How Mikey Madison Brought Anora To Life | PLUS Forces of Fashion Is Here!

Summary

Summary of "How Mikey Madison Brought Anora To Life | PLUS Forces of Fashion Is Here!"

Released on October 17, 2024, "The Run-Through with Vogue" episode delves deep into the making of Sean Baker's latest film "Anora," starring Mikey Madison. The episode also touches upon the excitement surrounding the Forces of Fashion event, upcoming fashion shows, and insights into Vogue's recent cover stories.

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1. Introduction to "Anora" and Mikey Madison's Role

The episode kicks off with host Chloe Mel expressing her excitement for the upcoming film "Anora," which tells the story of an exotic dancer from Brooklyn who seemingly attains a fairytale life by marrying the son of a Russian oligarch. However, things take an unexpected turn. Mikey Madison, who portrays the titular character Anora, has garnered significant attention, becoming a fashion darling featured in campaigns like Chanel and Quazette.

Notable Quote:

• Chloe Mel [00:40]: "It's called Anora. It's about an exotic dancer from Brooklyn who seems to get her fairytale life when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch. But things don't go quite as planned."

2. Behind the Scenes of "Anora"

Hosts Chloe Mel and Cho Menardi discuss the buzz surrounding "Anora," highlighting Mikey Madison's transformation for the role. Mikey's dedication is evident as she immersed herself in various aspects to authentically portray Anora.

Key Points:

• Preparation for the Role: Mikey Madison undertook extensive preparation, including learning Russian, reading memoirs of other dancers, and taking dance lessons to embody Anora convincingly.

  Notable Quotes:

  • Radhika Seth [12:06]: "I learned Russian which wasn't something that I had any prior knowledge of. I worked on a specific dialect for the accent, so I wanted it to be very specific to Brighton Beach and Brooklyn."

  • Radhika Seth [16:32]: Discusses Mikey's transition into doing her own stunts, emphasizing her commitment to authenticity.

• Filming Challenges: The duo shares anecdotes about intense scenes requiring Mikey to perform her own stunts without the use of body doubles, leading to authentic and sometimes bruising performances.

  Notable Quotes:

  • Radhika Seth [18:40]: "I was literally covered in bruises."

  • Radhika Seth [19:32]: "It's a pretty intense scene. And then I find out that Mark, who plays Yvonne, was sleeping upstairs the entire time, taking a nap."

3. "Anora" at Cannes and Award Season Prospects

"Anora" achieved critical acclaim by winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, positioning Mikey Madison as a frontrunner for Best Actress in the upcoming award season. The episode highlights the surreal experience of attending Cannes and the film's reception.

Notable Quote:

• Radhika Seth [22:53]: "This is the first time I'd ever been to a film festival was Cannes, and to be in the main competition already was like a dream come true of mine."

4. Fashion Forward: Red Carpet and Stylist Insights

The conversation shifts towards Mikey Madison's evolving fashion sense, her collaboration with stylist Jamie Mizrahi, and her approach to red carpet dressing. Mikey shares her journey from comfortable, casual wear to embracing more experimental and glamorous styles for high-profile events.

Key Points:

• Styling Evolution: Mikey describes her shift from jeans and t-shirts to more couture and vintage-inspired outfits, appreciating the creativity and artistry in fashion.

  Notable Quotes:

  • Radhika Seth [23:35]: "I was like, I don't really know what I like and what I don't like. And so it's nice because I feel now I have a much better sense of that and to be guided a little bit is nice."

  • Radhika Seth [24:35]: "I've always loved vintage. And so I have, like, a crazy collection of, like, very interesting clothing that I don't quite feel comfortable wearing now. But I cannot give up."

• Upcoming Fashion Events: Hosts mention the return of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, featuring surprise model cameos like Kate Moss and Lila Moss, and prepare listeners for the Forces of Fashion extravaganza with an impressive lineup of panelists.

