Sean Baker recalls Mikey Madison's role in this Quentin Tarantino film, reveals what convinced him to cast her in Anora

Sean Baker's Anora was the first major lead role for Mikey Madison. The actor went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Sean Baker's film Anora swept the Oscars earlier this month in the major categories, taking home 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. The film, which stars Mikey Madison in the lead role, revolves around the titular sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Sean Baker has now revealed what convinced him to cast Mikey in the lead part. (Also read: Anora review: Mikey Madison delivers a star-making performance in Sean Baker's wild fairy tale gone haywire)

Sean Baker, and Mikey Madison, winners of the Best Picture Award for Anora, pose in the press room during the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on February 07, 2025 in Santa Monica, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Frazer Harrison / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Sean Baker on casting Mikey Madison

Before Anora, Mikey had done supporting roles, most notably in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in… Hollywood. Sean Baker said in a press statement that it was her performance in that 2019 film which first caught his eye.

He said, “Although Mikey’s screen time in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood was brief, she made such a big impact.” The development of the film began in January 2022, when he and Samantha Quan, went to see the horror reboot Scream V which further added weight to the decision that Mikey was perfect to play Ani.

‘We reached out to her’

Baker added, “Seeing her playing different roles, her ability to change her emotions on a dime, her sense of humor, her ability to make brave choices, and her amazing SCREAM. It was at that point that we reached out to her. After meeting with Mikey, finding out she was a budding cinephile with similar tastes and her expressing interest in my idea, the character was then written with her in mind.” Upon meeting, Mikey was quick to say yes and agreed to do the film.

Mikey studied Russian and did her own stunts in the film, in addition to learning to pole dance to play an exotic dancer. Anora also stars Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Aleksei Serebryakov.

Anora is now streaming on JioHotstar.