actress Mikey Madison spent months embodying the moves of a real exotic dancer Sean Baker'S Anora.

In the film, which won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Madison, 25, plays a Russian-American sex worker and stripper from Brooklyn who falls in love with a Russian Nepo baby's son, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). A week after meeting at headquarters, the Manhattan strip club where Ani works, they marry and she is introduced to a world of wealth. It's a fairytale story – until chaos breaks out. After Ivan's parents learn that their son has married Ani, they immediately fly to America to have the marriage annulled and blame Ivan for shaming their family because they look down on Ani's profession.

“There are so many social stigmas that have existed since the beginning of time. It’s really unfortunate,” Madison said exclusively Us weekly on the red carpet for the New York premiere on Tuesday, October 15th. “But I think slowly but surely things are getting better.”

Through working on the film, Madison learned that people misunderstand “everything” about strippers.

“It’s just a job and it’s a real job. It’s hard work too,” she said.

The Better things The actress continued, “I have so much respect and love for the sex work community and have been able to meet so many incredible women through my research.”

When Madison prepared for the role, she watched documentaries, read memoirs by sex workers and spent time with her co-stars – real dancers Luna Sofia Miranda and former dancer Lindsey Normington.

“We spent a lot of time together just talking about the lifestyle and … the day in the life of a stripper,” said Miranda, who was also one of Madison's advisors.

Normington, who used to dance but has since retired to concentrate on her acting career, said Us She thought Madison did an “excellent job” of accurately portraying a stripper.

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“She did a lot of research. She did a lot of training. She did so many surveys that a lot of it didn't even make it into the film, but it's just a testament to how seriously she took it,” Normington said.

“It can feel like, 'Oh, we have to fulfill this archetype or this niche,'” she said of the perception of strippers. “Every type of person does sex work. So it’s like exploring all the different options.”

Neons Anora hits theaters on Friday, October 18th.