5. Personal Insights: Radhika Seth's Journey and Future Endeavors

The episode provides a personal glimpse into Radhika Seth's background, her path to acting, and her future aspirations. Radhika shares her love for cinema, influenced by classics like "Stand By Me" and "Pretty in Pink," which fueled her passion for acting and fashion.

Key Points:

• Acting Background: Despite coming from a family of psychologists, Radhika discovered her passion for acting through horseback riding and an inherent fascination with the emotional depth of performances.

  Notable Quotes:

  • Radhika Seth [27:29]: "I was competitive horseback riding, so I'd been doing that. And I'd always liked movies, but something intrigued me about the idea of acting."

  • Radhika Seth [28:41]: "Pretty in Pink...I was like, maybe I want to be as... I want to be, like, a clothing designer. And then I realized I actually just want to be an actress."

• Future Projects: Radhika expresses her desire to find meaningful roles that offer deep connections to her characters, emphasizing the emotional resonance she seeks in her work.

  Notable Quote:

  • Radhika Seth [32:31]: "I'm still searching for that really special character or story to come my way. Something that just really, like, stands out in my mind as something I absolutely have to do."

6. Conclusion

The episode wraps up by celebrating the success of "Anora" and Mikey Madison's standout performance. Hosts extend their congratulations and express anticipation for Mikey and Radhika's future projects and fashion endeavors.

Notable Quote:

• Chloe Mel [33:12]: "Congrats on the film."

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Takeaways:

• Mikey Madison's Dedication: Mikey's commitment to her role in "Anora" showcases her versatility and dedication as an actress, from language acquisition to performing her own stunts.

• Fashion and Personal Growth: Both Mikey and Radhika highlight the intersection of fashion and personal evolution, illustrating how style choices reflect personal and professional growth.

• Upcoming Excitement: With events like Forces of Fashion and the return of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the fashion world remains vibrant and full of anticipation.

This episode of "The Run-Through with Vogue" offers listeners an engaging blend of cinematic insights and fashion-forward discussions, encapsulating the dynamic worlds of both film and fashion.

Transcript

[Chloe Mel]

This is a message from sponsor Intuit. TurboTax Texas was getting frustrated by your forms. Now taxis is uploading your forms with a snap. And a TurboTax expert will do your taxes for you. One who's backed by the latest tech which cross checks millions of data points for absolute accuracy. All of which makes it easy for you to get the most money back, guaranteed. Get an Expert now on TurboTax.com only available with TurboTax Live full service. See guarantee [e-mail] guarantees. This is the run through. I'm Chloe. Mel.

[Cho Menardi]

And I'm Cho Menardi.

[Chloe Mel]

And tomorrow, a new film that I am very excited about is coming out in theaters here in the United States. It's called Enora. It's about an exotic dancer from Brooklyn who seems to get her fairytale life when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch. But things don't go quite as planned. And I'm excited because this was the talk of Ken. And now we had Mike Mikey Madison, who plays Annie or Anora in the film on the podcast. She sort of became like the fashion darling of Ken. She was in Chanel. She was blowing up the Quazette and all of her cute little ensembles. So we were very excited to have her on the pod.

[Cho Menardi]

I cannot wait to see this film. I mean, everyone's been raving about it, including my colleague Radhika Seth, who is Vogue's film and culture editor. And she actually got to interview Mikey. They met at Mikey's hotel and had a great conversation about the film. And it made me so excited to watch it.

[Chloe Mel]

I know. Me too. And before we hear the interview, Choma, it is a big week over here. I don't know about you.

[Cho Menardi]

I feel your pain from afar because I know forces of fashion is a huge deal. Everyone descends on one world trade, and it's amazing. And we have another 10 days to stress about it. It's at Central St. Martin's for us. But I'm sure that the office feels quite electric right now.

[Chloe Mel]

Electric is one word. I just went up to get my coffee, and they're like stapling boxwoods against to make a step and repeat. And I was like, will I get my sandwich? What's gonna happen at lunchtime? Yeah, I have to say, on Sunday evening, I like to sort of go through my calendar for the week and sort of map out, like, what the bedtime situation's gonna be, what time I'm leaving in the morning, et cetera. And I was like, this week is horrific.

