazy idea. Sean asked my opinion and if I’d be interested in making the film. I immediately said yes. I felt like the luckiest actress in the world that he wanted to work with me," she added.
What is Oscar-winning film Anora about?
Anora is the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn who gets a shot at a fairytale life when she meets and quickly marries an oligarch’s son. But when his parents in Russia find out, they head to New York to end the marriage. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
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