Mikey Madison

Mikaela Madison Rosberg, known professionally as Mikey Madison, was born on March 25, 1999, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a secular Jewish household as the third daughter and fourth of five children of two psychologists, Madison initially pursued competitive horseback riding. At age 14, she transitioned to acting and was homeschooled after the seventh grade. She made her acting debut in 2013 with roles in short films such as “Retirement” and “Pani’s Box.” Her first feature film, “Liza, Liza, Skies Are Grey,” was filmed in 2014 and released in 2017.

Madison gained significant recognition for her role as Max Fox in the FX comedy-drama series “Better Things,” which ran from 2016 to 2022. She also appeared as young Maddie in two episodes of the Bravo dark comedy series “Imposters” (2017–2018). In film, she played supporting roles in “Monster” (2018) and “Nostalgia” (2018). A notable milestone in her career came with her portrayal of Manson Family member Susan “Sadie” Atkins in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and achieved commercial success. In the same year, she lent her voice to the character Candi the Barista in the animated film “The Addams Family.” She also played Amber Freeman in the fifth installment of the “Scream” franchise (2022), which was both a critical and commercial success and made her a standout performer.

Her career continued to progress with a supporting role in the miniseries “Lady in the Lake” in 2024. Madison achieved a breakthrough in 2024 with her titular role as Ani Mikheeva in Sean Baker’s comedy-drama film “Anora.” Baker specifically wrote the character for her after seeing her work in previous films. For this role, Madison undertook extensive preparation, including learning Russian, performing her own stunts, and temporarily relocating to Brighton Beach. The film received critical acclaim at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Palme d’Or, and Madison’s performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In 2025, she guest-hosted “Saturday Night Live” and was cast as whistleblower Frances Haugen in “The Social Reckoning,” scheduled for release in 2026. She is also slated to appear in “The Masque of the Red Death” (2027) and “Reptilia.”