Mikey Madison Feels a ‘Need to Withdraw’ 6 Months After Oscar Win

The Anora star reflects on fame, introversion, and her evolving career in a candid Vogue Italia interview

Mikey Madison is learning to navigate the complexities of sudden stardom. Six months after her historic Academy Award win, the Anora actress is opening up about the profound shifts in her life — and the quiet conflict that comes with them.

“I feel like everything around me has changed, and I think that’s increasing my need to withdraw into myself,” the 26-year-old told Vogue Italia. “I’m extremely introverted, but I also have a big desire for adventure. It’s a conflict I’ve always felt, but it’s gotten worse lately.”

Madison’s breakout performance in Sean Baker’s 2024 hit Anora earned her the Best Actress Oscar in March, where she triumphed over formidable contenders including Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres. At just 25, she became the first Gen-Z performer to win an acting Oscar and the ninth-youngest recipient in the category’s history.

Despite the accolade, Madison remains deeply private. She keeps her statuette at home in the Valley — not far from where she grew up — alongside “a cat, three dogs, and a vinyl collection.” She avoids social media, rarely attends industry parties, and admits she struggles with how fame reshapes her sense of self.

“It’s as if I’m now aware of how I’m perceived,” she reflected. “I never regret missing a party or a dinner, but it seems like society is forcing me to ask myself, ‘Should I do it too to be happy? To be fair?’ We pretend to be someone we’re not to make others feel comfortable. I think shyness should be considered a form of poetry.”

A Whirlwind of Opportunity

Since her Oscar win, Madison’s name has swirled in casting rumors — from A24’s Masque of the Red Death to Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network Part II. Variety also reported that she declined a role in Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars installment. Her only confirmed project is Reptilia, an upcoming mermaid thriller directed by Alejandro Landes Echavarría and co-starring Kirsten Dunst.

Reflecting on her meteoric rise, Madison credits Anora with altering the course of her career. “It’s as if Sean Baker plucked me out of the darkness,” she said. “I still feel like I’m at the beginning of my career; I feel like the time has come to play characters that terrify me. I need to read a script and be afraid.”

Holding on to Kindness and Playfulness

Even with her career accelerating, Madison’s aspirations remain grounded. “It’s wonderful to meet people who are at the peak of their careers and choose to remain kind. That’s exactly what I want to be,” she shared.

She also revealed how her mother’s words continue to guide her: “My mom said to me just the other day: ‘If only you could see yourself the way you see others, you’d be so much happier.’”

For Madison, success is less about the spotlight and more about inner growth. “I admire those who nurture their ‘sense of playfulness,’” she said. “I’d like to be indulgent with myself, too.”

As she embraces her introversion while seeking characters that push her boundaries, Madison stands as one of Hollywood’s most compelling new voices — a young star determined to balance artistry, humility, and self-discovery in the aftermath of unprecedented acclaim.