Anya Taylor-joy Looks Back at Her Iconic Roles | My Life in Movies

I remember being asked if I could ride a goat. Dragons are hot, man. Yeah. And yes, he did deserve that slap. They're getting progressively drunker and they're like, why are you dressed like that? And as soon as I booked Furiosa, I was like, I will need a cat. I feel like you would make the perfect Targaryen. I mean... Back to my life, the movies. So this is my chat with the incredible, enigmatic Anya Taylor-Joy. I can't wait for you to watch this one. So we chat about nosebleeds on Q, because that's something that happened in Emma. All things witchy. Anya loves a witch. She loves a dragon. And why she's terrified of baboons. Honestly, I love this chat so much. She's hilarious. And what an insane career she's had so far. I can't wait to see what's next from her as well. On the menu today, a face card so lethal, she could split glass. I'm so lucky she's here. It's Anya Taylor-Joy. Hello. Obsessed. Was that too much? I mean, I'll take it. Listen. Welcome to my life, the movies. Thank you for having me. We're gonna do a deep dive into your incredible career. Are you ready to get geeky? Yeah, always. Let's do it. A film that terrified Stephen King, The Witch. I'd forgotten about that. That was a good tweet. We're going back. I can't remember, but like obsessed. I know that you scared him. Yeah. So this film is so symbolic. You've got the seven members of the family, the seven deadly sins. It's about how the accused can become what was never there as well. And I'd love to know what conversations you remember having on set. I'm so indebted to that movie because I feel like it gave me my entire personality as a performer, as a member of a film set. I was so lucky to work with Ralph Einosen and Kate Dickey and Rob because they just gave me this understanding of like, you work really hard. Your job does not stop at actor. Whatever needs to be done, you do it for the good of the film. I remember having conversations about not having a lot of money and trying to figure out how we were going to shoot in the most intense heat wave in Canada whilst wearing all of that wool. Yeah. And if I could ride a goat. So originally, Thomason was supposed to ride Black Phillip into the woods. I'm five foot eight. I tried. I made it a couple of steps. We realised it would be better if she followed him. So yeah, I remember being asked if I could ride a goat and I was like, I will give it a good go. You tried and that's all that matters. I tried. I tried really hard, yeah. I love how the voice of Satan is this whisper that feels so seductive in that film. It's like, yes, I would like a taste of butter. I do want to live deliciously. So clever. I know that you love a tarot card. I do. I'm too scared to have mine read. What? I'm too scared. Why? Do you get spooked out? No, because I feel like I'm just being reminded of something that I already know. To me, tarot isn't something that is intense in that way. You have an inner knowing. It just depends on whether you're listening to it or not. And I feel like tarots are its way of communicating with you. I trust you to read mine. Okay. We'll do it. Absolutely. We'll get it done. 23 identities live in Kevin's body. Some of the best eye acting I've ever seen. Split. Thanks. James McAvoy. So good. Crazy good. What was going through your head witnessing him play these multiple characters right in front of you? That I was so grateful it was him because originally it was supposed to be someone that's very known for being a method actor. And if I had been in Philadelphia with a method actor whose intention was to eat me, I think that would have been a different experience. And I was very grateful to have James who I think also understood that he had three young women with him. And so every time after a take, he would just make it a little bit nicer and was very supportive and just a general great guy. The moment that James kisses you and says, you might be pregnant now, kills me. Oh my gosh. You're taking me down such a nice trip of memory lane. Yeah. You might be pregnant now. Am I a good kisser? How did you keep a straight face during that scene? I remember it being difficult. I also remember we, that scene where he starts climbing the walls. We've been doing it for so long. And at one point, James punched the wall and broke his hand. Like his hand just broke. Wow. Okay. We're here. He's just so good. He's so good. I didn't think you'd bring it here. No, thanks. My favourite film of yours, Thoroughbreds. Thank you. I need a sequel. Thank you. Oh gosh, yeah. What would that be? Oh my God. What would it be? Oh God. I mean, Lily's probably president. Leave it there. As she should. I love this review. Never trust a horse girl. I mean, kind of correct. I don't, I don't know. I love a horse girl. I'm a bit of a horse girl. Same, same. But maybe, maybe not. I don't know. I'm a bit crazy. Yeah, same. You're incredibly off-putting and you freak me out. There you go. In kind of a fascinating way. Like a YouTube video of a giant zit being popped. You likening Olivia Cooke to a video of a giant zit is hilarious. What's one of your favourite insults that you've had to deliver on screen before? Probably an Emma one, like a Jane Austen one. Those were so fun. I think rather than an insult, it was the rant that Emma has to Mr. Knightley about why she should, why she's setting up Harriet with