[Cho Menardi]

Oh, Gosh.

[Chloe Mel]

Anyway, we are recording this on Tuesday because tomorrow is our forces of fashion extravaganza. It's actually a fantastic lineup of panelists and activities this year. Anna is interviewing Victoria Beckham. Nicki Minaj is going to be here. Simon Port Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Raul Lopez, and Honey Dijon. It's a really fun roster of talent. Tonight, big Victoria's Secret fashion show is back.

[Cho Menardi]

Yeah. What do we think it's gonna be?

[Chloe Mel]

Well, apparently, Vanessa Friedman's writing a piece about how fashion forgets too easily because we were all condemning Victoria's Secret a few years ago, and now it's like, oh, we're back. But they do have an exciting lineup. Cher is performing. Lisa from Blackp Tyla. There's some very exciting surprise model cameos in the show when we're recording. This is under NDA, but when this is released, you'll all have seen that Kate Moss and Lila Moss are walking in the show together.

[Cho Menardi]

Big moment.

[Chloe Mel]

Very exciting. Mother, daughter duo. And British Vogue's beloved Carrie McDermott is actually here in the flesh to report on this. So I'm very excited about that. Tomorrow night is the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund awards day, and that is when will be announced the winner of the 10 finalists. There's 10amazing designers up for the award this year. The winner gets $300,000 plus mentorship. Obviously, I don't have to explain this to Choma because she was a longtime judge. We are recording this on a Tuesday afternoon. The winner is being announced tomorrow night. You get a sneak peek, a reveal of the winner, since this will be out when we announce. But you better have to. You have to cross your heart and hope to die that you will not reveal this.

[Cho Menardi]

I'm crossing fingers and toes, and I will not reveal anything.

[Chloe Mel]

Okay. So the winner is Longchanteur, which is the jewelry line of Dynasty and Seoul Agoun.

[Cho Menardi]

I've heard about them. They're identical twins. They have an amazing following, and they make jewelry that really feels like one of a kind and very special. So this is super exciting.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah. I am very excited about this. Beyonce has worn them, Erykah Badu, and it's exciting. I always love knowing who wins the Fashion Fund because I do think that it becomes this wonderful platform for designers. Past recent winners included Christopher John Rogers, Telfar Clemens, Aurora James Willy Ciaveria.

[Cho Menardi]

It's unusual for an accessories brand to win.

[Chloe Mel]

It's true.

[Cho Menardi]

It's very, very exciting. The judging process gets very he. Everybody has opinions, but they all have to come Together to make this decision. So this is a big endorsement for them, and I think their brand has been one that's been around for a while, and they've really made a name for themselves. So it's really great to see them getting the recognition. So Erica texted me, actually, Erica texted.

[Chloe Mel]

Me with Erica Badu.

[Cho Menardi]

Yeah. With some exciting news a few weeks ago, and I've had to keep it under my hat, but I'm glad that it has now been announced that she is receiving the Icon award at the CFDA's, which is so exciting.

[Chloe Mel]

What do we think she's gonna wear? Maybe she'll wear long.

[Cho Menardi]

I should ask her. Yeah. But, you know, she's very much a mood person. She'll probably just pick something off the floor the day of the awards. She's not gonna plan too much.

[Chloe Mel]

What else?

[Cho Menardi]

Oh, so there's the Armani showing in New York for the first time ever this week.

[Chloe Mel]

Oh, my God. It's just one thing after another. This week, the Armani show, which is black tie at the Armory with a party after the show. It's a whole rigmarole. The show is planned around. It's about the inauguration of Armani's new building on Madison, which has residences, an Armani restaurant, and the boutique. And actually, in anticipation of the show, we had a new episode featuring Nicole Phelps talking to Jim Moore, GQ's creative director at large, about the legacy of Armani. And that just came out on Tuesday. So check that out.

[Cho Menardi]

The London Film Festival continues in London. So Angelina Jolie's new film this weekend.

