Best Picture Nominee: Anora - All Of It with Alison Stewart

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Episode: Best Picture Nominee: Anora

Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart on WNYC, the focus is on the critically acclaimed film Anora. The episode spotlights Mikey Madison, an actress known for her role in Better Things, whose performance in Anora has earned her an Oscar nomination. The discussion delves into Madison's immersive preparation for her character, Annie, the intricacies of her performance, and the film's journey in the awards circuit.

Interview with Mikey Madison

Opening Conversation
Alison Stewart introduces Mikey Madison, highlighting her transition from television to a prominent role in Anora. Stewart sets the stage by describing Madison's dedication to embodying Annie, a tenacious sex worker, through intensive research and personal immersion in the film's setting.

Character Development and Collaboration with Sean Baker

When discussing the genesis of her character, Madison shares:

"...when Sean Baker reached out to me, it was kind of out of the blue. I had just had a horror film premiere and he went to see it opening weekend and we had coffee just a handful of days later and he said, hey, here's an idea I have for my next film and if you want to do it. I'll write it for you."
— Mikey Madison (03:23)

Madison elaborates on the collaborative process with director Sean Baker, emphasizing the importance of understanding Annie's inner world:

"...I needed to know everything about her so that if someone were to ask me any kind of question about Annie, I would. I would know I'd be able to answer without any hesitation."
— Mikey Madison (03:34)

Exploring Annie’s Personality and Style

Madison discusses Annie’s fashion choices as a reflection of her character's aspirations and persona:

"I think she's trying to look expensive. So if you're to ask her her favorite designer, she would probably say like Chanel or Prada, because she wants a Chanel bag or she wants a Prada purse... she wears this big, extravagant, expensive fur coat for a lot of the film... it is her dream encompassed into one piece of clothing."
— Mikey Madison (04:16)

Immersive Preparation: Living in Brighton Beach

To authentically portray Annie, Madison relocated to Brighton Beach, immersing herself in the community and the lifestyle of her character. She explains:

"I was able to continue my research into sex work and spend lots of time at the club my character worked at and also just get to understand Brighton beach and... work on the accent, too."
— Mikey Madison (07:13)

Mastering the Accent

Madison reflects on the challenges of adopting Annie’s Brooklyn accent:

"...it was about fine tuning it and adding little details here and there. But I have to say, the accent was something that I think came kind of quickly, and I was able to get to a place really quickly."
— Mikey Madison (09:08)

She emphasizes the importance of making the accent feel natural and lived-in, contrasting it with her own softer speaking style.

Analyzing Key Scenes

Proposal Scene
Alison plays a clip depicting the pivotal moment when Vanya, Annie’s wealthy suitor, proposes marriage. Madison comments on the emotional arc of the scene:

"I think that when he proposes to her, at first she thinks it's a joke and then realizes it's real... she hit the lotto, like they say in the film."
— Mikey Madison (11:13)

Confrontation with Vanya’s Parents
Madison narrates her experience filming a confrontation scene where Annie resists Vanya’s parents' attempts to annul the marriage:

"I did my own stunts in the film, and so it was very tightly choreographed... it was very intense. And I felt safe the whole time, but exhilarating and such a strange experience."
— Mikey Madison (13:04)

She praises her co-star Yura Borisov for his commitment, which heightened the authenticity of the fight scenes.

Filming Experiences and Directorial Approach

Madison discusses director Sean Baker's unique filming style, particularly his preference for dynamic camera work and long takes:

"Sean is the kind of director where he's not a big, like, shot, reverse shot, master shot kind of director. He likes to do things either in one take or... do something really dynamic with the camera."
— Mikey Madison (14:02)

This approach required meticulous choreography and a deep emotional connection to the scenes, enhancing the film's raw and authentic feel.

Oscar Nomination and Personal Reflections

Upon learning about her Oscar nomination, Madison shares a heartfelt moment:

"I was just in a hotel room on FaceTime with my mom and dad and my brother and my dog."
— Mikey Madison (16:03)

She expresses a mix of disbelief and joy, acknowledging the surreal nature of the achievement while appreciating her family's support.

Community and Cultural Impact

Throughout the conversation, Madison underscores the importance of portraying complex, resilient female characters and the cultural conversations they inspire. Her dedication to Annie not only brings depth to the character but also reflects broader societal themes surrounding identity, empowerment, and resilience.

Conclusion

Alison Stewart wraps up the interview by congratulating Mikey Madison on her Oscar nomination and teasing future discussions on Best Picture contenders. The episode offers listeners an in-depth look into the making of Anora, highlighting Mikey Madison's transformative performance and the collaborative spirit behind the film's success.

Note: All timestamps referenced correspond to the provided transcript and reflect the points at which the quotes were made during the podcast episode.

Transcript

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Alison Stewart (0:37)

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. You might remember Mikey Madison from Better Things, but now she's a full fledged movie star with a role that earned her an Oscar nomination in Anora, which is also up for best Picture. Let's listen to my conversation with Mikey. And to get us in the mood, here is the song that that starts Honora. In order to play the role of a tenacious sex worker in Anora, actor Mikey Madison immersed herself in the character. She moved to Brighton beach where the movie takes place. She spent time in strip clubs learning about the dancers and their lives. She took pole dancing classes and Russian language classes and mastered a Brooklyn accent. All of this shines through in her Oscar nominated performance as Honora. Annie, as she likes to be known, thinks she has hit the jackpot when she meets a young man at the club. Vanya's the son of a Russian oligarch. He's loaded or his parents are. He parties, he spends a lot of money. He has a certain charm, though, and after spending a few weeks together, he proposes marriage. But this fairy tale comes to a screeching halt when Vanya's parents find out about the marriage. They send some sort of incompetent fixers to try to force an annulment. An annulment Annie is not having. Just this weekend, Anora took home the top prizes from the producer and the Director's Guild of America. And the film is nominated for six Oscars, including best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Actress for my guests, Mikey Madison. Mikey, it's really nice to see you.

Mikey Madison (2:31)

Hi. I'm so happy to be here.

Alison Stewart (2:33)

I'm so glad you're here. I read that Sean Baker started working on the character of Annie with you in mind and you were able to sort of have a collaboration with him. When it first came to you, what did you think?

Mikey Madison (2:47)

Oh, wow. Yeah. Well, when Sean Baker reached out to me, it was kind of out of the blue. I had just had a horror film premiere and he went to see it opening weekend and we had coffee just a handful of days later and he said, hey, here's an idea I have for my next film and if you want to do it. I'll write it for you. And so the process from there was very collaborative, but I really knew very little about the character or what she would be like. It was just us kind of confirming that we would love to work with each other.