NEW YORK – It’s been a monumental year for Mikey Madison.

However, as she sits in an office in Midtown, her thoughts are on her recently adopted rescue Chihuahua, Jam, who is recovering from being neutered back home in Los Angeles with her mom.

“I miss my puppy, but other than that, I’m doing well,” Madison smiles. “I can’t wait for him to be trained so I can take him everywhere with me. It’d be lovely to have a little companion.”

The actress is currently promoting her new film “Anora,” which hits theaters this Friday. The story is an unconventional fairy tale about Ani (Madison), a strong-willed stripper from Brooklyn, who meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the reckless son of a Russian oligarch. Their romance quickly turns complicated after a hasty wedding in Las Vegas prompts Ivan’s disapproving parents to seek an annulment.

This particular role was crafted specifically for Madison by director Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”), who believed she could effectively portray the depth and innocence required for Ani.

“She has such distinctive eyes, and I knew there would be many closeups,” Baker explains. “I admire her ability to display subtlety, particularly in her interactions with Ivan. She skillfully navigates the line between Ani’s performance and genuine feelings for him. Her portrayal allows audiences to grasp the complexities involved when a sex worker forms connections with her clients.”

At just 25, Madison has immersed herself in extensive preparation for her role, with “Anora” being regarded as a serious contender for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Before filming began, she drafted around 200 questions to delve into Ani’s character, considering everything from her smoking habits to her academic preferences.

“Ani felt like a departure from my previous roles, and I had to understand every aspect of her,” Madison shares. She also relocated to the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn months before shooting, where she studied the Russian language, learned pole dancing, and observed dancers in clubs.

“I was deeply committed to honoring these women; I didn’t want to let them down,” Madison states. “This job is both physically and mentally taxing. It involves dancing for hours and engaging in intense personal dialogues, developing close interactions very quickly. It’s a significant challenge.”

Mikey Madison Shines in ‘Anora,’ Despite Not Being the Wild Type

As a child growing up in Los Angeles, Madison never imagined herself as an actress. Instead, her passion was horseback riding, and she dreamed of becoming an instructor. With four siblings, she was not the type to perform for an audience at home.

“Definitely not,” she laughs, recalling her reserved nature. “It might be hard to believe now, but my parents say I was always a bit of a solitary child.”

Her parents work as psychologists, cultivating their curiosity about life and emotional intelligence, traits Madison inherited. She was influenced by films like “Pretty in Pink” and “The Hunger Games,” envisioning herself in lead roles. Eventually, she felt an internal pull to pursue acting, believing it suited her well.

She began her acting journey at 14, working in budget-friendly short films before achieving her significant breakthrough role two years later in the FX comedy “Better Things,” which ran for five seasons. This series instilled in her the value of a solid work ethic and opened doors to larger opportunities.

In 2019, she took on the role of a deranged member of the Manson family in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” sharing the screen with other emerging stars such as Margaret Qualley, Sydney Sweeney, and Maya Hawke. (“It’s been wonderful to witness everyone’s career progress,” she remarks. “I’m really cheering for them.”) Then in 2022, she slipped on the renowned Ghostface mask in “Scream,” portraying an eccentric movie enthusiast in this iconic slasher series. After seeing those performances, Baker was amazed by how calm and reserved Madison is in real life.

“I expected her to have a wild side, but she doesn’t,” Baker shares. “It was refreshing to discover that she was not defined by those roles, providing me confidence that she is truly an actor.”

The actress with Oscar buzz is ‘thoughtful’ about her next steps

Recently, Madison has embraced “a more relaxed way of life.” During her leisure time, she enjoys writing poetry, describing it as “therapeutic for me, but revealing any of that would feel way too vulnerable.” Her favorite recent films include “The Substance” and “Blink Twice,” and she has a fondness for reality television, mentioning, “I think it benefits my acting—at least, that’s what I’ve convinced myself.”

“Anora” sets a high standard for her upcoming projects, with Baker encouraging her to express herself and share her ideas during the filmmaking process. Madison reflects, “I’ve never been invited to participate in such a way before.” Moving forward, she emphasizes, “It’s not about the number of projects I take on. I’m thankful for the chance to be deliberate about my future choices.”

While she finds the Oscar whispers “very flattering,” the feedback that resonates most with her comes from sex workers and her twin brother, Miles.

“I was anxious about my family watching my work as you hope they appreciate it,” Madison confides. “My twin is my closest ally; I was able to ask him, ‘Did you enjoy it? Do you think I’m a good actor?’ It feels a bit embarrassing to admit, but he was speechless when he first viewed it. He told me, ‘Mikey, I didn’t see you at all; I just saw the character.’ That was particularly meaningful to hear from him.”