If it weren’t for Quentin Tarantino, there would be no Anora, and of course, no Oscar statuette for Mikey Madison as Best Actress. Sean Baker himself said this in his acceptance speech when the legendary director handed his colleague the coveted award.
"Thank you, Quentin. If you didn’t cast Mikey Madison in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, there would be no Anora," Baker said, thanking Tarantino.
After all, Madison’s very small but memorable role in Tarantino’s latest film became the first step toward her success.
But let’s dig a little deeper. You might be surprised to learn that while Tarantino has won two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay (Django Unchained and Pulp Fiction), he has never received an Oscar for Best Director.
An interesting detail: many actors and actresses who have starred in his films have been nominated for Oscars multiple times. Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz even won for Best Supporting Actor in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds, respectively.
And we don’t have to look far — both Mikey Madison and Margaret Qualley started their careers in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And now, this year, it’s their shining moment — Mikey has won an Oscar, while Qualley delivered a brilliant performance in The Substance alongside Demi Moore.
So, as we can see, Tarantino has the magic touch — many actors reach new heights after appearing in his films, and their careers take off in unexpected directions. Meanwhile, Tarantino himself still hasn’t won an Oscar for Best Director. But let’s hope that his final film (as he has stated it will be) will be so unique and outstanding that it finally breaks the pattern and earns him the most prestigious award of his long and prolific career.
