Mikey Madison: From Equestrian to Oscar Winner — A Full Biography & Career Deep Dive.
Early Life: Riding, Homeschooling & Discovery.
Mikaela “Mikey” Madison Rosberg was born on March 25, 1999, in Los Angeles, California, into a family of psychologists. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley along with four siblings, including a twin brother, Miles. Madison was homeschooled after seventh grade—primarily to prioritize her childhood passion: competitive horseback riding, a sport that ran in her family. At 14, she pivoted to acting when her older sister needed actors for student films, sparking a lifelong passion.
Lifestyle & Personal Traits.
Mikey Madison continues to live in Los Angeles. She maintains a vegan lifestyle and chooses not to use social media, citing mental health and authenticity concerns. She describes herself as a “very sensitive”, spiritual person, preferring avoiding online discourse about herself.
Raised Jewish in a non‑practicing household, she emphasizes empathy and human understanding—traits she attributes to her upbringing with psychologist parents. She shares her life with pets including a dog and a cat, and grounds herself in simple pleasures like baking chocolate chip cookies on TV appearances .
Legacy & What the Future Holds.
At just 25 years old, Mikey Madison has already:
- Played a compelling teen series lead.
- Delivered memorable supporting turns in major films (Tarantino, Scream).
- Starred in an award‑winning lead role.
- Secured prestigious top-tier awards like Oscars and BAFTA.
- Become a voice for marginalized narratives.
Critics and fans on forums like Reddit noted her Anora performance as a “star-is-born” moment and were quick to prophesy awards long before her deep awards run began . Another thread celebrated over 20 critics’ Best Actress wins, marking her as unstoppable .
She is widely expected to build a carefully curated career, focusing on meaningful, emotionally rich roles over mainstream stardom. Already, Sean Baker cast her without audition and wrote Anora specifically for her—signaling future collaborations with auteur filmmakers.
Acting Style & Persona.
Mikey Madison is known for her quiet confidence, emotional vulnerability, and authenticity. She prepares deeply for roles—learning languages, performing stunts, physically transforming—yet remains approachable and humble in interviews. For Better Things, she viewed set life as her acting education. For Anora, she embraced the role not for shock or glamour but to give dignity to a marginalized community—particularly sex workers, whom she publicly supports in acceptance speeches.
TV Breakthrough: Better Things (2016–2022).
Mikey’s breakthrough came in 2016 when she joined the FX comedy-drama Better Things as Max Fox, the moody eldest daughter of Pamela Adlon’s character. She remained a series regular through all five seasons until 2022, delivering a raw and emotionally grounded performance that she describes as her “film school” and “college” in acting.
Early Film Roles (2017–2019).
She made her feature debut in 2017 with Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey (her role filmed in 2014 but released later). Other early film roles include supporting turns in 2018‘s Monster and Nostalgia. In 2019,Mikey Madison landed two breakthrough roles:
- Susan “Sadie” Atkins in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, playing a real-life Manson Family member. Despite limited screen time, her performance—culminating in a fiery death scene—was chilling and memorable.
- Voice role as Candi the Barista in The Addams Family animated film.
Scream (2022).
2022, Mikey appeared as Amber Freeman in Scream (the fifth franchise installment). Critics praised her as a standout among a big cast, bringing unpredictability and intensity to the role. The movie grossed approximately USD 138.9 million, making it her second‑highest‑grossing film after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Leading Role & Stardom: Anora (2024).
Mikey’s defining role came in 2024, when Sean Baker wrote Anora with her in mind after seeing her previous work. In the film, she portrays Ani Mikheeva, a Brooklyn stripper who impulsively marries a Russian oligarch’s son. To prepare, she studied Russian, underwent stripper boot camp (learning pole dancing, twerking, lap dancing), performed her own stunts, and even relocated temporarily to Brighton Beach .
Anora premiered at Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or. It received critical acclaim and commercial success—grossing around USD 52 million worldwide, and earned Mikey her first Academy Award, making her the first Gen‑Z actress to win Best Actress. She also won the BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actress, among countless critics’ honors and breakthrough awards.
Awards & Nominations.
For Anora, Mikey Madison received nominations for:
- Golden Globe
- Screen Actors Guild Award
- Critics’ Choice Award
She won:
- Academy Award – Best Actress (2025)
- BAFTA Award – Best Leading Actress
- Numerous critics’ group awards: Boston Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics, NBR, Toronto critics, PFCC, IFCC, Dorian, and more than 20 Best Actress wins—often coupled with breakthrough honors.
Filmography Overview.
Here’s a snapshot of her major feature films and TV roles, with years:
| Year | Film/Series | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Retirement, Pani’s Box | Shorts |
| 2014–17 | Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey (2017) | Liza |
| 2016–22 | Better Things | Max Fox (TV) |
| 2018 | Monster | Alexandra Floyd |
| 2018 | Nostalgia | Kathleen |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood | Susan “Sadie” Atkins |
| 2019 | The Addams Family (voiced) | Candi |
| 2021 | It Takes Three | Kat Walker |
| 2022 | Scream | Amber Freeman |
| 2023 | All Souls | River |
| 2024 | Anora | Ani / titular role |
| 2024 | Lady in the Lake (TV miniseries) | Judith Weinstein |
Mikey Madison has fewer than ten feature films to her credit but already has an Oscar, BAFTA and a growing legacy in breakout roles.
Final Thoughts.
Mikey Madison’s journey—from a shy horseback rider in Los Angeles to an Oscar- and BAFTA-winning actress—has been marked by thoughtful choices, emotional honesty, and artistic integrity. Despite a small number of film credits, she has risen swiftly and visibly, delivering performances that resonate across genres and audiences. Her Anora role transformed her into a cultural and cinematic phenomenon, and critics champion her as one of the most exciting talents of her generation.
As she continues to choose roles that challenge norms and elevate underrepresented voices, Mikey Madison is not just a personal success story—she is shaping the future of acting, one nuanced, brave performance at a time.