Mr., oh my God, with Josh O'Connor. I'm trying to set up my Mia Coth with Josh O'Connor. Yeah. Josh O'Connor is such a creep in that film. He's so, he wins at the person that I just could not keep a straight face around. It was actually a problem. He made me feel deeply unprofessional. I can't look at Josh. It's too much. Speaking of Emma, you had a nosebleed on cue. Am I right in saying that? I did, it was pretty weird. Oh. Emma. Oh. Emma. No. How does that happen? I don't know. Are you a witch? I mean, duh. But yeah, that was one of those special moments. I'm really glad that it's captured on film. There was a moment where awesome DeWild, our director, said, oh cut. And I was like, are you kidding me? This is magical, you gotta shoot it. So yeah, it's amazing. That's insane. It's like the body knows. Yeah, I mean, it's also like a little bit crazy if you think about it. If you believe something so deeply that your nose bleeds on cue, like that says something. It's like my fear of it happening during an interview. So I'm not gonna think about it now. Don't think about it. Otherwise it will happen. No, thought away. And then it'll be very spooky. Thought away. It's so simple, but I love the way that you open the door in the carriage to Miranda Hart in Emma. You're so lovely. This is so nice. It's so good. Is that just you? Yeah, of course. It's very interesting. You kind of, sometimes I describe acting as like controlled psychosis, because you, at least I do, you have to really inhabit the person and really believe everything that they believe and that does impact you in a way. So that does mean that you randomly get these little choices that are so wonderful, but then when the movie finishes, you're like, oh, wow, I was just possessed for six months. That's crazy. Pirate of Bishop Fort, right? Yes. Just a small series, The Queen's Gambit. How did that show change your life? Because I imagine it must have been such a surreal thing for it to come out during the pandemic. And it's the most watched show in the world. I think the universe had my back on that one because I was shooting The Northman with my original film family, which is the Robert Eggers crew. And we, I know, love him. Alex is the best. But we were outside all of the time. And so I was feeling very, very grounded. And my first understanding that the show was doing well was that people on set would come up to me and be like, I really love the show. And I remember thinking, oh, that's interesting. I've never had so many people tell me that. And I think I just kind of got it in little bits of like, oh, this is doing really well. Oh, a lot of people have seen it. And then it was when I landed in New York and I had all of my hair in a beanie and glasses and a face mask on and people recognized me. And I was like, oh, okay, this is different. People have been watching me walk for seven hours and now they know. So yeah, it was wild. You do seem like such a grounded person though. Anyway. Thanks. You really do. Thank you. I'd love to be skilled in something like chess. Do you have any hidden talents? I think most of my talents kind of come out on a screen in some way, shape, or form. You could do tarot card reading. I can. That's up there. This is true. I think more than like hidden talents, something that I find interesting is my short-term memory is really good in the sense of if you show me how to do something, I can do it and I can make you believe that I really know how to do that. And then it immediately goes away. Can't do it again. Like if you wait five days, I've forgotten it. I have made room for the next thing that I have to learn how to do, which is kind of weird. Another hidden talent for you, speaking in Slavic. The Northman. Incredibly done. Olga of the Birch Forest. That was hard to say. How hard was speaking Slavic? I don't ever tell myself that something is hard. I just tell myself that I have to do it. And then, yeah, you're right. I have a talent for speaking made-up languages. I've kind of, I can remember that and make it feel like it's real. But yeah, I never like to tell myself that something is hard. This is why you're on New Taylor Jewelry. I think Lady Gaga actually once said, people can do hard things. Yes, people can do hard things. And also like, it's been said, but whatever you think you can do or you can't do, you're right. No speed on cue. Every drop and every stick will be another dime for Uncle Jack. Yep, he's a very powerful, very impressive man. Another unknown series, Peaky Blinders. When you're a part of these huge shows, is your family just as invested as the rest of the world are? My family has never been more excited for anything I have ever done than Peaky Blinders. Peaky Blinders is huge in Argentina, like massive. But my memory of that show, which I love so much is, you know, when you take the train to go up to, we would shoot in like Liverpool and Manchester, very little in Birmingham actually. There were never enough seats. So me and my classmates were usually just like sat on the floor next to the toilets, just like going up to work. So that's my memory of Peaky. And so much smoke in the rooms and fabulous outfits. Fabulous outfits, great music. The bartender said I should get to know the handsome fella standing next to Cilla Black. You should. Last night in Soho, what an insane film. What's been one of your most memorable nights in Soho? Oh gosh. Soho's a