Before Anora, Mikey Madison Starred In Hulu’s Funniest Hidden Gem

Mikey Madison just went from rising talent to the actor everyone suddenly wants to claim they discovered. If you only know her from the awards heat around 'Anora,' you missed a very funny, very sharp TV turn that was hiding in plain sight. Time to fix that: cue up 'Better Things' on Hulu and meet Max.

Before the Oscar glow, there was Max Fox

Madison plays Maxine 'Max' Fox on FX's 'Better Things,' a semi-autobiographical dramedy from Pamela Adlon about a working actor and single mom raising three daughters in Los Angeles. Adlon stars as Sam Fox, whose life is equal parts chaotic and disarmingly sincere, and Madison slots in as the headstrong eldest who locks horns with mom and still manages to surprise her in the best ways. The core family includes Frankie (Hannah Allgood) and Duke (Olivia Edward), with Sam's mom Phil (Celia Imrie) hovering nearby and weighing in, wanted or not. The show bowed out in 2022 after five seasons, and the finale hit like a hug and a goodbye at the same time.

'Better Things was like my college,' Madison said when the series wrapped, crediting the show with teaching her how to act.

The path tracks: by the time that farewell rolled around, Madison had already popped in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' and the 2022 'Scream.' Still, she points back to those formative years on 'Better Things' as the thing that built her instincts. It fits the performance you see on the show — funny, prickly, and miles more layered than the standard TV teen.

'I started the show when I was 15 and a half and I will be 23 soon... I am kind of heartbroken that it is ending, but also excited for what it might allow.'

From FX troublemaker to 'Anora' knockout

The next chapter came fast. In 2023, Madison landed the lead in Sean Baker's 'Anora' — and yes, that is the performance that turned into an Academy Award win for Best Actress the following year. Baker, whose credits include 'Tangerine' and 'The Florida Project,' cast her without an audition after seeing those earlier supporting turns, then essentially built the film around her. That is a wild bit of creative confidence you do not see every day, and it paid off.

'Anora' tracks Ani Mikheeva, a Brooklyn dancer who speaks Russian and gets paired with a wealthy client from Moscow circles: Ivan 'Vanya' Zakharov, played by Mark Eydelshteyn. The first-act sweep is intoxicating — lavish nights, impulsive gestures, a Vegas elopement that feels like a fairy tale — until Vanya's powerful parents send muscle to drag him home. From there, Ani is stuck with the crew: Igor (Yura Borisov), who has a surprising conscience, and Toros (Karren Karagulian), Vanya's godfather with his own loyalties. It turns thrilling, infuriating, and then downright wrenching. Madison sells every beat like she has been doing this for decades. Also worth noting: Baker tied a major Oscars milestone with this one. Not bad for a movie that hinges on her carrying nearly every scene.

Where to watch, and why to start now

If 'Anora' is the coronation, 'Better Things' is the origin story — and it is streaming on Hulu right now. The show is breezy episode to episode, but over five seasons it sneaks up on you with that lived-in, funny-sad warmth. Madison's Max grows from impulsive kid to someone who makes her mom proud, and you can literally see the craft clicking into place. If you want to understand why that Oscar made sense, start here.

• The show: 'Better Things' (FX), five seasons, ended in 2022; streaming on Hulu
• The family: Sam (Pamela Adlon), Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Allgood), Duke (Olivia Edward), and Phil (Celia Imrie)
• The leap: Madison leads 'Anora' (2023), wins Best Actress in 2024; cast by Sean Baker without an audition