How Anya Taylor-Joy Told 'Harry Potter' Actor She Was a Huge Fan

How are you? So nice to meet you. Congratulations on The Queen's Gamut. It is number one in over 60 countries. Thank you. It's incredible. I have to be honest. I play chess. And when I heard about it, I was like, oh, it's about chess. I don't know. It took me a minute to jump on board because everybody kept saying, you have to see it. It's the number one show. And once you watch one episode, you're in. It is so good. And you're so good in it. Congratulations. It's fantastic. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, because when you hear it's a show about chess, you're like, well, how can that be exciting? And it is. You are so good. And chess sets are selling out. People are learning chess. And you didn't know how to play chess before you started filming this, right? No. I knew that there was a board and that there were pieces. But that was pretty much it. And I'm so glad that my introduction came from such incredible people and such wonderful teachers. Yeah, it really, I mean, because you actually are playing. And when you watch that, and when you know how to play chess, and you're seeing especially the speed round, and when you're playing all the different people, you're actually playing that game. Well, first of all, you should tell everybody what it's about that hasn't seen it, if there's anyone left. Yes, so the Queen's Gambit follows an orphan who is a chess prodigy. And you get to spend seven hours with her as she tries to figure herself out, tries to figure out how she relates to the world of chess, but also has to overcome her own personal demons. And it's ultimately a heartwarming story, I feel, which is a nice thing to have right now. Yes, yes, it is. And it really is. Like I said, you just get into it. And it's one of those things you just binge watch. Were you nervous to do the speed chess scenes at all? Oh, gosh. I mean, it was at the end of the day. And so everybody wants to go home at that point. So I was definitely thinking, don't mess this up. But it was the most satisfying experience. It's genuinely, I think, one of the proudest moments I've ever had on set. The first take, we got it all perfect and right. And it felt amazing. You did that one scene in one take? The first take, we got it right. We did it a couple more times for all the different angles. But I didn't mind that because I was just having the time of my life. Wow. And do you still play chess now? Do you enjoy playing chess? I do. I have a beautiful chess set. So it would be a shame if I wasn't using it. But yeah, I'm excited to play some more over Christmas. Are people going to be, maybe people won't want to play you. They'll be intimidated and not, they'll be scared to play you. Well, hopefully, because if they actually play me, they'll see I'm not as good as Beth. And that would be mildly embarrassing. So hopefully. I don't know about that. So you're a huge Harry Potter fan. And then you go to work with one of the actors in the show. Did you tell him you were a huge fan? Yes, but I timed it correctly, which is not in the first 10 minutes, but not exceeding 10 minutes, if you know what I mean. Yes. You have to get it out of the way. Right. No, you're right. That is the right amount of time. 10 minutes is usually the time to tell someone you're a fan. Because if you wait too long, then they're like, you were really too scared to tell me that you were a fan. Well, then it gets weird. And then you kept something from them. So it's better just to get it out of the way. Right. Yeah. No, I'm saying. You're right, 10 minutes. What's your accent? You grow up everywhere, right? Yes. So I spoke Spanish until I was eight. So my accent just kind of jumps around all over the place. And where do you live now? I am currently living in London. I actually just bought my first house, which feels really exciting. Oh, congratulations. Thank you. I doubt we'll have furniture anytime soon. But it has a roof. And I feel good about that. As long as you got a roof over your head, that's all that matters. Now, do you have any animals now? I know you grew up with a lot of animals, right? Yes. I have a wonderful dog. But my grandmother, unfortunately, lost her husband last year. So my dog is currently with my grandma. And I don't think I'm getting her back. And that's OK. I've made peace with that. Oh, that's sweet. I'm so glad that you gave her to your grandmother. That's really sweet. There's nothing like the comfort of that unconditional love that a dog gives somebody. Absolutely. Yeah. She's a little guardian angel. Oh, that's great. Well, it was so nice talking to you. I just think you're amazing. The show is amazing. It's called The Queen's Gambit. It's available on Netflix right now. And thank you so much.