Julia Garner recently shared insight into her demanding audition for the highly anticipated Madonna biopic, a project she is currently attached to star in. During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast, the Emmy-winning actress revealed the preparation required to embody the pop icon, highlighting the pressure to prove her dancing and singing abilities.
The film, directed by Madonna herself, remains in development despite delays. Garner confirmed the project is still active, with no definitive release date announced. The actress, known for her roles in Ozark and Fantastic Four: First Steps, described the audition process as intense due to the need to match Madonna’s performance skills.
Garner’s Experience Preparing to Portray a Pop Legend
On the podcast, cohost Sean Hayes asked Garner if she was still slated to play Madonna, to which she replied,
“Yeah, I mean, that’s supposed to still happen.”
The actress expressed admiration for Madonna, explaining how growing up listening to her music influenced her motivation to pursue the role.
Garner recounted,
“It just came about. I knew they were doing a project, making a movie about it, and then I went out to audition,”
adding,
“I kind of just wanted to see if I could do it, because I wasn’t a trained dancer and I had to learn how to dance and then dance in front of her and convince her that I can dance, basically, and sing. And sing with her!”
This illustrates the high stakes of her audition, requiring skills she had to rapidly develop to satisfy Madonna’s standards for the role.
Using Madonna’s Own Confidence to Manage Audition Pressure
To handle the stress of the demanding audition, Garner adopted a mindset inspired by Madonna’s own assertiveness. She shared,
“I just thought, ‘Okay, what would Madonna do?’ Which is convince you that she deserves, you know, to be in this room, and I owned it. I was kind of like, ‘You can take it or leave it, but if you leave it, if I leave, then that’s on you.’”
This approach helped Garner perform confidently, despite the intense scrutiny.
She remains optimistic about the film’s future, remarking,
“But I also feel like anything that’s great”
—
indeed, she said, such projects take a long time to come to fruition.
Background and Current Status of the Madonna Biopic
Julia Garner initially secured the role in 2022, but the film experienced delays after it was dropped from Universal’s production slate early in 2023 to accommodate Madonna’s Celebration tour. During that tour, Garner appeared as a special guest, performing alongside Madonna in a New York City segment inspired by the hit single Vogue, which is linked to the film’s narrative.
Madonna resumed work on the biopic in 2024, with sources confirming that Garner remains the lead star. The film was temporarily titled Who’s That Girl, referencing Madonna’s 1987 comedy and the chart-topping song of the same name, moments captured by Madonna on social media during screenplay revisions.
Script Development and Story Themes Explored
The screenplay‘s initial draft was co-written by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody, who completed her part in 2021 before exiting to pursue other projects. Madonna then collaborated with Erin Cressida Wilson to further develop the script.
Madonna has described the biopic as a portrayal of her
“struggle as an artist trying to survive in a man’s world as a woman, and really just the journey.”
She characterized the story as a complex blend of
“happy, sad, mad, crazy, good, bad, and ugly”
experiences chronicling her rise, including key moments like releasing Like a Prayer, starring in Evita, and her relationships with Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza, influential figures in New York City’s Harlem ballroom scene who shaped the creation of Vogue.
Additional Casting Insights and Industry Connections
Entertainment Weekly reported in early 2022 that actress Julia Fox met with Madonna to discuss joining the project as Debi Mazar, a longtime friend of Madonna’s whom she first encountered at the iconic Danceteria club in the 1980s. This reflects the film’s incorporation of authentic relationships important to Madonna’s personal and professional life.
Implications and Expectations for the Biopic
The Madonna biopic is highly anticipated both for its unique perspective, offering an autobiographical narrative directed by the pop star herself, and for Julia Garner’s demanding preparation to bring authenticity to the role. The project’s delay underscores the complexities involved in creating a biopic that does justice to such a legendary figure. Fans and industry observers will be watching closely for further updates as production progresses.
Given the extensive effort and time invested by Garner and Madonna, the film aims to provide an intimate look at the pop icon’s artistic journey and the challenges she faced, which may offer a fresh, personal portrayal in a genre often marked by biographical exaggeration.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Does Julia Garner have a disability?
A. When she was young, Julia Garner had epilepsy and struggled with learning disabilities. She went to Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, Connecticut, a private school for children who have unique learning needs. At 14, she started acting classes to help with her shyness.
Q. What did Anna Delvey think of Julia Garner?
A. “Delvey, also known as Anna Sorokin, described Garner as very nice. She mentioned that Garner visited her and seemed very sweet. Delvey, 31, explained they only met once, during which Garner was asked to mimic Delvey’s well-known accent.”
Q. Did Julia Garner wear a prosthetic?
A. Along with glamorous costumes and wigs, Garner decided to use fake teeth. This choice was a last-minute addition to her character. “I also had, you know, false teeth,” shared the actress, who naturally has a gap between her teeth.
