"I’m quite twisted!" Furiosa's Anya Taylor-Joy on being buried alive and Chris Hemsworth's tongue

So, let's get right to it. Yes. I hate to say it though, it's right there. You're Furiosa. How the heck did that happen? I don't know. I'm Furiosa! The darkest of angels. Wait, are you asking me this? Are you like, how did that happen? How did that happen? Of all the people. Of all the talented actresses working today, you dared give nine months of your life in a desert. And by the way, I just discovered, George Miller told me that he can't tell his left from his right. What? I often say right when I mean left and vice versa. So, can you imagine what happens in stunts? So, he was directing it with you guys. What do you mean? And he couldn't always work out whether he meant his left. Well, do you mean because you've got like camera left and this and that? I mean, look, we knew what we were doing and when you're driving a truck, you know not into people. You know what I mean? So, it's like, if it's left or right, I kind of don't care as long as I'm not hitting anybody. Rule for life. Exactly. And you haven't even passed your test. And I haven't, no. I've apparently got a Wasteland license. Though I do have to say it like, in terms of, I come from a racing family. My dad was a powerboat racer. Like, I've always enjoyed it. But I now love it. When the first thing that you learn how to do in a car is a GC Lift 180. Like, I now really like cars. It's going to be really boring, your test, when you do do it. I know. Really boring. I know. But also the motorway and the freeway and like, who knows? Maybe these skills will come in handy. I think it's you and Max Verstappen who can have a conversation because he got his super license before he got his license. What? And that's like you. You've got your Wasteland license. Thanks, bud. Pretty cool. I'll take that company. Yeah, you should. You've given interviews though about this movie that have made me want to ask this question. Are you okay? You know, it was a really, it was a really intense relationship to have with a character and it was a very intense universe to be a part of. And I kind of knew immediately when I first read the script that it was going to be one of those situations where I was just going to feel it and there was nothing that I could do about it. And that like in a slightly crazy way that I think you kind of have to be in this job or at least I have to be in this job. I was quite excited about it at the same time because you're like, ah, this is going to hurt. Okay, bring it. But I feel a lot more relieved now after Canne because it did feel like I just was like, you know, these films are our babies and you don't know if they're going to be, it feels like you kind of throw them out a window and you hope someone's going to catch it. And so hopefully people will catch this and then I can be a bit more chill about it, to be honest, Ali. Let me just tell you, Anya, you can be as chill as you want. Please. Thank you. That's the ultimate compliment. Thanks. You can be as chill as you want. Although George again was saying that two weeks into the shoot you were literally thrown out the window. Yeah. And he said to you, you're no longer Anya, you are Furiosa. Yeah. And I bet you felt it as your shoulders hit the sand. There's another shot in this movie where you have to crawl out of your own grave. Yeah. One of my favourite moments ever is, so I was in Australia for the whole six and a half months and I was working, you know, six days a week. Anytime I wasn't on main unit, I was on second unit, mostly shooting stowaway. Like it was just a gargantuan effort and I really wanted to do it. But my agent came to visit and she showed up and she was like, wait, where's Anya? And they're like, she's in the dirt. Like, what do you mean? They're like, you see where all those rocks are, like piled up on top of, she's buried in there. And she's like, okay. Cool. You good? I was like, yeah, I'm great. I mean, it's the most comfortable part of rocks I've ever been buried in. Exactly. So here we are. Got about, I believe, is it 30 or 40 lines, like direct lines of dialogue here. Do you have a favourite? I've seen in the Cannes press conference, you really like, I've had a hard day. Yeah, that's Pretoria and Jack's line, but I just find it specifically because it's after the sequence that we shot for 78 days and his reaction to it is, it's been a hard day. Or it's either hard or long. It's one of the two and you're just like, understatement of the century. But I also, I really enjoy purposeful savagery. You have about you a purposeful savagery. I like connect with that. And remember me, obviously. And remember me is also pretty great. Remember me. You just have to be careful not to sing the song from Coco. Oh my God, I never thought about that. That's a crossover. That movie messed me up so badly. Big tears, right? So badly. Oh yeah. I wasn't expecting it at all. I think in the one-two punch of Pixar instant tearjerkers, it's Up and Coco. Oh yeah. But Up gets you like immediately and then Coco, it's kind of like a slow build and then you're just distraught. Well, George is just used to making people cry. Like if you actually boil down like his, that's what he wants to do. That's what he wants you to do. He wants to get deep into your soul and just twist it. Whether it's babe or happy feet. You know, to be fair though, one of my favourite moments on this is, I think because I was raised in a horror movie environment, I'm quite twisted when it comes to different