Oscars 2025: Who is Mikey Madison, Anora actress wins Best Actress award

Mikey Madison plays the title role in Sean Baker's "Anora," which centers on a sex worker whose life is thrown into chaos after she marries the son of a Russian oligarch. In her BAFTAs acceptance speech, Madison paid tribute to the sex worker community. 

The Oscars 2025 will always remain special for Mikey Madison as she took home the Best Actress Award. She nabbed the trophy for her performance in 'Anora', which headed into the event as a frontrunner in several categories such as best picture and best director, as per Variety.

Madison plays the title role in Sean Baker's Anora, which centers on a sex worker whose life is thrown into chaos after she marries the son of a Russian oligarch. In her BAFTAs acceptance speech, Madison paid tribute to the sex worker community. In her acceptance speech, Madison gave a shout-out to sex workers.

"This is very surreal," Madison said at the start of her speech. "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." "I just want to recognize and honor the sex worker community," she added. "Yes. I will continue to support and be an ally. All of the incredible people, the women that I've had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this incredible experience." Madison continued, "I also just want to recognize the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking work of my fellow nominees. I'm honored to be recognized alongside all of you. This is a dream come true."

She triumphed over Fernanda Torres ("I'm Still Here"), Cynthia Erivo ("Wicked") Karla Sofia Gascon ("Emilia Perez") and Demi Moore ("The Substance"). While Moore started the season with major best actress wins at the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards, Madison proved she was a formidable Oscar contender with a win at the BAFTAs.

Who is Mikey Madison?

Mikey Madison is an American actress who has established herself in the film and television industries via her ability and flexibility. Mikey was born in Los Angeles, California on March 25, 1999. She began her acting career in indie films before becoming a well-known face in larger movies.

Today, her name is synonymous with famous performances spanning from comedy to horror, and her money has increased dramatically throughout her career. Madison originally became known for her role as Max Fox in the comedy-drama series Better Things (2016-2022). Her performance as the wayward daughter of the primary character, portrayed by Pamela Adlon, demonstrated her ability to handle both comic and dramatic scenes with ease. This role helped her obtain prominence in television and movies.

Her big break in cinema came in 2019, when iconic filmmaker Quentin Tarantino hired her as Susan "Sadie" Atkins, a member of the infamous Manson Family, in the highly praised Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In this film, her chilling performance in one of the most dramatic moments revealed her ability to play complicated and difficult characters. Mikey Madison's career in Hollywood continued in 2022, when she joined the Scream franchise to play Amber Freeman, one of the murderers in the fifth movie. Her performance was not only a big financial hit, but the series continued with Scream VI in 2023, cementing her place in the horror genre. That same year, she co-starred with Mia Goth in the hit film X, directed by Ti West, and won accolades for her flexibility in the part.