Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres is encouraging fans to celebrate Mikey Madison after the latter’s Academy Award win for Best Actress in Anora. Torres spoke in response to the online criticism Madison has faced since receiving the Oscar on Monday.
Torres, 59, was nominated for her work in Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, a film that made history by becoming the first Brazilian movie to win the Best International Feature Oscar. Despite her loss in the Best Actress category, Torres made it clear she holds no hard feelings toward Madison.
“Brazil is very passionate and all, but I wanted to ask that you only send love to Madison. Send only love because that woman is amazing. That’s all I wanted to ask,” Torres said during a post-ceremony press conference.
However, several X users claimed Madison didn’t deserve the award. “Nothing against Mikey Madison, but her performance doesn't even come close to what Fernanda Torres did. I just regret that the Academy doesn't know how to recognize this, but Brazil does,” one person commented.
Another user jokingly wrote that Mikey Madison was a “persona non grata” in Brazil now. Someone else opined that the Anora actress should avoid visiting Brazil “for her own safety”. The sentiment found resonance in another X user’s post who wrote, “Mikey Madison will never be welcome in Brazil.”
Madison’s victory came as a surprise to many, as Demi Moore had been widely considered the frontrunner for her role in The Substance. Moore, who secured major wins at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and SAG Awards, took to Instagram to congratulate Madison.
“As this awards season comes to a close, I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for this journey,” Moore wrote. “It’s been the ride of a lifetime and we’re just getting started! So grateful for my team, my fellow nominees, and everyone who has made this experience so full of joy and light… And a huge congratulations to Mikey Madison — can’t wait to see what you do next.”
In her acceptance speech, Madison acknowledged her fellow nominees, calling their performances “thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking”. “I’m honored to be recognised alongside all of you. This is a dream come true,” she added.
In Anora, Madison plays a sex worker whose life spirals into chaos after she marries the son of a Russian oligarch. The Sean Baker-directed film took home five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Baker.
