Breakout star Mikey Madison wins best actress Oscar for ‘Anora' over Hollywood veteran Demi Moore
The Brooklyn-set comedy-drama had received six nominations.
Madison had been best known for playing a sullen teenager in the FX comedy series 'Better Things,' which ended in 2022. She also appeared in the hit movies 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' and the fifth installment of the horror franchise 'Scream.'
Those jobs attracted the attention of director-writer Sean Baker, who penned the title role in 'Anora' for Madison. She studied Russian and did her own stunts in the film, in addition to learning to pole dance to play an exotic dancer who marries the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film debuted to critical acclaim at Cannes last year, winning the Palme d'Or. It has gained momentum ever since, with its box-office success easily outearning its $6 million budget.
Hollywood veteran Demi Moore of 'The Substance' had been the Oscar front-runner, having won over Madison at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. However, Madison beat out Moore for the BAFTA two days before Oscar voting ended, as well as at last weekend's Independent Spirit Awards.
She was born Mikaela Madison Rosberg in Los Angeles, one of five children of psychologist parents. Her mother signed her up for an acting class in her mid-teens after Madison had trained in competitive horseback riding, which she found lonely compared to the collaborative nature of acting.
In addition to Moore, the other nominees were Cynthia Erivo for 'Wicked,' Karla Sofía Gascón for 'Emilia Pérez' and Fernanda Torres for 'I'm Still Here.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Bill Maher slams woke mob over Sydney Sweeney jeans ad controversy
HBO 'Real Time' host Bill Maher ripped into the woke mob for branding actress Sydney Sweeney a Nazi — all because she joked about having 'great jeans' in a new American Eagle ad. 'In other uncomfortable racial news, sad news, we found out this week that Sydney Sweeney is a Nazi,' the late night funny quipped Friday night. 'No she's not, but you've seen the ad … This a very important ad that we're seeing now, there she is dressed like Jay Leno in all blue denim.' HBO 'Real Time' host Bill Maher slammed the woke mob Friday for claiming actress Sydney Sweeney is a Nazi — because she boasted about having 'great jeans' in an American Eagle ad. AP 'And she talks about the fact that she has blue eyes and then says she has great jeans, you know, because she's wearing jeans!' goofed Maher, referring to the ad's pun of the word 'genes' made by the blonde-haired, blue-eyed 27-year-old Euphoria star. 'But according to the woke people this means she's a white supremacist.' Actress Sydney Sweeney shows off her 'great' jeans in American Eagle ad. American Eagle Then Maher landed a savage blow. 'It also doesn't help that her bra size is 36KKK and that the name she gave her tits is the 'Proud Boys,'' he said. 'I also like it's pretty funny that all the online social justice girls are like 'it's racist, there is no such thing as good genes. Right, and then you go on Tinder and swipe left on every bald guy.' American Eagle's stock rose more than 10% immediately after Sweeney's campaign launched July 23. The White Lotus actress has yet to respond to the backlash caused by the new 'Great Jeans' campaign.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
We Finally Got a Madonna Biopic Update and...It's Complicated
For anyone still wondering whatever happened to that long-rumored Madonna biopic—yes, it's still happening. Sort of. Maybe. According to Julia Garner, the project is alive… it's just taking its sweet time. During a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, Garner confirmed that the highly anticipated film is 'supposed to still happen.' Garner has been attached to the Madonna role since 2022, hot off her run as Anna Delvey in Netflix's Inventing Anna. At the time, multiple outlets reported she was the pop icon's top pick after a competitive audition process that involved intense dance training—and performing in front of Madonna herself. 'It just came about… I knew they were making a movie about her and I went out to audition,' Garner explained of how she nabbed the role. 'I kind of just wanted to see if I could do it.' Her approach? Channel Madonna's own energy. 'I asked myself what Madonna would do—which is like, convince you she deserves to be in this room,' she said. 'And I owned it.' The biopic faced setbacks along the way. In early 2023, Variety reported that Universal had pulled back on development. Still, Madonna and Garner remained in touch. They were photographed together at Steven Klein's birthday party in May 2023, and in December of that year, Garner even joined Madonna onstage during a stop on her Brooklyn tour. Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Natio By July 2024, Madonna had shared that work on the script was back on, teasing a working title: Who's That Girl—a clear nod to her 1987 film and hit single of the same name. Then, in May 2025, Deadline reported that the project may have taken a new form entirely: a limited series at Netflix, now with Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy attached. So, yes, the Madonna story is still coming. But whether it's a movie, a series or something else entirely… we'll just have to wait and see. Stay tuned. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here. Madonna Just Posted a Stunning LBD Pic, But Everyone's Talking About This One Detail Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Johnny Manziel Sounds Off on Philadelphia Eagles' Superfan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As the Philadelphia Eagles navigated through their successful 2024 Super Bowl run, 'Million Dollaz Worth of Game' host Gillie Da King became the team's biggest hype man. Although the Super Bowl run is over, Gillie is still taking his victory lap as a fan. Recently, he rubbed in the Eagles' Super Bowl victory, trading shots with Cam Newton. "Cam ain't never had one of these!" said Gillie, who was holding the Lombardi Trophy. "I ain't going back and forth with you. Thank you, Jalen! Appreciate you, Jalen! The viral video of Gillie calling out Newton caused former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel to step up and sound off on the podcast host. "Yo @gilliedakid you may be the biggest [expletive] loser on the planet," Manziel wrote on X. "Talking like you've [expletive] done anything on a football field. If I see you just know I'm going to slap the [expletive] out of you, trust." Johnny Manziel throws a pass during half time of the spring game at Kyle Field on April 24, 2021 in College Station, Texas. Johnny Manziel throws a pass during half time of the spring game at Kyle Field on April 24, 2021 in College Station, then followed up by expressing his "love" for Gillie's podcast, but making it clear he didn't appreciate the comments towards Newton. While eagerly waiting for Gillie's response, Manziel publicly stated he would like to "set up the Rough & Rowdy" and "call it a day." Rough & Rowdy is a boxing promotion owned by Barstool Sports. It is promoted as "boxing chaos like you've never seen before." The Gillie-Newton situation stems from the former Carolina Panthers quarterback's criticism over Jalen Hurts' standing as a top quarterback in the NFL. As the Eagles' passer just wrapped up a Super Bowl-winning season, where he was named the game's MVP, Hurts still hasn't gained recognition as a top five quarterback in the league, for the most part. Read More: Famous Eagles Fan Trades Shots With Cam Newton Over Jalen Hurts Debate Cam Newton recently explained why he believes that Hurts shouldn't even be placed in the top ten. "Jalen Hurts is a great quarterback, but if we're talking about what they bring to the table, it's hard to judge what Jalen Hurts can do when you're throwing to a guy like AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, you have tight end skillset, you have a dominant defense, the best running back in the game. Download Madden and see how many stars are on the offensive side of Philly," said Newton "Jalen Hurts does not have to play elite for the Philadelphia Eagles to win. He has to play good—but he doesn't have to play elite. We're not asking you to win the game, we're just asking you not to lose it." Since Gillie, a Philly native, grew up as a fan of the Eagles and has been embraced as a high-profile supporter of the team, he felt he should defend Hurts by publicly calling out Newton on multiple occasions. Manziel seems to be waiting impatiently for the podcaster's response. For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports
