Anora is a great reminder to watch Mikey Madison’s breakout TV role with 98% on RT

Mikey Madison is getting a lot of Oscar attention for his powerful lead performance in anorabut she got her first big break playing Max in Pamela Adlon’s underrated drama series Better things. Madison is one of the most promising rising stars in Hollywood right now; anora is the latest of many high-profile roles she has played in recent years. In 2019, she played Manson family member Susan Atkins in Quentin Tarantino’s 60s-set epic. Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodand in 2022, she played a new incarnation of Ghostface, Amber Freeman, in Scream.

anora made Madison a bigger star than ever. Sean Baker’s darkly comic story about an exotic dancer who impulsively marries the immature son of a Russian oligarch is considered a major awards season contender. It is expected to receive a Best Picture nomination, a Best Director nomination for Baker and a Best Actress nomination for Madison. Madison gives one of the best performances of the year, rounding out Ani as a real human being with depth and vulnerability, but she got her breakout role eight years ago in Better things.

Before Anora, Mikey Madison got his first big break in Pamela Adlon’s Better Things

Madison plays Adlon’s eldest daughter, Max

Eight years before starring anoraMadison got her big break with the role of Max Fox in Pamela Adlon’s semi-autobiographical series Better things in FX. Adlon stars as Sam, a working actor and single mother trying to balance her career with her responsibilities as a mother. She has three daughters: Duke, the youngest (and sweetest), played by Olivia Edward; Frankie, the rebellious middle child, played by Hannah Alligood; and Max, the oldest (and most volatile), played by Madison. Sam’s mother, played by Celia Imrie, lives next door and helps with the children as the absentee father is useless.

Better things is about the trials and tribulations of being a single working parent. Sam has to balance raising his children with keeping a roof over their heads – and not lose your mind in the process. The cast shares spectacular on-screen chemistry; it’s completely believable that these are Sam’s children and she is their mother, and despite their fights, they really love each other. In 2017, the series won a Peabody Award for its raw and innovative portrayal of motherhood. It’s a shame that despite its universal acclaim, the show wasn’t a huge hit with viewers.

Better Things exemplifies Madison’s reach

Max is a complete three-dimensional character

The role of Max showcased Madison’s acting range early in her career. Most teenage characters seen on TV comedies are one-dimensional characters – whether they’re stupid, rebellious or smart, they tend to be one-note – but Max is a complete three-dimensional character. She has an explosive temper, but deep down she is a good person. She is apparently very bold and confident, but deep down she is insecure. Her relationship with her mother is deeply complex; they are constantly arguing with each other, but there is also a clear love and compassion between them.

Between Better things’52 episodes, Madison had plenty of opportunities to demonstrate her range. The show’s comedic material gave her a chance to show off her perfect comedic timing (which is what did anora a big mess of laughter), but the more dramatic scenes gave her a chance to actually act too. It’s truly a spectacular performance – it’s no wonder Madison is finally becoming a huge star.

Better Things perfects the same tonal balance as Anora

It has a lot of humor, but it is also a genuinely moving and heartfelt drama

What it does anora so great is its perfect tonal balance. It’s a tender, moving character drama, but it also packs more laughs than most of the year’s straight comedies – especially when Toros and his henchmen show up. Madison managed this tonal balance brilliantly, getting lots of laughs in the comedic moments and touching the audience’s hearts in the dramatic moments, and guiding the character through these shocking changes. Madison had already achieved this tonal balance in Better thingswhich does the same.

As The Bear and Succession, Better things has always defied TV’s binary categorization of comedy and dramabecause it alternated between a hilarious and entertaining comedy and a tragic and moving drama. It’s packed with great jokes and one-liners, but it also finds plenty of time to hit home with the audience. As with Sean Baker’s previous films, the best genre classification to describe anora is”slice of life” – and Better things it’s the same. Just like Baker, Adlon writes characters who feel like living, breathing human beings, and in both projects, Madison nailed those roles.