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Anya Taylor-Joy is working her way to becoming a household name. After making her lead debut in A24’s The Witch, the actress has landed several starring roles from M. Night Shyamalan’s Split to Netflix’s incredible chess-themed dramatic thriller “The Queen’s Gambit”. It only helps that she carries captivating features that are instantly recognizable.
As for The Witch, the indie made its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and was subsequently acquired by A24 for its theatrical run. It would gain cult status and give birth to A24’s “brand” of films, which are incredibly divisive amongst Bloody Disgusting readers. Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore Anya Taylor-Joy’s breathtaking performance in The Witch.
It’s hard for most people to hear a recording of themselves, let alone see footage, which is what makes this story feel so personal and human.
The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the actress to talk about her career leading up to her role in “The Queen’s Gambit”, currently a top Emmy contender. She reflects on the first time seeing The Witch and the panic she experienced – panic so potent that she still gets chills when thinking about it.
“[Director Robert Eggers] showed us the film maybe two hours before the audience screening, and I was devastated,” she told the site about the Sundance premiere. “I thought I’d never work again, I still get shivers thinking about it. It was just the worst feeling of, ‘I have let down the people I love most in the world. I didn’t do it right.’ And I’m quite verbose, I like to talk, I like to communicate. I did not talk, I just cried. I couldn’t handle seeing my face that large.”
Anya Taylor-Joy gets extremely honest and vulnerable in the piece, even revealing she nearly gave up on acting after a series of overwhelming experiences. “I know it sounds crazy now, but yeah, I was,” she exclaimed when asked if she was literally going to stop acting. Thank god she didn’t. Next up is a starring role in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho.
You can read the piece in its entirety over at THR.