Getting to Know the Real Mikey Madison, With Some Help From Her Friend Penelope
Vogue
In this Vogue "behind the cover" video, guest reporter Owen Thiele visits Mikey Madison at home to find out who the actor is away from the spotlight. The introduction lists Madison's credits: Sadie Atkins in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the title role in Anora, and an Academy Award. It frames Madison's off-screen self as a mystery the visit will solve. The interview itself is short and increasingly interrupted, and it is played as a comedy sketch. Madison keeps getting pulled away by a houseguest named Penelope and eventually tells Thiele that if they want to know the real Mikey, they should ask Penelope.
The Cover Shoot in the Desert
The conversation starts with the Vogue cover. Madison says the shoot took place a little outside Los Angeles, in what they describe as a beautiful desert landscape with beautiful clothes. Asked for a favorite look, Madison says there were so many good pieces that choosing is hard, but names a black western cowboy hat as the item they loved most. Madison then offers Thiele tea, water, cookies, and fruit, and the interview moves on.
An Average Day Off
Thiele asks what Madison does on a typical day. Madison says that on days off from work they try to wake up fairly early, "as early as I can," then look at their planner and maybe do some journaling. Madison breaks off partway through to apologize: "I have a friend staying with me." This is the first sign of the houseguest who takes over the rest of the video.
Why Madison Stays Off Social Media
Thiele notes that Madison is "famously not on social media." Madison calls it "just a personal choice." Madison explains that they prefer to connect with people face to face, and that doing so "gives a better sense of the real me." Thiele's narration picks up that phrase: getting to know the real Mikey is the stated goal of the visit.
Interruptions in the Garden
Madison suggests a snack in the garden. There, Thiele asks where Madison shot The Social Reckoning. Madison gets as far as "we shot in Vancouver" before being interrupted again. "Oh, that's just my friend Penelope," Madison says, and then has an off-camera exchange with Penelope: they can go in maybe 30 minutes, Penelope doesn't need a sweater, and Madison is "literally mic'd right now." Madison then proposes that everyone walk to a nearby café that Penelope loves.
How Madison and Penelope Met
Asked how the two met, Madison calls it "a very kismet situation." Madison had shattered their laptop at the worst possible time, ran to the Apple Store to get it fixed, and Penelope was there. Thiele jokes that this was "because she likes apples." Other moments in this stretch play on the idea that Penelope is no ordinary friend, including "She's just hungry" and a line about forgetting "your Penelope keys."
A Lifelong Dream, Still Sinking In
In the middle of this, Thiele asks whether being on the cover of "the book" was always Madison's dream. Madison says it is probably "every little girl's dream," but one that seems unattainable and out of reach. It was definitely a dream of theirs, Madison says, and "I'm pinching myself like I can't believe that it happened." Madison then turns back to Penelope, calls the moment "so sweet," and says, "we're besties."
"Ask Penelope"
Thiele says in narration that they had begun to think getting through to the real Mikey would be impossible. Then Madison says that since they met, the two have been best friends, "and I hope that we will be forever." Madison adds: "If you really want to get a sense of the real me, you should ask Penelope." Thiele says that is exactly what they did.
Thiele's sign-off plays the moment as a success: "There you have it. The real Mikey Madison." Thiele also says they hope everyone has a friend as loyal, thoughtful, and kind as Penelope, and points viewers to the print issue for the full story.
Disneyland and Laughter
In a closing tag, the group talks about going out. Asked whether they have been to Disneyland together, Madison says they went once because Penelope had never been. Madison says Penelope let Madison cut her in line, then calls Penelope "one of the funniest people I've ever met" and says, "All we do is laugh." The video ends on this note: the most revealing thing about Madison, as the video tells it, is the friendship with Penelope rather than anything said in the formal interview.
You know her as Sadie Atkins in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the titular star of Anora, and an Academy Award winner. But who Mikey Madison is when she's not in the spotlight remains a mystery. Until now.
Hi, I'm Owen Thiele, guest reporter at Vogue magazine. I'm outside of Mikey Madison's home, here to interview the star herself and see what she's been up to the last year.
Hi. Oh. Hi. Hi, how are you? I'm good, how are you? Thank you for having us. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah, this is so fun. I know, I'm so excited. Me, too. Should we go inside? Yes.
Our morning with Mikey started as a standard affair when we got right down to discussing her cover shoot.
So, we shot a little bit outside of LA. Beautiful desert landscape, beautiful clothes, obviously. The favorite thing that you wore? There were so many good things, it's hard to choose, but I loved this black western cowboy hat that I wore. Yeah.
Do you want some tea? Oh, I would love some. Yeah. Owen, want tea, water, cookies, fruit, help yourself. Sweet.
Okay, so what does Mikey do on an average day? On an average day, when I'm not working, I try to wake up fairly early. As early as I can. I'll look at my planner, maybe do a little bit of journaling. Sorry, I have a friend staying with me. Yeah.
You're famously not on social media. It's just a personal choice. I prefer to be face-to-face when I'm connecting with someone, and I feel like it gives a better sense of the real me. You know?
And getting to know the real Mikey was exactly what I set out to do.
So, what are all the things that are happening right now? I thought maybe we could have a little snack in the garden. Is that okay? Yes, yes. Yes, please. Okay, guys.
So, where did you shoot The Social Reckoning? So, we shot in Vancouver. Oh, that's just my friend Penelope. Sorry? Yeah, like we can go in maybe 30 minutes. Is that okay? No, you don't need a sweater. It's fine. No, I'm literally mic'd right now. Sorry.
I was thinking maybe we could all go to this cafe that Penelope loves. All of us going? Yeah. It's just around the corner, so we can even walk there. Or we can hop in the car if you want if that's easier. Walk. Yeah.
So how did you two meet? You and Penelope? It was actually a very kismet situation. So I had shattered my laptop, of course, in the worst possible timing you could imagine. So, I ran to the Apple Store to fix it, and she was there. Oh, because she likes apples.
Ready? You forgot your Penelope keys. She's just hungry. She's just hungry.
So, was it always... Oh, oopsie. Sorry. Was it always your dream to be on the cover of the book? Yeah, I mean I think it's kind of every little girl's dream, you know, but something that seems so unattainable and out of reach in a way. So, yeah, it was definitely a dream of mine. I'm still pinching myself like I can't believe that it happened. Mhm.
This is so sweet. This is so sweet. Yeah, I mean we're besties. And what is that? Oopsie. Oh, sorry.
I was starting to feel like it was going to be impossible to get through to the real Mikey until... And ever since we met, we've just been best friends and I hope that we will be forever. If you really want to get a sense of the real me, you should ask Penelope. And that's exactly what I did.
Well, there you have it. The real Mikey Madison. I hope all of us have a friend as loyal and thoughtful and kind as Penelope. To get the exclusive scoop in print, pick up the new issue of Vogue magazine. In the meantime, I'm Owen Thiele and this is Vogue magazine's behind the cover.
Where are we going, ladies? I think we should go out. Yeah, right? Penelope, what bar? Oh, such a good idea. That's so brilliant. That's really fun. They're boobs, right?
You guys go to Disneyland? We did once, actually. She had never been, so I brought her. No, I think she had spilled some water on her phone, but anyway, she let me cut her in line. One of the funniest people I've ever met. All we do is laugh. Really? Yeah. Millie's laughing?
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