Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (/aenj/ ANN-y; born April 16, 1996) is an American actress. She has received numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for a BAFTA Film Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Taylor-Joy, who was born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, dropped out of school at the age of 16 to pursue a career as an actor. She rose to prominence after appearing in minor television roles and in the horror film The Witch (2015). Taylor-Joy went on to appear in the horror films Split (2016), Glass (2019), and Thoroughbreds (2017). At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, she received the Chopard Trophée.
Taylor-Joy appeared in the fifth and sixth seasons of Peaky Blinders (2019-2022), as well as Emma Woodhouse in the period drama Emma (2020), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2020, she won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance as chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit. Taylor-Joy has since appeared in the films Last Night in Soho (2021), The Northman, and The Menu (both 2022), for which she received another Golden Globe Award nomination.
Early years
Taylor-Joy was born in Miami, Florida on April 16, 1996, to Dennis Alan Taylor, a former banker, and Jennifer Marina Joy, a psychologist. She has stated that her birth in Miami was a "fluke," as her parents were vacationing in the city at the time; however, because of her birthplace, she holds American citizenship under the country's jus soli nationality law. Her father is an English and Scottish-born Argentine, the son of a British father and an Anglo-Argentine mother. Her mother was born in Zambia to David Joy, an English diplomat, and a Spanish mother from Barcelona. She is the eldest of six children, four of whom are from her father's previous marriage.
Taylor-Joy lived in Buenos Aires with her family and attended Northlands School until the age of six, when the family moved to the Victoria district of London. She is bilingual (Spanish and English). Taylor-Joy described the move as "traumatic," and she refused to learn English in the hopes of returning to Argentina. She attended Hill House International Junior School and Queen's Gate School, where she performed in school plays. She dropped out of school at the age of 16, citing bullying from her classmates as the reason; she recalled: Argentina is all green, and I had horses and animals everywhere. I found myself in a big city with no knowledge of the language. I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I was far too English to be Argentine, far too Argentine to be English, and far too American to be anything. The kids simply did not understand me in any way. I was frequently locked in lockers. I spent a lot of time in the restrooms at school crying.
Taylor-Joy began her career as a dancer, studying ballet until the age of 15. Storm Management founder Sarah Doukas scouted her as a model when she was 17 years old while walking her dog outside Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. She agreed to join the agency on the condition that acting be her true passion and pursuit. Taylor-Joy was spotted by Downton Abbey actor Allen Leech running errands for the crew and reciting the Séamus Heaney poem "Digging" for a forthcoming screentest during a modelling shoot promoting the television series Downton Abbey, which she had almost rejected because she was studying for her GCSE exams. He later introduced her to his agent, who signed her as an actress.
Career
Early work and success (2013–2019)
Taylor-first Joy's acting role as a background 'Feeder Girl' in the 2014 fantasy comedy-horror Vampire Academy was cut from the final cut, leaving her role uncredited. She made her television debut in an episode of the detective drama series Endeavour as Philippa Collins-Davidson, followed by a multi-episode arc in the 2015 fantasy-adventure drama series Atlantis. The Witch, a period horror film directed by Robert Eggers, tells the story of a Puritan family who encounters forces of evil in the woods beyond their New England farm that same year. It premiered to critical acclaim at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Her breakthrough came with the role. Taylor-Joy was described as "remarkable in the role, her wide-eyed innocence entwined with a thread of cunning—proof either of her quick wits, scarcely unusual in a clever and curious girl, or of some fell purpose" by Anthony Lane of The New Yorker. She was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor and an Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer.
Taylor-Joy played the title character in Luke Scott's science fiction horror film Morgan the following year. It received negative reviews and was a commercial flop, but according to Booth Michigan's John Serba, "Taylor-Joy disarms us with a performance that keenly teeters between little-girl innocence and dead-eyed viciousness." She then starred in the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival's Barry, a drama film about a young Barack Obama during his first year at Columbia University in 1981. Taylor-likeness Joy's was licenced from Storm Management to represent the character of Valkyrie Cain on the tenth anniversary book cover of Skulduggery Pleasant, as well as the covers of the seventh, eighth, ninth, and fourteenth books in the series, before she appeared in the music video for Skrillex's remix of GTA's song "Red Lips" the following year.
In 2016, she co-starred with James McAvoy in M. Night Shyamalan's Split as Casey Cooke, a teenage girl kidnapped by a man with multiple personalities (McAvoy). It was a commercial success, grossing $278.5 million on a $9 million budget. Thoroughbreds, directed by Cory Finley, was her next film that year. It co-starred Olivia Cooke and, in his final film role, Anton Yelchin. Taylor-Joy portrayed Lily, a high school student who plots to murder her stepfather through a drug deal. It premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where her performance was described as "captivating" by David Ehrlich of IndieWire. Sergio G. Sánchez's horror mystery Marrowbone was her third release in 2017; Tasha Robinson of The Verge wrote that Taylor-Joy brought "a shy, appealing warmth" to an inconsistent character. Taylor-Joy received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination and the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival that year. She portrayed Petronella Oortman in the BBC One period drama miniseries The Miniaturist, based on Jessie Burton's novel of the same name, in December 2017.