[Chloe Mel]

Ooh, the Maria Kallas. That's exciting.

[Cho Menardi]

Yeah. She's gonna be present and giving, I think, a Q and A with the directors, obviously. Radhika Seth, our colleague, has been very busy, and a friend of mine is producing a film called Bird that everyone's talking about too, that Barry Keoghan is in. So I'm excited to see that. So now I can tell you why I was so keen on seeing the movie Blitz. It's because the star of the movie, Saoirse Ronan, is our November cover.

[Chloe Mel]

Oh, my God. She has been killing it with her press tour. She just switched stylists. She's now working with Danielle Goldberg, who we love. Danielle does Ayo Adebiri and Greta Lee. She has been on the podcast. Everyone, listen up. And I think I just love what Saoirse has been wearing.

[Cho Menardi]

Same, like the.

[Chloe Mel]

Was it the Hodakova dress that was like an inverted barber jacket with, like, the collar as a halter? So good.

[Cho Menardi]

Yeah, I Went to see the Hoda Kova collection up close in Paris, and they do really interesting pieces. So I think it is so cool that she chose to wear that brand because I don't think most people have heard of the name. So it was very. I'm very excited for her new fashion era. I think she's always shy in talking about fashion, and you'll learn that from the interview. And we were very lucky to have Rennie Edo Lodge interview her. And their conversation is very cool. Cause I think they both see fashion from a more of a cultural standpoint. So it's very interesting.

[Chloe Mel]

Interesting.

[Cho Menardi]

The conversation was very cool. Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

I am sort of obsessed with Shorsha because I love her husband, Jack Lowden, who plays river on Slow Horses.

[Cho Menardi]

Swoon, Right?

[Chloe Mel]

Swoon couple. We love to see it.

[Cho Menardi]

No, I'm so excited. It's her first British faux cover, so it felt very exciting. And we have Jack Davidson, who's a really talented photographer, shoot the COVID and Nell Kalongi, who's a friend of mine, style it. So it's a really great creative team. And we were. We were in this dilapidated mansion on the bank of the River Thames. And it was just a magical day. And I can't wait for you all to see the pictures because they're great.

[Chloe Mel]

I'm excited. Yeah. Last week, honestly, was a big, big Newsweek for Vogue.com we had. And actually both covers were some of the highest performing of the year. Billie Eilish on Tuesday, men announcements on Wednesday, and then the vice president on Friday morning. And that was a real race to the finish to get that in. Obviously, she's dealing with a lot campaigning and as the Vice president. So it was really sort of sneaking in time to photograph her and do the interview. But I think that Nathan did such a great job sort of painting this quite personal portrait of her and this extremely intense period of her life. Annie Leibovitz shot it. She went to the vice President's residence, had some hiccups when the vice President had to sort of be jumping out to go to different Situation Room meetings, but then finally captured her on the campaign trail. And it was great to see those sort of action shots, as it were.

[Cho Menardi]

The Run through will be back after this break.

[Chloe Mel]

I'm Nomi Frye. I'm Vincent Cunningham. I'm Alex Schwartz. And we are Critics at Large, a podcast from the New Yorker. Guys, what do we do on the show every week? We look in to the startling maw of our culture and try to figure something out. That's right. We take something that's going on in the culture now. Maybe it's a movie, maybe it's a book, maybe it's just kind of a trend that we see floating in the ether and we expand it across culture as kind of a pattern or a template. We talked about the midlife crisis, starting with a new book by Miranda July, but then we kind of ended up talking about Dante's Inferno. You know, we talked about Kate Middleton, her so called disappearance, and from that we moved into right wing conspiracy theories. Alex basically promised to explain to me why everybody likes the Beatles. You know, we've also noticed that advice is everywhere. Advice columns, advice giving. And we kind of want to look at why. Join us on Critics at Large from the New Yorker. New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cho Menardi]

And we're back. So Anora is a film by Sean Baker, who's best known for the films the Florida Project and Tangerine, both of which I really loved. It follows Anora, who is a sex worker, exotic dancer played by Mikey Madison.

