Mikey Madison Reveals the Film Performance That Left Her Stunned

Fresh from her Oscar win for Anora, Mikey Madison has been keeping a lower profile, choosing not to rush headlong into a flurry of new projects. With a part in The Social Reckoning—the much-anticipated follow-up to The Social Network—on the horizon, Madison appears to be conserving her energy, perhaps wary of the relentless pace that often follows such recognition. Reflecting on her recent experiences, she remarked last summer, “I feel like everything around me has changed, and I think that’s increasing my need to withdraw into myself.”

So, what fills the days when one isn’t darting between sets and interviews? For Madison, a self-confessed devotee of the silver screen, it’s a chance to revisit the performances that have shaped her own approach to acting. She’s long admired the likes of Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces and the ensemble of Paris, Texas, but there’s one portrayal that, in her eyes, towers above the rest.

Unmatched Intensity: A Standout Role

During a visit to the Criterion Closet, Madison didn’t hesitate to name the performance she considers “one of the most incredible performances by an actress in the history of cinema.” Her choice: Isabelle Huppert’s turn in Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher. Huppert’s portrayal of Erika, a solitary, middle-aged piano instructor living under the suffocating thumb of her mother, is nothing short of harrowing. Erika’s private world is a labyrinth of self-punishment and secret compulsions—she mutilates herself, indulges in voyeurism, and even sniffs used tissues in an adult shop. The character is desperate for intimacy, yet utterly incapable of forming a conventional bond.

Erika’s relationship with a younger student spirals into a disturbing power dynamic, as she insists on strict rules for their encounters. What begins as a peculiar arrangement soon unravels into something far more unsettling. The Piano Teacher is not a film for the faint-hearted; it’s bleak, discomforting, and unflinching in its depiction of psychological torment. Yet, it stands as one of the most profound cinematic achievements of the 21st century.

Huppert’s Mesmerising Transformation

Huppert’s performance is a masterclass in controlled chaos. She infuses Erika with a wild, almost feral energy, while never letting the character slip into caricature. The audience is left both appalled and oddly sympathetic, even as Erika’s actions grow increasingly alarming—slipping shards of glass into her student’s pocket, or attempting to seduce her own mother. The film’s final moments are seared into memory: Erika, after stabbing herself, exits the concert hall with a face that betrays both revulsion and eerie composure.

Madison is particularly struck by this climactic scene.

“She is so intense and vulnerable, and [in] this scene where she stabs herself in the shoulder, there’s a sound that comes out of her throat, it’s so guttural, I remember watching this, and I was like, ‘I have to go back and see this one more time,’ because I kind of can’t believe that I just saw this performance. You imagine with another actress, what would they have brought to the character? But you can only picture Isabelle Huppert in this role.”

A Performance That Redefines the Craft

For Madison, Huppert’s work in The Piano Teacher is the benchmark against which all others are measured. The sheer vulnerability and ferocity on display, especially in that unforgettable final act, left her genuinely stunned. It’s a role that, in her view, could not have been realised by anyone else. The combination of emotional rawness and technical precision is, quite simply, unmatched.