Madison was relatively unknown before Anora. She had had small parts in the fifth instalment of the Scream horror franchise and in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. The writer and director of Anora Sean Baker had seen her on screen before, and wrote the part of Ani especially for her.

Anora’s Sean Baker, Mikey Madison & Cast On Making An Indie Oscar Breakthrough And Doing “Things We’re Told We Can’t Do Anymore”

Mikey Madison is still processing her Oscar nomination. The 24-year-old actress, known for her roles in the FX series “Better Things,” as well as the films “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood” and “Scream 5,