[Chloe Mel]

I know Mikey really leans into this role and I loved learning about all the ways she prepared to become the character. She told Rad that she even she learned Russian. She read memoirs by other dancers. She took dance lessons.

[Cho Menardi]

And Enora as won the Pam d'or Cannes this year. So basically, I mean, that makes Mikey one of the frontrunners for best actress in this award season. So we'll just also have to see how her fashion goes. You know, I just thought this was such an insightful interview. I thought it gave you a real sense of how this film was made and can't wait for you to hear it and then go see it. So here's Mikey and Radhika.

[Mikey Madison]

Mikey, it's just so, so lovely to meet you. And I loved Honora so much. I actually very luckily got to see it at Cannes. It was like, amazing to be there for that moment. And I think I read that Shawn saw you in Scream and then like called your agent, was like, I need to work with her, so tell me that story, please.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, sure. Sean saw me in Scream opening weekend and reached out like a day after, said he wanted to pitch and he did. We met for coffee. He told me sort of a loose idea for what the story and character might be. And I immediately said yes, that part of it was very simple in a way and sort of easy and organic. And then came all of the preparation that I had to do. And so it was about a year from meeting him for the first time till we were on set filming, and.

[Mikey Madison]

He, like, wrote it especially for you. So what was that like for you to experience? Because that's insane.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, it's really special. I've never had a director want to write a film for me before, especially somebody like Sean, whose films I already really loved. I think I. A part of me definitely had some imposter syndrome going on in terms of that, but I tried to put that aside and just focus on the character and throw all of my energy into cultivating an interesting person, hopefully.

[Mikey Madison]

Yeah, Annie's just such a fascinating character. But what was the thing that kind of most appealed to you about her? Or what was the thing you wanted to explore the most?

[Radhika Seth]

Well, she's someone that felt very different from who I am. Very, very far away from me. But I was interested in or really admired, like, her fighting spirit. And I also really liked her hopefulness. That kind of went hand in hand with that. She's very scrappy. She's very much a fighter, and she fights very dirty physically and verbally as well. She's someone. She doesn't think before she speaks. She just says it. And she believes everything she says with every fiber of her being. And so it was interesting playing a character like that because I feel like, energy wise, we're so contrasting.

[Mikey Madison]

I think I was reading that you guys made like a Pinterest board of inspiration for the film. And could I ask you what was on it? Like, what were the things that you kind of referenced?

[Radhika Seth]

Well, I love making mood boards. I do for a lot of characters that I've played. And for Annie, I made one sort of like, energy wise, like stills from different films or actresses that I like. And then I made one for clothing, hair and makeup. And so there were lots of, like, long acrylic nails, pleasers, certain outfits, hairstyles, lashes, things like that.

[Mikey Madison]

And could you tell me a few of the films and actors that you remember putting on the board?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, sure. Well, Sean sent me some film references before we filmed, and I think one of them was Female Prisoner, which is a Japanese film from the 70s, I believe. And then another one was Lulu. He sent me some Depardieu films and some, like,'70s Italian sexploitation films as well. So he's very inspired by Italian film. During the time that he was writing the script, we were constantly talking and collaborating with each other. During that time, I was able to read memoirs written by sex workers. I watched documentaries. I, like, devoured YouTube videos, like a Night in My Life as a Dancer, things like that. I learned Russian which wasn't something that I had any prior knowledge of. I worked on a specific dialect for the accent, so I wanted it to be very specific to Brighton beach and Brooklyn. And then obviously, there's, like, so much physicality to the character that I had to cultivate before filming, like, the dancing, which was a really important part of it. I worked with an amazing coach based in Los Angeles, Kennedy Schneider, who taught me everything, really. And I had no dance experience, like, really zero. Like, I was embarrassed at certain times. Like, there was a moment where I remember we'd been doing a month of dance training, like, pole tricks, and she turned down the music, and she's like, okay, so it's time to talk about twerking. And I was like, oh, no. I was so scared. I was like, this is not gonna be something I'm good at. Nothing's gonna move. I'm too embarrassed even to attempt this. And she was like, no, it's gonna be great. And so we started slowly with that. But twerking is such an important part of playing a dancer, and so I wanted to try to master a couple twerks, you know? And so. So I think I did, but I think I was naive going into how difficult it would be. But I'm also very stubborn, so I was able to. To get it done.

