Yahoo Lifestyle Mikey Madison Jokes Her Brother 'Bet a Lot of Money' on Her “Anora” Oscar Nomination (Exclusive)
The actress opened up about her Academy Award nomination in PEOPLE's 2025 Oscar Portfolio
Mikey Madison’s family members are rooting for her on Oscar night!
The Anora star, 25, who appears in PEOPLE's 2025 Oscar Portfolio, now on stands, says her brother was thrilled by her Oscar nomination — particularly after placing substantial bets on her being nominated at the ceremony.
“My brother, he bet a lot of money on the nomination, so I think he was happy that I got nominated,” grins Madison, who earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
The Scream star adds that the rest of her family — which includes her parents and four siblings — "are really excited, and they're very proud of me.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Madison recalls hearing her name called while staying in a hotel in New York away from her family back in California, where she grew up.
“So I was just FaceTiming my mom and my dad, my brother, my dog,” she says, joking: “My cat was nowhere to be seen. She was gone. She didn't care about the nominations.”
Afterwards, she says, she kept it pretty low-key. "I don't think I really digested it at all, but I did have pancakes. So that was my little celebration."
Also Oscar nominated is her Anora costar Yura Borisov, who also earned his first nod for Best Supporting Actor. The film, which recently picked up momentum with wins at the Director's Guild and Producers Guild award shows, received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture.
Instagram @anoramovie
Anora"I didn't want any of it to end," Madison says of filming Anora, in which she plays a brash New York City stripper and sex worker who elopes with the irresponsible son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). "When we wrapped shooting, I wanted to keep going. I was so heartbroken that it was over because the connections that I made with people were so special to me."
Madison tells PEOPLE the Oscar journey so far has been “surreal."
“It's kind of hard to put into words because it's so meaningful to be nominated by your peers, in an industry that I love so much and admire. So it's kind of a dream come true in lots of ways," reflects the actress.
“Very surreal as well. But it means the world to me. I love my film, Anora. It's always been a very special project to me. And so, for it to be recognized and at a scale like this is, it's amazing,” she adds.
Come Oscar night on March 2, Madison says she will “try to stay present” and not to take it “too seriously” so she can truly enjoy the moment.
“I think it's really important though. I am constantly reminding myself to stay present,” says the actress. “Often in my life, I'm sort of living a little bit into the future, or too far back in time. And so I'm really trying to just remember, keep certain memories to have forever.”
“Maybe I should start journaling or something because I really want to remember all of this,” she adds.
Conan O'Brien hosts the 2025 Oscars, which will air live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu.
Read the original article on People
