The Girl’s Girl: Luna Sofia Miranda on Slayyyter, Movie Making and Hustling Her Way Into Anora

Words: Ramona Slick | Photographer: Anna Koblish | Stylist: Tyler Okuns | Hair and MUA: Chelsea Gehr | Video: Lucienne

luna sofia miranda anora polyester zine stripping sexy seductive dressing room lulu ani anora — Stripping is not for the weak. When at the club, you can’t *just* be sexy. On stage, you must be seductive and entertaining. On the floor, you must be fearless and persuasive. In champagne rooms, you must play many roles for customers — fantasy, therapist, comedian, girlfriend, Mistress. It’s *exhausting* having to be a dream girl.
The veil drops in the dressing room. Slumped back in chairs, the heels come off, and bonding begins. Outfits get swapped, numbers get exchanged, and invitations outside the club are extended. I’ve made my closest friends this way. After all, when society has its back turned to you, you must have each other’s spandex-clad backs.

In Anora, the character Lulu immediately stuck out to me. As Ani’s best friend from the club, she provides comfort and familiarity in this alien world of the elite. With an attitude as vibrant as her wigs, she is there for Ani during the intense highs and lows of being on the clock. Lulu is, as Sean Baker describes her, a girl’s girl.

When I hop on a Zoom call with Luna Sofia Miranda, the actress and sex worker who played Lulu, I spot a Slayyyter shirt and know I’m in good company. I chat with the New York native briefly about the Daddy AF singer. As we continue to talk, it feels like I’m back in a dressing room. She’s the perfect fit for Lulu, a true match to her character.

What led you to entertain, both as an actress and a sex worker?

I was one of those weird 12-year-olds who wanted to be an actress, and I wanted to be a stripper. I wanted to go to college to study film and theatre but could not afford it, so I joined a burlesque club. We were a fake sorority but were doing burlesque shows under the radar. And the rest is history.

How were you initially approached for Anora?

I saw this couple and tried to sell them champagne and lap dances. They said, “We're not interested. We're here because we're consulting one of your coworkers for a screenplay.” I'm mad nosy so I asked them all these questions and found out they were casting for a film. I told them I was an actress. And so they said, "You should audition.” I didn't recognize them at first because they're also really low-key but then they said, “Oh, we made The Florida Project.”

I love that you approached Sean Baker in the club - a true hustler at heart.

Yeah, I hustled my way into Anora.

Tell me about your character, Lulu.

I love how they pitched Lulu to me: “She's a girl's girl. She's very happy for Anora to get married to this billionaire. She's the only character in the movie that is her real friend.” That’s how they presented it to me. She's a fun character.

I appreciated your character. It's nice that Ani could have Lulu ground her while also celebrating her hustle.

Yeah, it's nice to see sex workers being friends on screen.

“‘She's the only character in the movie that is her real friend.’ That’s how they presented it to me. She's a fun character.”

Friendship and community, from sex worker to sex worker, is so important. Do you have close relationships with other sex workers in your life?

I can't be friends with someone who's not a hoe. It's the lifestyle where you're up until 6 AM and then sleep all day. So, inevitably, most of my friends are also sex workers.

What part of Anora did you relate to?

One of my favorite things about Anora, which I loved from the moment I read the script, is that she gets her heart broken and humiliated. It's devastating. One of the dangers of the job that nobody talks about is that people come, promise you the world, and then rip it away. That was one of my favorite parts of the film. It's heartbreaking.

How has being a sex worker impacted your life?

My back is so fucked up. I'm gonna go deaf soon. My voice is shredded from screaming over loud music every night. But it also has given me a lot of self-respect because I've been working for myself for a long time. I set my prices. If someone makes me angry. I can walk away - I'm not gonna serve you. When you're working in food service, you can't curse your customers out, but when you're a stripper, you can. I'm not saying that that's safe. I feel like I came of age in the strip club. I cut my teeth in the strip club. I learned how the world works and I'm able to see bullshit a lot more clearly. It's easier to stand up for myself after working in the club for so long.

“I feel like I came of age in the strip club. I cut my teeth in the strip club. It's easier to stand up for myself after working in the club for so long.”

How do you think that this film is going to impact sex workers?

I hope that people see this film and decide that sex workers are worthy of respect, love, compassion, and consideration. I don't have faith in people, especially Hollywood, but I just try. When you're a sex worker, the first thing you learn is not to get your hopes up too high and to keep your expectations low. It's easier to survive that way. But it would be great if people saw this film and had a change of heart.

What are some films you enjoy that represent sex workers well?

I love Working Girls by Lizzie Borden. She went back and forth between shooting and escorting to pay for the shoots. I like this movie from the Philippines, Mamu, about a trans woman sex worker who is struggling, but she's such a hustler. So many sex workers' stories are so tragic. This one just felt very uplifting.

While this is a film about sex work, it also has class critiques. What are your thoughts on the privilege and power afforded to the wealthy versus the working class in Anora?

All of them, Ani and the men, are working for Vanya and his family. There should be more solidarity between them, but there's not. Sex work is entertainment, but it's hard physical labour. I feel way more akin to customer service people than entertainment people because it’s a service job. There's that shot of her leaving the house and the maids are cleaning up. I like that shot a lot. It was very telling to me, she's part of the help.

As a stripper in NYC, what’s your experience been like?

Nobody cares about pole dancing in New York. They want you to sell alcohol and they want you to sell VIP because that is how the clubs make money. You walk in, and there's no one on stage because everyone's in the VIP. I'm a person who makes the bulk of my income doing lap dances. I don't care much about going on stage.

How do you center yourself after a hard day at work?

I need the ice pack. I love the cab ride home. I love the drive home. It's 4 am, and there's no one on the street. It's relaxing. Sometimes I just go to sleep. Sometimes, I'll read or watch TV, probably something really stupid, something that takes me out of my body.

Are you continuing to act? What’s coming up for you?

I took six months off from the club just to focus on acting. I got to do another indie film. I produced a horror film - it’s about a female serial killer who seduces and kills this arrogant NYU filmmaker, but she decides to make her own movie during that process. I'm editing that right now. I'm going back to the club in December. I'm using my money to invest in a better future for myself.

How do you feel about returning to the club?

I'm excited to see tI'm excited to see the girls again. I have a small pool of clients who are very near and dear to me, and I'm excited to see them again. But honestly, I've been getting messages from people who saw the movie and want to come see me. I don't want that for many reasons.

Safety is a huge issue that we must deal with, even without getting international attention. I'm sorry that people are being invasive.

I charge insane prices to scare people away who aren't serious customers.

I know that’s right.

Yes, girl!

The Girl’s Girl: Luna Sofia Miranda on Slayyyter, Movie Making and Hustling Her Way Into Anora

“‘She's the only character in the movie that is her real friend.’ That’s how they presented it to me. She's a fun character.”

“I feel like I came of age in the strip club. I cut my teeth in the strip club. It's easier to stand up for myself after working in the club for so long.”

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