[Mikey Madison]

Speaking of that stubbornness, I feel like you already kind of said that Annie is someone who can play dirty, but I think I read that you did your own stunts for the film. And was that your first time doing that?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah. I mean, I've done stunt work before on some previous films, but this is my first time doing absolutely everything myself. No body double, no stunt double. And it was important to me for this film and this character. I wanted you to be able to see my face, you know, I wanted to experience everything. I mean, maybe it's selfish that I wanted to do that, but I think because I had immersed so many other parts of myself, like, my entire life into creating this character, like, I was giving everything to it. I was like, I might as well do the stunts too, you know, if I can.

[Mikey Madison]

Was there anything that didn't quite go to plan? Like, I think I read that you kind of left some of them with bruises, and it was quite brutal, I think.

[Radhika Seth]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I don't think. I mean, Sean and I, after we filmed the first take, we kind of looked at each other. I don't think either of us expected for it to be that brutal to actually jump in and film. It was scary. Not like I Actually thought I was going to get hurt, but scary. Just in the sense of, like, what we were doing to throw yourself into a situation like that. I was literally covered in bruises.

[Mikey Madison]

So crazy.

[Radhika Seth]

Well, I bruised easily, but, yeah, I mean, we would take, like, an hour in the morning to, like, literally paint my legs so that you couldn't see the bruises anymore.

[Mikey Madison]

And your screams are amazing as well and very impressive. And I wondered if you had to do multiple takes for them.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, I mean, I was screaming for a lot of takes. The weirdest thing about that, it's like everyone on set was kind of distraught. Like, it's a pretty intense scene. And then I find out that Mark, who plays Yvonne, was sleeping upstairs the entire time, taking a nap.

[Mikey Madison]

Oh, my God.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

And you mentioned Mark, and he is so great in the film. But I'd love to hear if you have any more fun stories of working with. How did you guys kind of bond while working together?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, he's such a funny person. Really hilarious person. We had time to get to know each other a little bit before filming. And his English wasn't as evolved as it is now. But I remember one of the first things he said to me as he was describing what it was like to look out a window and look out onto New York City. And he was like, I had the world at the tip of my nipple. And I was like, sorry, what are you saying? What? He was like, the world was at the tip of my nipple. And I was like, what are you trying to say? He was trying to say that the world was in his fingertips. He had the whole world in the palm of his hand or something. But I think that just fully encompassed him as a person. And also what he brought to the character, he just made me laugh and brought so much amazing energy to that character and to those scenes. And also sort of injected his character with a lot of, like, earnest naivete in the beginning, which was really disarming for me as an actor and I think also for Annie as a character.

[Mikey Madison]

The great thing about your performance is so much there, but also, like, how you've balanced the kind of comedy and the tragedy. And I feel like that's kind of the beauty of Honora as a film. And is that a fine line to walk? Is that difficult in a performance to kind of weave those things in it?

[Radhika Seth]

Throughout, I spent a lot of time thinking about this character and asking myself lots of questions about her. Like, hundreds of questions, like who she is, what her ideals are, her morals. I wanted to just know her, like the back of my hand and not leave any question unanswered about who she is. But I was also, as we were filming, obviously still open to learning new things about her. But I think because I did all of that internal work, she's very layered and complex, at least to me.

[Mikey Madison]

No, she definitely is.

[Radhika Seth]

Thank you. And so, to me, I think I just approached every scene, like, having done all of that work already. And so it was kind of intuitive. Like, she's a very, very sensitive person, but she's constantly covering it, you know, with some kind of pain or anger. But, you know, nobody is just angry, you know, or sassy. Like, there's something underneath that always, you know. And so it was important for me to always be conscious of that and aware that that was. That's what she was going through.

