It might seem like an obvious prerequisite that for a film about a sex worker, the actress playing said character would need to be comfortable with performing nude for the camera, but in today’s filmmaking environment, it’s not always a guarantee. In the “Me Too” era and with the advent of intimacy coordinators, more importance has rightfully been placed around comfort rather than forcing performers to be in compromising and uncomfortable situations, but when it came to making “Anora,” Mikey Madison felt it was only right to take on her character completely, including Ani’s ease with her own body.
“I was always comfortable, and I also think because Ani was too,” Madison said in a recent interview with The New York Times. “To me it was never a thought in my head to be nervous or anything.”
The writer/director of “Anora,” Sean Baker spoke with the Associated Press earlier in the month, sharing that he believes intimacy coordinators should be used on a “case-by-case” basis, but did not do so for “Anora” since all the actors were comfortable with him guiding the process.
Though Madison has no qualms over bearing all for her performance, as far as offering herself to an enamored fan base — as her rising star status may soon force her to do — the young actress is slightly less open to the idea.
“I would understand a curiosity toward a character in film, but that’s never been something I’ve really understood — like, the curiosity towards the actor themselves,” said Madison to The New York Times.
In truth, Madison at one point was quite shy and considered acting as a way of learning how to express herself. Earlier in the interview, she said, “I just saw these actors having these deep, emotional intimate connections or experiences on film, and it was so moving and meaningful to me, and I thought that looks fun or that looks like a safe place to explore all of those things without having to do it in real life.”
Perhaps what was so exciting about playing Ani in “Anora” was the chance to step outside of herself, as Madison says that she still hasn’t embodied anyone she feels she can fully relate to.
“I don’t think I’ve ever played a character that feels close to home, which is something I’ve been thinking about recently that I’m interested in doing,” she said. “I don’t know what it would feel like or what the character would look like.”
“Anora” is distributed by Neon and can currently be seen in theaters.