good time. Soho is a good time. I think shooting in Soho whilst my friends were out and about, like going out, was amazing. Because I'm obviously dressed and they're getting progressively drunker. They're like, why are you dressed like that? I'm like, shut the **** up. I'm shooting, making a movie is ridiculous. But yeah, that was really fun and really crazy because we shot nights for like two months. So getting to see Soho nightlife for two months was an adventure. You saw it all. I saw it all. There's an interview with you and Matt Smith and you say that you feel like you're heading on a train. And Matt says it's heading to the ******* Oscars. Matt! I know. He's a very sweet boy. The first conversation that we ever had, he won't mind me telling you this. The first conversation that we ever had was, he was like, do you know your primal animal? I was like, what? He goes, I'm an octopus. I said, you're a what? He's like, yeah, I've done yours. You're a piranha. I was like, okay. And he was right. He is an octopus and I am a piranha. Oh, we've had him on the show before. He's the best. I love him so much. He makes me feel so, he's a comfort person. He's just the most charismatic, charming man alive. Absolutely. I've been very blessed with my male co-stars. I have a lot of good brothers. Speaking of Matt Smith, I feel like you'd make the perfect Targaryen. I mean. You've got the hair. You've got the hair girl. I love a dragon. I've never grown out of it. If there's a dragon in something, I will watch it. I just love a dragon. And I love how to train your dragon as well. Great dragon. Any dragon, I'm there. You asked me if I was ready to geek out. I'm like, yes. Love dragons. What's your favorite cinematic dragon? I mean, honestly, in terms of like the way that the animation has held up or the VFX has held up, the Harry Potter dragons are pretty insane. Harry Potter in general really holds up. It's wild to think like those movies came out a long time ago and they just look incredible. Dragon and Shrek. Hot. Hot dragon. Agreed. Honestly, the, what is it? Is it the light fury in How to Train Your Dragon? The white one? Yes. Hot dragon. Dragon's a hot man. Yeah. But speaking of like Targaryens, I know that fan casting must be such a strange but also flattering thing as an actor. Like how do you find that where you see those comments and read things that people are saying and wanting you to play? What's crazy about them is that they're often correct. And they're often a way that you find out about something. So I will send to my agent, have you heard about this? And she's like, yeah, we were just about to call you. I'm like, that's, I don't, how, what do you mean? Like, that's crazy. Sometimes it's completely, completely off, but it is, it's flattering and it's fun. You kind of get to go on a little mind adventure and you're like, what would that be like if I did that? And then sometimes it happens. That's manifestation. I mean, yeah, but from other people, which is kind of amazing. Incredible. You know what I'd really like? Tell me. A cheeseburger. The greatest cheeseburger in cinema, the menu. Yeah. I love the thought of John ordering five guys for everyone. Can I just say that they were all eating the whole time that we were there. I was the only one that was not eating. And then the one day that I get a hamburger, John's like, I will not stand for this. We all need a hamburger immediately. But yeah, it was pretty, it was pretty great. Nicholas Holt deserved that slap. Thank you. I know, but another wonderful man. You know, I really have been so lucky with my brothers because we just got to be on a date for like a month and a half. And he's so funny and so sweet. And yes, he did deserve that slap. And he took it like a man. Oh, he did. And I know that it was improvised. Yes. Are there any moments of improvisation that you're particularly proud of from any of your films? Usually an act of violence, which I don't condone in any way, shape or form. Not improvised, but the ending of Furiosa I'm really proud of just because originally Furiosa was supposed to listen to Dementors talk and not really do anything. And it took me six months, but I was like, I am going to beat this man up and it's going to be brutal. And I just like refused to do anything else. And so to see that on screen, I felt really, really proud. Before we come on to Furiosa, I'm a big foodie. Are there any food combos that you love that are like a bit weird? Popcorn and hot chocolate. Put a little piece of popcorn and hot chocolate and you take it out, it kind of starts to dissolve. It's quite nice. Yeah, but then you're just left with the weird, like hard corn. No, no, no. It's got to be a quick thing. Oh, okay. So like you like grab the little cloud and you just dunk it in and then. Timing is key. Yes. Timing is key for the popcorn. Absolutely. Divine. The baddest bit, Furiosa. I'm Furiosa. The darkest of angels. You're doing these insane stunts and I know that you learned how to do a J-turn on your first day. Yeah. Please tell me you've got your driver's license now. No. Oh my god. Because it takes time. You need to be in one place for a significant period of time and like make friends with the driving instructor. I'm not any, if I'm in a place for two weeks, it's a miracle. So yeah, I still don't have it. But I've done so much driving on screen. So people do trust me to do it. Just not to get on