Mikey Madison Revealed She Didn't Use An Intimacy Coordinator For "Anora" Sex Scenes, And She Explained Why

Anora is one of the most celebrated films of the year, and it's making a lot of noise going into awards season as well.

Mark Eidelstein and Mikey Madison in formal attire happily embrace on a city street, with bright lights and fireworks in the background
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

In particular, Mikey Madison — who you probably already knew from her star turns in Better Things and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood — is a surefire bet for a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars for her performance as the titular character. Hell, she could win the whole damn prize.

Mikey Madison with long hair in elegant black lace dress and necklace, at an event
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And if she does, the Oscar would be more than deserved. Mikey's performance is one of the year's best, and it's clearly a role that was both physically and emotionally demanding.

Mikey Madison with long hair looks pensively while sitting in car with an open door
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Mikey's performance also involved several sequences — including sex scenes with her costar Mark Eydelshteyn — that required varying amounts of nudity.

Mark Eidelstein and Mikey Madison kissing in front of candy dispensers, one wearing sunglasses and a jacket with a shearling collar
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

In an interview with Pamela Anderson for Variety, Mikey revealed that she was offered the opportunity to work with an intimacy coordinator while shooting, but she turned it down — and she also explained the thinking behind her decision.

Mikey Madison with long hair in an elegant, patterned off-the-shoulder garment, poses in front of a backdrop with partial text

"For our film, it was a choice that I made," Mikey told Pamela. "The filmmakers offered me, if I wanted, an intimacy coordinator."

Mark Eidelstein lounges on a bed while Mikey Madison in a sleek dress stands near the window with a view of the cityscape
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

Ultimately, Mikey and Mark decided mutually that using an intimacy coordinator for their scenes was unnecessary. "[We] decided it would be best to just keep it small," she said.

A group of people at a lively party; Mark Eidelstein and Mikey Madison share a moment with another in a stylish top
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

Mikey also cited the reputation and filmography of Anora director Sean Baker as a reason why she decided to forego working with an intimacy coordinator.

Sean Baker and Mikey Madison stand in front of a MoMA backdrop; one wears a black sweater, and the other wears a patterned, draped dress
Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images for Museum of Modern Art

"My character is a sex worker, and I had seen Sean’s films and know his dedication to authenticity," she told Pamela. "I was ready for it."

Mark Eidelstein and Mikey Madison on a bed
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection

"As an actress, I approached it as a job."

Mikey Madison with dark hair in elegant lace dress poses in front of leafy background
Kristina Bumphrey / Variety via Getty Images

You can read the entire conversation right here.