Why does Mikey Madison find 'The Social Reckoning' scary after her Oscar win?

For her first role after winning an Oscar for Anora, Mikey Madison didn’t go bigger — she went quieter. In The Social Reckoning, she plays real-life Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a part that meant shelving the explosive energy of some past performances for a different kind of intensity: restraint, precision and a lot of thinking happening behind the eyes.

Madison said that unnerving shift was the appeal. Speaking to PEOPLE, she described picking roles that make her uncomfortable on purpose.

“I’ve really been stretching myself as an artist, and every role that I’m taking is something that’s kind of scary to me…If I have this feeling of, ‘Oh, how am I going to be able to pull this off?’ I think that’s something good,”

Haugen’s story doesn’t need dramatizing to feel high-stakes. In 2021, the former Facebook employee disclosed internal documents that helped spotlight concerns about the platform’s handling of engagement, misinformation and user safety — real-world fallout Madison kept front of mind while working from Aaron Sorkin’s script.

Staying off the grid

Madison’s own relationship to the online world mirrors the movie ’s subject from a different angle. At the film ’s New York premiere on Oct. 4, she told E! News that avoiding social media wasn’t a reaction to fame — it was how she’s always operated.

She called staying off social media “a personal choice” she made long ago and said she’s “never really been on social media.”

She also made a point of praising Haugen, calling her “an incredible woman,” and admitted she doesn’t know if she’s ever been as strong or as brave. Madison said that’s something she wants to strive for, adding that she hopes to leave something meaningful behind the way Haugen has tried to by pushing for a better, safer internet.

Release details

• Mikey Madison plays Frances Haugen in The Social Reckoning
• Written by Aaron Sorkin
• New York premiere: Oct. 4
• In theaters: Oct. 9