the highway. Furiosa should be named Poriosa because you adopted a cat. Kitty. Kitsune. Yes. I get very helpful visions ahead of a job that are like, okay, this is something that you should just, you know, keep an eye on. And as soon as I booked Furiosa, I was like, I will need a cat. I will need something to love and to nourish because I'm going to have an interesting time on this movie. And yeah, Kitty is everything. What type of cat mum are you? I sing him many songs. He gets many songs. I constantly tell him he is a cat. I don't think he's aware of it. I'm obsessed with him. Like he's the best. He's also so handsome. It's crazy. I really want to get him a campaign. If I have my pets on like a cover of a magazine or whatever, those are the only ones that I will frame. So Kitty needs a cover. Kitty needs a cover. He has Tiffany blue eyes. I'm just saying. Please, any agents out there. One of the most romantic films with a perfect dance scene, The Gorge. You are the final girl. Which of your films do you think you'd survive? Oh my God, in actuality? I think The Gorge would be okay. I believe that. I think Miles and I are a great team. That we could get it done. I remember seeing Fury Road and being so horrified by it. Like I genuinely remember two things about seeing that film. One, I stood up and clapped because I just thought it was so incredible. And two, I thought that is my idea of hell. I don't think I want to go to the wasteland where nothing grows and love is punished. I'm good. You're good. I'm good. You're good. I went. I came back. She's alive. I'm here. I've not had a life the past few days because I can't stop watching your new series, Lucky. They learn to play. You can make them dance. The music in the show is insane. Thank you. What was on your playlist for Lucky? So much. But I think the thing that I love about producing is it allows you to be a part of every conversation. And from the get-go, because Lucky's sort of consistently lying or in so many situations where she can't be completely honest, I knew that it was important to have a female-led rock soundtrack because it would give you an auditory cue of who this person was and make you feel like you were connected. And then when we had the possibility of having Fiona Apple do our Tysol credits, cool, she's the dream. She's the voice that I had in my head the whole time. So that was very exciting. Lucky is on the run. Yeah. She's on the run. She's doing all the running. So much running. Who out of your past co-stars would you trust to hide you? I've got quite a few. Actually, any of the boys that you mentioned, Nick, Matt, James, Miles. Yeah, I've been very, very lucky with my boys. And then of my co-stars, pretty much all of them. You know, I feel pretty good about that. Feel safe. I do. Safe with them. I feel safe. Good. I feel seen. We make good teams. And yeah, I think they'd save me. I love how it was you who said, we need to get Drew Starkey on board in this show. Immediately. What was it about Drew that made you go, we need him? I think I understood that in order for you to be able to buy into the stakes of the show, you had to have someone that with very little screen time, especially at the beginning, you immediately liked, immediately missed, and understood why this woman would go to these lengths to find. You had to have that kind of chemistry. And I think Drew has a beautiful blend of vulnerability and strength. And I just had a feeling. I was like, I think if you get the two of us together, this is gonna work. And yeah, I fought for Drew and we got Drew and it was fabulous. Honestly, match it together. Thank you. One of the lines that really stuck with me was, you're only in danger when you're not in control. This is why I have a phobia of pigeons. Because you don't know. Oh my God, say more. You don't know their next move. You're not in control. Here's my pitch for pigeons. We domesticated them. I know. They were how we got messages to our loved ones, important messages regarding wars, et cetera. And then we abandoned them to this hellish landscape where now we all hate them. That's up. I can't do it. I cross roads all the time. It's a problem. Imagine that they're just like sweet little spirits. You know, like it's just empathy. Imagine if you were that small and everyone hated you. Like you were in London. You were a London pigeon. That's hard. I'll tell you, I wouldn't be flying in their face. I wouldn't be flapping around like that. Is there anything that you've got a phobia of? Baboons. Baboons? Immediately and like to the point, I love all animals, all of them. I don't like baboons. Have you had an experience with a baboon? I saw them at a zoo once when I was really young, committing like a horrific act of violence. And it caught me like the amount of dreams I've had since then. And just in general, monkeys are a little bit too close to humans. I like gorillas, but like a chimp or a baboon, I'm kind of good. I don't need that. You're not supposed to look them in the eyes and I'm big on eye contact. It's too stressful. Lucky there are no baboons and no pigeons in this room right now. Thank goodness. Annie Taylor-Joy, what a treat. Such a pleasure. What a journey. We've really been through it all. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. And I can't wait to finish Lucky. It's fantastic. Be kind to the pigeons. I'll try. Okay. I'll try. I'm thinking of you.