San Francisco Frontiers - Mikey Madison springs Oscar surprise for 'Anora'

The 25-year-old American won the best actress Oscar Sunday for her first major film role in "Anora," in which she captivated audiences as a sassy sex worker who marries a Russian oligarch's son -- and learns tough lessons about the rich-poor divide.

Madison made a major critical breakthrough in Sean Baker's movie, which first won hearts at the Cannes film festival, where it received the Palme d'Or.

She was perhaps the most surprising winner of the night, besting heavy favorite Demi Moore ("The Substance"), Cynthia Erivo ("Wicked"), Fernanda Torres ("I'm Still Here) and scandal-mired Karla Sofia Gascon ("Emilia Perez").

"I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me. So to be here standing in this room today is really incredible," Madison said, reading nervously from a piece of paper.

"I also just want to again recognize and honor the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally of all the incredible people, the women that I've had the privilege of meeting from that community."

"Anora" tells the story of Ani, a Brooklyn sex worker who makes her living in high-end Manhattan clubs. Her luck seems to change when she meets Ivan, a young man who turns out to be the son of a Russian oligarch.

Ivan quickly immerses Ani in his life of parties, drugs and sex and, during a wild trip to Vegas, marries her.

But the quickie marriage incenses Ivan's parents, who head to New York to set things right, and Ani quickly finds herself out of her depth.

She is forced into a zany search for an AWOL Ivan through Brooklyn's "Little Odessa" -- Brighton Beach -- and an uncomfortable trip back to Sin City to get the marriage annulled, on which she experiences the cruelty of class warfare.

Madison trained in pole dancing for three months and frequented sex clubs to research the role. The Los Angeles native also perfected a Brooklyn accent and learned some basic Russian.

- Modern-day Cinderella -

Baker first noticed Madison in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," in which she had a small part as a member of Charles Manson's murderous hippie cult.

The US filmmaker said he was captivated by her presence, and seeing her role in horror franchise reboot "Scream" (2022) cemented his interest.

"I've never worked with an actor who has dedicated herself more," he told AFP in Cannes last year. "She has comic timing. She was everything I thought she would be... I know she will be a star."

In "Anora," he cast her as a modern-day Cinderella, a fighter whose fairy tale ending is ripped from her grasp.

In one 28-minute scene, she hits, shrieks and even bites the two-bit Russian and Armenian hoods who come to make her see reason. Madison did all of her own stunts.

The role follows a pattern for Madison, who appears to like roles that are the polar opposite of her actual self. She describes herself as quite shy.

"I'm a little sick of talking about myself. Do you know what I mean? I feel embarrassed sometimes talking about myself," she told Deadline in February.

- 'That looks fun' -

Born in California on March 25, 1999, to two psychologists, Madison grew up in the greater LA area, with no dreams of making it big in Hollywood.

The homeschooled horse lover trained as an equestrian before being bitten by the acting bug in her teens.

"I thought that looks fun or that looks like a safe place to explore all of those things without having to do it in real life," she told The New York Times in an interview published in January.

Still in her teens, she made her breakthrough as Pamela Adlon's rebellious daughter in television's "Better Things." The show ran from 2016 to 2022.

She shot "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" between seasons, and then got the surprising role in "Scream." Madison is also part of the Apple TV+ mini-series "Lady in the Lake" starring Natalie Portman.

Madison is close to her parents and twin brother, and eschews social media.

"I would understand a curiosity toward a character in film, but that's never been something I've really understood -- like, the curiosity towards the actor themselves," she told the Times.

S.Hall--SFF