Sean Baker's film Anora dominated the Oscars earlier this month, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The movie features Mikey Madison in the leading role and tells the story of a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Sean Baker has now disclosed the reasons behind his decision to cast Mikey in this prominent role.

Sean Baker on casting Mikey Madison

Before her role in Anora, Mikey primarily took on supporting characters, with a notable appearance in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in… Hollywood. In a press statement, Sean Baker revealed that it was her performance in that 2019 film that initially drew his attention.

He remarked, “Even though Mikey’s screen time in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood was limited, she left a significant impression.” The film's development commenced in January 2022, when he and Samantha Quan attended the horror reboot Scream V, which further solidified their belief that Mikey was the ideal choice for the role of Ani.

‘We reached out to her’

Baker remarked, "Observing her versatility in various roles, her capacity to shift emotions effortlessly, her sense of humor, her willingness to take bold risks, and her remarkable SCREAM were all impressive. It was then that we decided to reach out to her. After we met with Mikey, where we discovered her passion for cinema and shared interests, along with her enthusiasm for my concept, the character was crafted with her in mind." Following this encounter, Mikey promptly agreed to participate in the film.

In addition to studying Russian, Mikey performed her own stunts and learned pole dancing to portray an exotic dancer. The cast of Anora also includes Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Aleksei Serebryakov.

Anora is currently available for streaming on JioHotstar.

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