Lindsey Normington Is Rewriting the Script on Sex Work

When Lindsey Normington began stripping 10 years ago to support her acting and filmmaking career, she was obsessed with finding on-screen portrayals of sex work she related to. There weren’t many. Mostly, she had early memories of Law & Order—except the sex workers were almost always “a girl who’s already dead.”

“There’s a saturation of that trope where we never even hear from the girl in the first place,” Normington tells Marie Claire over Zoom. “I was looking for stories, but it was hard.”

But that's changing in Hollywood, thanks to recent films, which prioritize human stories over sensationalism. The 29-year-old is among the talent contributing to those strides forward. She even served as one of the strippers whom Sean Baker consulted and cast in his Oscar-winning film Anora.

This spring, Normington appears opposite Elle Fanning in Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles as the lovable OnlyFans creator Rose. After originally reading for Rico Nasty’s role KC, Normington was brought back for Rose—which ended up being her “ultimate dream,” both because it meant showing her range and sharing the screen with the rapper. But the series, helmed by David E. Kelley, also presented another opportunity for Normington to give her input on her character, the show’s dialogue, and ultimately the representation of sex work in the media and beyond. (After a year’s worth of organizing, in 2023, she helped get North Hollywood’s Star Garden recognized as the first unionized strip club in the nation.)

“It’s very ironic: choosing something on the fringes purposefully and then working harder to legitimize it,” she says.

Here, Normington unpacks how she was heard on the set of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, why she’ll always advocate for her community, and what progress she hopes to see.

Marie Claire: You’ve been a part of projects like Anora and Margo’s Got Money Troubles. What does it lend to a film or series about this community to collaborate with people from these spaces?

Lindsey Normington: I feel really lucky that I’ve been brought on board by storytellers I have respected for a long time. With [Anora and Margo’s Got Money Troubles], the character is a sex worker, but it's a focus on their life, relationships, and inner lives, and less about sensationalizing the work—which is a hole that people exploring the topic fall into. I've been surrounded by people on both projects who are down-to-Earth and considerate of my experiences, and really want to inject that into the story as much as possible.

Sex workers are really important! We're always at the forefront of social issues. We're the first to feel a recession coming on. We're the first to suffer censorship online. I hope people see these stories and then become interested in seeking out more real-life perspectives. If it moves the needle a little bit for one person, I'm excited for that, but it has the potential to do a lot.

MC: What does it feel like when you’re on a set like Margo’s Got Money Troubles?

LN: I felt welcomed from day one with Margo. I feel very lucky because it's my first big recurring role on a TV show. You hear so much about how alienating studio work can be. But from the beginning, everybody was very kind, interested, and down to Earth. I met a lot of producers and directors and did a few rehearsals with Rico [Nasty]. I was a little nervous to meet Elle [Fanning] and Nick [Offerman]—these people I’ve been watching on screen for a long time—but there was such a culture of calm that I really appreciated because I didn’t know what to expect.

I felt that my input was always really well received. There were times when I was like, “No, I don't think a sex worker would say this. I think they'd use this word.” Or, there were times where I was nervous to actually really challenge something, and it was taken totally into consideration, and my suggestions were used. I felt very included.

MC: Your character Rose firmly believes that sex work is art. She really makes the point to Margo. Is that something that resonates with you?

LN: That was a very important point for me to get across. That was something we workshopped, and I was very grateful they let me wedge that in there myself.

If I say, “All sex work is art,” I know a lot of people think I'm talking about pole dancing or OnlyFans, where you do something really creative and can wear a cosplay costume. I'm talking about sucking dick in a car, too! Not everybody's going to understand it, but that's really what I mean. It's important to see how a job that somebody might take out of desperation can become a passion, and that is a huge privilege that not every sex worker is afforded. I understand very personally that there can be so much pressure to separate yourself from your work in a world that doesn't value what you do. So I love that [Margo] finds a route to do it in her own really specific way, and it ends up bringing her a lot of joy.

MC: Your character also tells Margo to check her “internalized whorephobia.” Was that another Lindsey original? Why was that important to get across?

LN: Yes, that was my insertion, as well. Like with any hierarchical identity issue we deal with in the world, [sex workers] deal with internalized misogyny, we deal with internalized racism. It’s something that I talked about a lot from the beginning of my audition process because there is a scene that deals with [Margo] wanting to separate, "Well, I do this, but I don't do this.” We see that in every facet of sex work—and we are all just working, trying to survive, and creating. It's almost impossible not to create hierarchies, but it’s something that we have to fight against because “a rising tide lifts all boats.” I really believe that, especially for marginalized communities. The more we learn to uplift each other, we can focus on what really matters in terms of being a community.

MC: Speaking of the community aspect, you’re very involved in labor organizing. How did you get involved in that aspect and what have you learned from it?

LN: When COVID happened, we had nowhere to work and began doing shows online. I started producing some of those shows, and we would work in a group tip system. Before, I was concerned with making my own money and clocking in, clocking out. Now I'm responsible for everyone making money, and making the same amount of money. I was like, We don't need a man to DJ, manage, count our money, take a percentage. This could be so different. So, going back to the club when they reopened, my perspective changed. I now had such great relationships with the girls, so when shit hit the fan, it was impossible not to want to organize and be behind each other.

It’s the hardest, most important thing I've ever done, and it’s still not over. We’re still awaiting another trial after we reopened with the union; there was so much union busting. On one hand, I'm like, "Oh my God, it'll never be over." On the other hand, I'm like, "Oh, it'll never be over because I love them. I love my friends and my union. And I love our wider community.”

MC: What progress do you hope to continue to see in terms of the representation of sex work in the media?

LN: Sometimes I feel so isolated. I occupy an interesting space by being an actor; I did sex work ultimately to support my acting. I understand an actor's desire to portray a sex worker as much as I understand sex workers fighting for our place to be seen for these roles, first and foremost. I do think it's important to consider us for these roles, but it goes far beyond that. I don't want to be tokenized or relegated to one type of work, in terms of expansion and creative work. I hope to be an example of people understanding that sex work is a creative art in itself, and it lends itself to roles as actors, but also writing, directing, and more. The show does a great job of demonstrating that Margo is a great OnlyFans creator because she is a great writer. I've met the most driven, creative, passionate, free-thinking people I have ever met inside strip club dressing rooms. We have so much to say, even in stories that don't deal in sex work.

I think [change is] happening—but I want it to happen faster and for more people. I will play more sex workers, as long as the role interests me, but I am ready to move into different roles and have the next person because I can't take up all of them. I want to keep the revolving door going.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.