[Mikey Madison]

The film had such a fairy tale story in itself, I think, in, like, going to Cannes and then it wins the Palme d'or. Like, that must have been such an incredible moment for both you and Shaun. How did that feel?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, I think it was, like, quite surreal. But it had been my dream to go to that festival since I became an actor. And so to have a. I mean, this is the first time I'd ever been to a film festival was Cannes, and to be in the main competition already was like a dream come true of mine. I mean, I remember Sean calling me and telling me that we were in the main competition, and I was like, I mean, I could have cried. It was so exciting for me.

[Mikey Madison]

I'd love to touch a bit on your red carpet looks. It was amazing to see you in that Chanel, like, two piece can. How do you approach red carpet dressing? Do you have a stylist?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, I do. I started working with the stylist Jamie Mizrahi, who I really like and I think really understands my sense of style, which I think has evolved quite a bit over the past. Really, two years, maybe. Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

In what way?

[Radhika Seth]

I think I was finding myself, like, getting into a pocket of just only dressing very comfortably. So jeans and a T shirt or a cashmere sweater and maybe some cowboy boots. That's the only thing that I wanted to wear. And so it kind of felt a little unnatural to put a gown on. I was like, I don't really know what I like and what I don't like. And so it's nice because I feel now I have a much better sense of that and to be guided a little bit is nice.

[Mikey Madison]

Are you excited to dress for awards season and going forward?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, I mean, I've always loved fashion and clothing. And I think that when I was younger, I was like, I was so experimental with clothing.

[Chloe Mel]

Really?

[Radhika Seth]

Oh, yeah. I mean, like, there was a period just a couple years ago I was super into like, Victorian dresses, and I would mix them with like, combat boots, and it was sort of this like grunge look that I had with a very delicate dress. And there was a period when I was probably like 18 or 19, I was really into like 70s ganny sax dresses. So I've always loved vintage.

[Mikey Madison]

Yeah.

[Radhika Seth]

And so I have, like, a crazy collection of, like, very interesting clothing that I don't quite feel comfortable wearing now. But I, like, cannot give up. No, you can't. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I have this closet full of these, like, crazy vintage clothes, and I'm like, I need more closet space, but I can't ever get rid of these dresses. I'm excited about, like, experimenting more because you don't often get to wear like a dresses like that in everyday life. I don't really get to go to parties where you get to sort of indulge in like, the glamour of all of that. So it's really fun. And there's so much creativity and artistry that I admire in terms of clothing and like, couture. It's a fun part of this. Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

I'm excited to see you do more of that going forward.

[Chloe Mel]

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[Mikey Madison]

About your kind of family background, and I think it's super interesting that you're. I think both your parents are psychologists, is that right?

[Radhika Seth]

Yes.

[Mikey Madison]

And no one in your family comes from an acting background, is that right?

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

How did you kind of learn that you wanted to be an actor?

[Radhika Seth]

I was competitive horseback riding, so I'd been doing that.

[Mikey Madison]

Amazing.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah. My entire life. And I'd sort of started to become interested in film. And I'd always liked movies, but something intrigued me about the idea of acting and what that might feel like or look like. And so I honestly don't. There's not a specific moment where I'm like, I want to be an actor that I remember. I think just gradually over time, something manifested itself in me where I was. That's something that I wanted to do. And I think maybe it's. I was interested or intrigued by, like, the intimacy and the connection that comes with being an actor. To me, it seemed like it was something very, like, brave and deep and emotional. And I don't know if that's something that I was feeling as a horseback rider.

[Mikey Madison]

I love that. And I know that you loved films, as you say, and I think Shawn Baker's, like, described you as a cinephile and, you know, what were some of your favorite films growing up?

