Mikey Madison’s Ballsy Moves That Got Her a Role in Quentin Tarantino’s $377 Million Blockbuster Are Not For the Faint of Hearts

Actress Mikey Madison started her career by appearing in short films. The young actress received recognition and praise for her role as a sullen teenager in the FX comedy series Better Things. She later went on to star in big-budget movies, including Scream in 2022, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and her latest release, Anora.

For her work in Scream as Amber Freeman, critics at the time named her as the standout performer in the movie. Madison also voiced a character in the animated black comedy movie The Addams Family. The actress recently spoke about how she ended up in a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Mikey Madison recalls her audition for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, is one of the most iconic movies that premiered in 2019. The film follows the life of a fading actor and his stunt double in the 1969 setting of Los Angeles. The two of them navigate their way into the constantly changing film industry with the threat of Tate’s murder looming.

The young actress Mikey Madison played the role of Sadie, one of the members of the Manson Family in the movie. In her recent interview with Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, she shared how she got the part. She explained,

I was reading a part I was originally cast in. They gave me some sides and said Quentin maybe will be here; maybe he won’t. I was like, I hope he’s here because he’s one of my favorites and still is. He is an absolutely iconic legend, one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met.

Madison added that Quentin Tarantino is very kind and loving before jumping back to her story and stating that she was very excited about the audition rather than nervous. She further added,

I remember sitting in the audition room; it was all glass doors, so I could see everyone. I was walking in and going out, and it was very interesting, I had bought this painting I made, and I was wearing a very loud ‘60s outfit.

Upon asking how the painting part gets to be a part of her audition, Madison said,

I don’t remember. I was 19 and ballsy.

The actress explained that she did a lot of research on the Manson Family and found out they would take a lot of acid trips together. So she painted a painting like her character was on a wild acid trip.

She took a step further and cut off a piece of her hair sewed it and presented it to the filmmaker in a very dramatic way. The young actress’ efforts got her the part. Madison was highly appreciated for her performance as Sadie in the movie.

Mikey Madison earns the Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for Anora

Directed by Sean Baker, the romantic comedy movie Anora follows the marriage between Anora, who is a Brooklyn exotic dancer, and the son of Russian Oligarch Vanya Zakharov. The movie premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or and earned a 10-minute standing ovation.

Upon release, the movie received critical acclaim and became Sean Baker’s highest-grossing movie. In her interview with the LA Times, the actress revealed that she trained to be a pole dancer because she wanted her character to feel authentic and seasoned. While speaking to IndieWire about the ending of the movie, she said,

Well, it wasn’t planned. We had done multiple takes, and Sean Baker really wanted to see tears come out of my left eye. We wanted a single tear to come out, but they were coming out of the right eye. We just kept filming it until some of them were coming out of my left eye.

The filmmaker noted that for him, the endings have to have an emotional gut punch. He mentioned his favorite movies have endings that are the most memorable parts of those movies.

Mikey Madison’s performance as Anora has not only impressed the audience and the critics but also created a lot of Oscar buzz. The actress, however, for her spectacular performance, has received a Golden Globe nomination under Best Actress—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

The movie has received Golden Globe nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Motion Picture. Greta Gerwig stated that Anora felt both new and in conversation with older forms of cinema.

Anora is available to watch on Hulu and Apple TV.