MUMBAI: In Sean Baker’s Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
Mikey Madison, best known for playing Pamela Adlon’s eldest daughter in “Better Things”, first caught Baker’s eye in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019). “Although Mikey’s screen time in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood was brief, she made such a big impact,” Baker comments. The development process began to gain speed in January 2022, when Baker and Samantha Quan, his producing partner and wife, went to see the horror reboot Scream V which cemented the decision that Mikey was perfect to play "Ani". Baker continues, “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.”
Madison was thrilled by the outreach – and surprised. “I was floored that Sean wanted to meet me, but I wasn’t about to question it,” she recalls. “I’m a big fan of his work, and Tangerine is one of my favorite movies. I met Sean and Samantha for coffee and they pitched me this amazing, crazy idea. Sean asked my opinion and if I'd be interested in making the film. I immediately said yes. I felt like the luckiest actress in the world that he wanted to work with me.”
Anora emerged as a major winner at the 97th Academy Awards®, taking home five Oscars®, including Best Picture and Best Director. Following its triumphant run, the film is now streaming exclusively on JioHotstar’s Peacock Hub.
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