[Radhika Seth]

I thought that I was a cinephile when I met Sean, and I was like, I know absolutely nothing about anything because he is. Yeah. I mean, Sean's definitely opened up my eyes to a whole other world of film, and I think has really broadened the horizons for me in that way. The films I liked growing up, I loved, like, John Hughes, like Pretty in Pink. Yes. Sixteen Candles. I loved Stand By Me. That was a film that was, like, very impactful to me. I think I saw it. I was maybe 14, and I think the characters are 13 in that film, or 12. And so I was close in age to them. And it's such, like, a moving, deep film. And I really felt that, like, it impacted me. And then, I mean, Pretty in Pink, I loved Molly Ringwald. And when I saw that film, it made such an impression on me. I was like, maybe I want to be as. I want to be, like, a clothing designer. And so, like, I had my mom sign me up for sewing classes.

[Mikey Madison]

Oh, my gosh.

[Radhika Seth]

And I was like, okay. No, not quite. Right. And then I realized I actually just want to be an actress.

[Mikey Madison]

You've played a wide range of roles, but I know that you've played a lot of like, should we say, quote, unquote villains. Is there a specific reason you feel like you're drawn to roles like that, or were you drawn to Anora specifically? Because it's different from that.

[Radhika Seth]

You know, Honora was a character that, I mean, at least when I finally was able to read the script, which was like, months after I accepted the role, was someone who felt so different from anything I've ever done before. So I think it's really a testament to Sean's vision as a director that he was able to see my previous work and think that I could ever possibly play Honora, you know, which is a character who's such a departure from any of the kind of antagonistic characters I'd played before, like Scream or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Quentin was definitely a director who saw something in me where I was able to be more of a character actress and play a sort of like, absurd, crazy, over the top character as grounded as possible in my eyes. And so I think he's the one that kind of opened the doors for. For all of that, and I'm grateful to him for that because I think directors were able to see me in a different way, I think.

[Mikey Madison]

I heard that you have a new puppy. Is that right?

[Radhika Seth]

Oh, I do, yes. It's like the best thing that's ever happened to me and also the worst, if I'm being honest. He's the love of my life and it's also like absolute chaos. But he's at an age where he's like. He's six months now, so he's calming down a little bit, but he's like six pounds of the biggest personality in the world. He's very cute. He's a little rescue dog. But to relax, I watch movies, I hang out with my friends, I cook and bake a lot. I love cooking and baking for other people. Specifically, though, if I'm cooking for myself, it's more like something very quick. But it relaxes me. I feel like it's kind of my happy place.

[Mikey Madison]

What's your speciality if you're baking something for someone else?

[Radhika Seth]

Okay, well, I do like a crowd pleaser is like my chocolate chip cookies, which are, I have to say, very.

[Mikey Madison]

Good, I'm sure, delicious.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah, I mean, I've perfected the recipe. It's been like 10 years now, so I do like a Good lemon loaf as well.

[Mikey Madison]

Love that.

[Radhika Seth]

Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

Hopefully some time for baking after all of this is over. But what else is next for you after? Nora, I think I read somewhere that you're maybe working on some personal stories with. I know you have a twin brother, perhaps with him, but are there things that you have in the works already that you can talk to us about?

[Radhika Seth]

I mean, right now, I feel like I'm still searching for that really special character or story to come my way. Something that just really, like, stands out in my mind as something I absolutely have to do. Because I think that that's. It's an important way that I want to feel because I've realized, like, how emotional my job is, and I feel that I need to have some. Some kind of deep connection to the character that I play in order to. For it to be meaningful to me and an audience, I think. So. I honestly have no idea.

[Mikey Madison]

Thank you so much for your time, Mikey.

[Radhika Seth]

Thank you.

[Mikey Madison]

It's been so lovely.

[Radhika Seth]

It's been really nice.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah.

[Mikey Madison]

Congrats on the film.

[Radhika Seth]

Thank you.

[Cho Menardi]

That's it for the show. See you guys later.

[Chloe Mel]

Bye. The Run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Joanna Solotarov. It's engineered by Jake Loomis, Luke Moseley and James Yost. It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Kariuki is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of Global Audio.

[Radhika Seth]

From prx.