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Who is Mikey Madison and why does it seem like everybody in Hollywood is talking about her? Well firstly, despite the cutely boyish name, Mikey is a 25-year-old American actress behind one of the year’s boldest film roles: the title character of Anora. In Sean Baker‘s latest film, Madison plays Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a Brooklyn-based exotic dancer whose life is upended when she meets and marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.
The film is a wild ride, but grounding all of those strip-club scenes, private-jet journeys and fight sequences is Madison’s brash but moving performance. She’s already earned nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards and scooped up wins from numerous critics groups.
With Anora popping up frequently throughout the 2025 awards season, let’s get better acquainted with its leading lady Mikey Madison, her filmography and her personal life.
How did Mikey Madison become famous?
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Mikey Madison began acting at the age of 14. After appearing in several short films, she made her feature film debut in Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey.
However, it was her role as Max Fox—the eldest daughter of creator-lead Pamela Adlon’s Sam Fox—in the FX comedy-drama series Better Things—that first brought Madison significant attention in Hollywood. She starred on the show for five seasons from 2016 to 2022, telling The Cut that Better Things was “my introduction to acting, my college, my film school, really everything.”
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What movies has Mikey Madison been in?
Along with her feature film debut in the 2017 indie flick Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey, Mikey Madison has appeared in several movies in recent years, including Monster and Nostalgia in 2018, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and The Addams Family in 2019 and Scream V in 2022. The 2024 romantic drama Anora is Madison’s biggest role to date—the Sean Baker-directed film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or.
In August 2024, Madison told Esquire about her development as a performer: “I think that the kind of actor I am now, because of the experiences I’ve had, I’m confident in my voice and that what I have to say is important. Even if someone doesn’t want to listen, I’m still going to share it and tell them. Because as an actor, I’m not a puppet. It’s really important that my voice is heard, because it’s a collaboration, you know?”
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Who did Mikey Madison play in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood?
Madison portrays the character of Sadie in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The Quentin Tarantino-directed dramedy has become especially notable in recent years for spotlighting some of Hollywood’s most promising young talents in its large ensemble cast, including Margaret Qualley, Austin Butler, Sydney Sweeney and, yes, Mikey Madison.
Set in 1969 Los Angeles during the last gasp of Hollywood’s golden age, the film does feature real-life people like Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie), Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (Dakota Fanning). Similarly, Madison’s character is based on a real person: convicted murderer and Manson Family member Susan Atkins, who was famously nicknamed Sadie.
If you can’t remember exactly which member of the Manson Family Sadie is in the movie, she’s the one who gets nailed in the face by a can of beans Brad Pitt throws at her and subsequently is attacked by a dog, runs through a glass window, falls into a swimming pool, and gets burnt alive by Leonardo DiCaprio‘s flamethrower.
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Was Mikey Madison in Modern Family?
Yes, but only for one episode. She appears in the Season 7 premiere as a character named Becca.
Who is Mikey Madison dating?
With a rise in an actor’s professional profile comes increased interest in their personal life, and Mikey Madison is no exception. However, Madison has not publicly stepped out romantically with anyone, so it’s thought that the rising star is currently single.
However, the 25-year-old star has previously referenced a certain someone as “the love of my life” in the press—that would be her rescue puppy named Jam, who she described as “absolute chaos” in an October 2024 interview with Vogue. “He’s six months old now, so he’s calming down a little bit, but he’s six pounds of like … the biggest personality in the world. He’s very cute.”
Does Mikey Madison have social media?
Alas, Mikey Madison doesn’t have any social media accounts, telling IndieWire during a red-carpet interview at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival: “I don’t know, it’s just not for me, really.”
Are Mikey Madison’s parents actors, too?
No—despite the rampant presence of nepotism in the acting industry, Madison’s parents are actually both psychologists. Her father Michael is a specialist treating schizophrenia and her mother Tracy works with children.
“My parents being psychologists, I’ve grown up really understanding people and why they do things and why they don’t do things,” Madison told Interview Magazine back in 2017. “I think that’s helped me to a certain degree because they’ve taught me to be people-savvy, in a way … I mean, my parents don’t psychoanalyze me all the time, or maybe I just am used to it.”
Does Mikey Madison have a twin brother?
Yes, Madison has a twin brother named Miles. He is one of the actress’s four siblings—Mikey has two older sisters, her twin bro and a younger brother.
What awards has Mikey Madison won?
Madison has received plenty of awards attention so far for her role in Anora. In addition to being nominated for Critics’ Choice, Film Independent Spirit and Golden Globe awards, she’s already won prizes from the Boston Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review the San Diego Film Critics Society, the Toronto Film Critics Association
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