Anora has emerged as the frontrunner at the Oscars with its exciting story that takes the Anora characters on a wild ride with acclaimed filmmaker Sean Baker at the helm. The movie is a funny, wild, and surprisingly moving story of an exotic dancer who meets the rich son of a Russian businessman. After a hasty marriage, her Cinderella story takes an unexpected turn. In the past, Baker has been known to “discover” talents with his films. For Anora, Baker has ᴀssembled some rising stars, frequent collaborators, and actors known mostly for their work in Russia.

The approach has worked as Anora has become a favorite during awards season. Along with winning the Producer’s Guild Awards for Best Film, Anora has received six Oscar nominations, including some for members of the cast. The actors are essential to the success of the movie as they fit into the improvisational, chaotic, and fast-paced energy of the movie. With a couple of truly standout performances to sell the bigger moments in the movie, the Anora cast deserves all the praise they have been receiving.

Mikey Madison As Anora aka Ani

Born March 25, 1999

• Active Since: 2013

Actor: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Madison got her start in acting when she starred in several short films as a young teenager. From there, she later got her big break playing the character of Max in the TV series Better Things. She has also had roles in films such as Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and 2022’s Scream. Apart from the minimally seen 2015 film Liza Liza: Skies Are Grey, Anora is Madison’s first leading film role.

Character: Madison plays the тιтular role, who is otherwise known as Ani, in Anora. Ani is a Russian-American stripper from Brooklyn whose conversational fluency in Russian sees her getting set up with young and rich Vanya. Impressed with her Russian as well as her looks, Vanya makes Ani a part of his lavish life as his new girlfriend which eventually leads to a quick marriage. Madison has received several awards for her performance in Anora, including a recent BAFTA win, and received a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars.

Mark Eidelshtein As Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov

Born February 18, 2002

• Active Since: 2020

Actor: Eidelshtein is a Russian-born actor from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Prior to Anora, his film career has been typically comprised of Russian-language content, including the films Pervvy sneg, Strana Sasha, and episodes of TV series such as Smychok, and Monastyr. In addition to Anora, Eidelshtein has remained active this year through his work in the television series Chistye and Farma.

Character: Playing opposite Madison’s Ani, Eidelshtein appears as Ivan, otherwise known as “Vanya,” in Anora. Vanya is the son of a rich Russian businessman. While his father has plans for him to eventually join the family business, Vanya is more than happy to spend his time partying in his parents’ mansion in America while they are back home in Russia. Ani is initially taken in by Vanya’s fun, outgoing personality, but eventually discovers when things get tough, he runs.

Yura Borisov as Igor

Born December 8, 1992

• Active Since: 2003

Actor: Born in Reutov, Russia, Borisov is similar to Eidelshtein in that he is also mainly known for Russian-language films. While he has been active in the industry for a while, his most notable part of late is playing Lyokha in the drama-romance film Compartment Number 6. This earned the actor attention at several film festivals, and he even won Best Actor at the São Paulo International Film Festival and Valladolid International Film Festival. His other roles include parts in Captain Volkonogov Escaped, Kalashnikov, and T-34.

Character: Borisov plays Igor in Anora, a low-level Russian thug who is tasked with helping out in the chaotic aftermath of the revelation about Ani and Vanya’s marriage. He is a soft-spoken man who can be tough at times but is more kind-hearted than he initially seems, which comes through in Anora‘s ending. As a hired muscle, he feels a certain connection to Ani and has sympathy for her being mistreated by the kind of people who look down on both of them. Borisov has received Golden Globe, SAG, and Oscar nominations for his breakout role in Anora.

Vache Tovmasyan As Garnick

Born July 15, 1986

• Active Since: 2012

Actor: Tovmaysan was born in Yerevan, Armenia (formerly the Soviet Union). The actor got his start playing Bido in the 2012 film Lost and Found in Armenia. Despite beginning his career over a decade ago, Tovmasyan has been in very few projects thus far. His other roles include parts in Stone Cage and Golden School. With Anora his biggest project to date, it is possible that Baker’s film could catapult the Armenian actor’s career forward.

Character: Tovmasyan plays opposite Borisov as Garnick, one of the two henchmen set to break up Ani and Vanya’s relationship. Specifically, Tovmasyan’s role is Garnick. Garnick is another underling, working under his domineering brother, Toros. He comes to Vanya’s house to take care of the situation only for things to quickly spiral out of control. After getting his nose broken by Ani early on, Garnick steps the majority of the movie gradually and hilariously slipping into a concussive state.

Anora Supporting Cast & Characters

Meet The Supporting Cast Behind Anora

Karren Karagulian as Toros: Karagulian is a Baker film veteran. He has previously played roles in all of Baker’s feature films, from Four Letter Words in 2000 to 2021’s Red Rocket. In Anora, Karagulian plays Vanya’s handler, a man named Toros. Toros is the catalyst for the film’s main drama, as he is the one who sends Igor and Garnick to track down Ani and Vanya, then becomes the driving force in finding Vanya after he runs.

Aleksei Serebryakov as Nikolai Zakharov: Serebryakov was born in Moscow on July 3, 1964. Anora is his first film with Baker, but the actor has one of the most robust filmographies of anyone in Anora. His breakout role was in the Russian film Leviathan in 2014, and he has also been in films such as Nobody and Van Goghs. In Anora, Serebryakov plays Nikolai Zakharov, Vanya’s father, a businessman who is reluctantly dragged into this family drama when Vanya gets married.

Darya Ekamasova as Galina Zakharov: Like Serebryakov, Ekamasova is also a Moscow-born actor. She previously acted alongside Serebryakov in the 2024 TV series YUG. In Anora, she plays Nikolai’s wife, Galina, who is Vanya’s mother and the one who demands that the marriage to Ani be annulled. She is a harsh and domineering woman who is not shy about throwing around her powerful status.