Did Mikey Madison win an Oscar for portraying a prostitute in Anora? (Photo Credit – AnoraFilm Instagram)
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The 2025 Academy Awards came and went in a whirlwind, forging legacies for a slew of talents, though it’s the newcomers who galvanize the most intrigue with their ties to the golden statuette. Amid the night’s fervor, one victory stood out — a triumph that spotlights both a fresh face and a storied trope.
Mikey Madison, the 25-year-old dynamo from Anora, seized her first Oscar for Best Actress, outpacing The Substance’s Demi Moore in a twist few had prognosticated. The win, flanked by Anora’s haul of Best Picture, Director, and more, incentivized a floodlight on her nascent Hollywood path.
Maddison’s raw and unapologetic portrayal of the titular sex worker elucidated a character far from cliché, cementing her ascent with a cataclysmic bang. That win didn’t transpire without etching new stats into Oscar lore — Madison joined a roster as the 16th actress to claim gold for playing a prostitute, a profession trailing only artists and housewives in nods. The actress vocally honored the community during her acceptance speech, acknowledging their contributions.
The lineup vaunts Charlize Theron (Monster), Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential), Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite), Jane Fonda (Klute), Liza Minnelli (Cabaret), Elizabeth Taylor (BUtterfield 8), Donna Reed (From Here to Eternity), Jo Van Fleet (East of Eden), Emma Stone (Poor Things), Shirley Jones (Elmer Gantry), Leila Kedrova (Zorba the Greek), Shelley Winters (A Patch of Blue), Susan Hayward (I Want to Live!), and Helen Hayes (The Sin of Madelon Claudet).
At least eight more actresses have been nominated for their commendable portrayals of sex workers, a club led by the likes of Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany’s), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver), Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman), Shirley MacLaine (Irma la Douce), Julie Christie (Darling), and Madeline Kahn (Paper Moon), plus a male actor — Jon Voight as a gigolo in Midnight Cowboy.
Winning him four individual Oscars, Sean Baker’s Anora diverged from the aforementioned pack, though, with its salacious yet grounded tale of a sex worker’s life resonating with that community, a niche Baker’s indie lens has long enunciated. Unlike the classic “hooker with a heart of gold” schtick, Madison’s Anora melded egregious stakes with tragicomedy — a juncture that set her apart. The movie also drew excessive comparisons with Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman, with many preferring the unfiltered touch of reality in Baker’s storytelling.
At 25, Mikey Maddison’s youth ranks her among the freshest victors at the Academy’s podium, her fervor a contrast to the trope’s usual gloss. She also became the first individual belonging to Gen-Z to win the prestigious statuette for acting, and second overall after Billie Eilish’s twin wins for Best Song.
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