The 97th Oscars took place on Sunday, and “Anora” went home with the night’s biggest wins.
The film was named best picture and also led to a best actress award for Mikey Madison, a 25-year-old rising star in Hollywood.
Madison beat out stiff competition, including Demi Moore, and Cynthia Erivo, and her win left many viewers wanting to know more about her career.
So who is Mikey Madison and where did she come from?
Who is Mikey Madison?
Madison won Best Actress for her role as Ani in “Anora,” an R-rated film about a young sex worker who marries the son of a Russian businessman.
Directed by Sean Baker, the film showcased Madison’s acting talent. Baker said he noticed Madison in her previous work in the FX comedy series “Better Things,” as well as the movies “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” and “Scream,” and felt like she was ready for a big role in “Anora,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
Madison studied Russian and dancing for the part in the 2024 film, and she performed her own stunts, the article said.
“Wow, this is very surreal,” Madison said in her acceptance speech on Sunday night. “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me.”
As Madison noted, she was born in Los Angeles as one of five children. She trained in competitive horseback riding as a child, but she turned to acting as a teen after her mom signed her up for acting classes, according to The Associated Press.
“My mind is all over the place and my heart is about to explode right now,” she said in her acceptance speech.
To ground herself, she planned to head home to clean up after her new puppies, per the AP.
What paved the road to the Oscar win?
Madison began her acting career in short films before landing her breakthrough role in “Liza, Liza Skies Are Grey,” according to US Magazine.
Here is a list of some of her biggest roles before her big night at the Oscars. Note: Several of her films are rated R.
‘Liza, Liza Skies Are Grey’
The coming-of-age film features a motorcycle road trip and a “Romeo and Juliet” style love story.
‘Better Things’
Madison played the child of a divorced actress in “Better Things.” The show ran for five seasons, from 2016 to 2022, US Magazine reported.
‘Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood’
In Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood,” Madison played Sadie, a member of the Manson family.
‘Scream’
Madison took on the role of one of the killers in the fifth installment of the iconic horror franchise “Scream.”
‘Lady in the Lake’
Madison starred alongside Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram in the Apple TV+ miniseries in “Lady in the Lake.”
Mikey Madison career
With at least 10 films to her name, Madison is steadily carving a place for herself in Hollywood history.
“I really don’t know what will happen in the future. I just really want to keep making movies,” she said on Sunday, according to the AP. “Making this film gave me confidence as an actor and as a creative. It really inspired me and reinvigorated my love of cinema and reminded me of the kind of work that I want to do.”