things that one can do to the other. And my favourite moments were George being like, where did this idea come from? And I was like, how can you say that to me? He's like, that was very violent, Anya. And I'm like, George, bro. Listen, if you outweigh George Miller, you're a bit like, is there something wrong with me? No, that's a great day. Thank you. That's an absolutely great day. Thank you. Do you remember any of his direction in particular? Where you just got a line from him that felt very like, okay, well, only on a Mad Max film. You know, it was something that I was never intimidated by the lack of dialogue. The only thing that I was intimidated by was when I first showed up to Australia, George had a very specific idea of how he wanted me to hold my face for a large portion of the movie. So you have to act with your eyeballs. Only eyeballs for like a large portion of it. And that can feel really scary when you're used to having everything at your disposal. But I feel like he was so steady and rigid on it that I was like, I have to trust you. Like, this is the number one piece of advice that anybody ever says from a Mad Max movie is trust George. So I'm like, okay, here's some eyeball acting. I hope you're picking up what I'm putting down. And I think he did. Yeah. I think he did. Do you have any mementos that you were given? I'm hoping there was some sort of, I mean, maybe not the robot arm, but something. I had that. The whole arm? Yeah. The whole arm? Yeah. Charlize Theron tells a story of being given some of her robot fingers and she thought they were something else. He designed one of the fingers for me, but it is in this box. And when he gave it to me, it looked like it was a vibrator. And I was like, wow, I did not know we were this friendly. That's a very personal gift. And I thank you for it. Oh, it's, got it. Well, actually, so on this subject, so I have my arm, but I also, there's one choice in the movie that I really wanted that didn't make it in, but I wanted it so badly that the prop department, George was kind to me. He shot it. It's not in the movie, but the prop department gave it to me to take home. And that is Chris's tongue. I've got Chris's prosthetic tongue in a box. That was one of the ones where George was like, Anya. And I was like, she silenced him. You know what? I've asked that question many times in my career. That is easily the most shocking answer. I'm so sorry. What have you got to be sorry about? I am speechless. I thought it'd be cool. I just love that they shot it. They shot it. They shot it for me. That was very sweet. Just extraordinary. Remember your face and your memory. Speaking of Chris though, there should have been, must have been moments, even when it's so hot and so tiring and you've poured your heart and soul into this character, which isn't a barrel of laughs where you must have cracked up. Oh yeah. Because Chris gives it both barrels, both shotguns. Did you have to just say, could you do that again for me, Chris? No, I think the moments that I most remember and love actually is like, thank God we like each other as much as we do. Like genuinely. Because we were, you know, we were together at the beginning. We realised that we loved each other. Then we were like kind of separated for a long time. And then when we get put back together, we're just trying to murder each other. Like with everything in us. So thank goodness we care about the other one. You fabulous thing. Yeah, my memory is of us, that confrontation scene. You crawled out of a pitiless grave deeper than hell. Only one thing's going to do that for you. Not hope, hate. We had discussed it for months and it was really important to me that it was a physical confrontation. No shame in hate. It's one of the great forces of nature. And Chris really backed me up on that and was like, I, you know, agree. I think that this is how we should do it, which is very sweet because, you know, he's basically saying like, I will let you beat me up. And I'm like, thank you. Cheers, Chris. Thank you. That wasn't hope, that was instinct. But yeah, I just remember the moments of like, you know, they yell cut and we're just immediately, are you okay? Do you need water? How can I help you? Like that makes me feel good. It was an intense three days. I have to wrap and I hate to do this, but I want to hear just briefly some words of positivity towards Hayley Wright. Oh, Hayley Wright. Right. Hayley Wright. Yes. But Hayley Wright, I'm sure it's lovely. Hayley is, we met on this movie. We were instantly just sisters. We have spent so much time together. She is extraordinary. The level of commitment, kindness, genuine patience, where she's just, you know, everything that she's doing, she's teaching me how, like the whole point is like for it to become exactly one, exactly. And I just feel so lucky, not only to be able to witness her like glory, but also just to have her as my best friend. I think she's incredible. Stunt people, witness them. Hardcore. By my deeds, I honour him. The end. Hardcore. That's how hardcore. It felt like you just laid an egg. It did a bit. And I kind of did. You did a Bjork. I did a Bjork. That's how I end my interviews. Anya, well done. Thank you. Be proud. Thank you, my love. You're great. Thanks, Angel. Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to subscribe and click the bell icon to keep up to date. You can listen to my Radio 1 movies and TV podcast, Screen Time, on BBC Sounds. And you can find these interviews in full on BBC iPlayer by searching Movies with Ali Plummer.