Taylor-Joy played Casey Cooke again in the 2019 psychological superhero film Glass, the final installment of the Unbreakable film trilogy, alongside McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sarah Paulson. It was a commercial success, earning $247 million globally. Later that year, she appeared in the documentary film Love, Antosha, on the life and career of her late co-star Anton Yelchin; and in Hozier's music video for his song "Dinner & Diatribes". Her next two films in 2019, the animated musical adventure Playmobil: The Movie and the biographical drama Radioactive, were both commercial flops. She also played Brea in Netflix's animated fantasy series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. In her final role of 2019, she starred as Gina Gray in the BBC One period crime drama Peaky Blinders.
Ascension to prominence (2020–present)
Taylor-Joy starred as Emma Woodhouse in Autumn de Wilde's Emma, an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel of the same name, in 2020. Rolling Stone's Peter Travers called Taylor-Joy "incandescent" in his review of the film. Taylor-Joy created a "admirably spiky character who is less likeable than some of her screen predecessors, and all the better for it," according to Guardian critic Mark Kermode. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Taylor-Joy also appeared in the superhero horror film The New Mutants as Illyana Rasputin/Magik, a Russian mutant and sorceress. It was supposed to be released in April 2018, but there were several delays, so it was finally released in 2020.
Taylor-Joy starred as Beth Harmon, an orphaned chess prodigy on her rise to the top of the chess world while struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, in the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit. The series and her performance received widespread praise. It was seen by 62 million households in its first 28 days of release, making it Netflix's "biggest scripted limited series to date." Taylor-performance Joy's was described as "darkly fascinating" by Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly, who noted how she "excels in the quiet moments, [with] her eyelids narrowing as she decimates an opponent, her whole body physicalizing angry desperation when the game turns against her." Similarly, Variety's Caroline Framke described her as "so magnetic that when she stares down the camera lens, her flinty glare threatens to cut right through it." Taylor-performance Joy's earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
In 2020, she will be seen in the drama film Here Are the Young Men, directed by Eoin Macken and based on Rob Doyle's novel of the same name. She appeared in Edgar Wright's psychological horror film Last Night in Soho in 2021. In the film, she sings Petula Clark's "Downtown"; a music video of Taylor-rendition Joy's was also released. The "dazzling sense of purpose" in her portrayal was praised by Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal. That same year, she was named to Time magazine's 100 Next list.
In 2022, Taylor-Joy reunited with filmmaker Robert Eggers for a starring role in the historical epic The Northman, which is described as "a Viking revenge saga set in Iceland at the turn of the 10th century". The film was well received by critics when it was released. She was in David O. Russell's period comedy Amsterdam, which received negative reviews and was a box office flop. The Menu, starring Taylor-Joy alongside Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes, was released the following month. The movie received mostly positive reviews, and her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Taylor-Joy will next appear in George Miller's action film Furiosa, which will serve as a prequel to the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. She will also appear in the animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie as Princess Peach.
Public perception
Taylor-Joy was named to The Hollywood Reporter's list of Hollywood's Rising Stars 35 and Under in 2016, and she was also named to W magazine's list in 2017. In 2019, she appeared on the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list, a compilation of "the brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators and game changers in the world". She was named "Breakthrough Entertainer of the Year" by the Associated Press in 2020, and "Breakout Star of 2020" by the New York Post. Taylor-Joy was named to Time magazine's 100 Next list of "emerging leaders who are shaping the future" in 2021, with a tribute written by former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov.
She has served as a brand ambassador for Viktor & Rolf, Tiffany & Co., Dior's fashion and makeup, and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Witch | Thomasin | |
| 2016 | Morgan | Morgan | |
| Barry | Charlotte Baughman | ||
| Split | Casey Cooke | ||
| 2017 | Marrowbone | Allie | |
| Thoroughbreds | Lily Reynolds | ||
| 2018 | Crossmaglen | Ana | Short film |
| 2019 | Glass | Casey Cooke | |
| Love, Antosha | Herself | Documentary | |
| Playmobil: The Movie | Marla Brenner | ||
| Radioactive | Irene Curie | ||
| 2020 | Emma | Emma Woodhouse | |
| Here Are the Young Men | Jen | ||
| The New Mutants | Illyana Rasputin / Magik | ||
| 2021 | Last Night in Soho | Sandie | |
| 2022 | The Northman | Olga | |
| The Menu | Margot/Erin | ||
| Amsterdam | Libby Voze | ||
| 2023 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Princess Peach (voice) | Post-production |
| 2024 | Furiosa | Furiosa | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Endeavour | Philippa Collins-Davidson | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Viking Quest | Mani | Television film |
| Atlantis | Cassandra | Recurring role, 6 episodes | |
| 2017 | The Miniaturist | Petronella "Nella" Brandt | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2019–2022 | Peaky Blinders | Gina Gray | 11 episodes |
| 2019 | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | Brea (voice) | Main role, 10 episodes |
| 2020 | The Queen's Gambit | Beth Harmon | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 2021 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | Episode: "Anya Taylor-Joy/Lil Nas X" |
| Year | Title | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Red Lips (Skrillex remix)" | GTA (featuring Sam Bruno) | Girl |
| 2019 | "Dinner & Diatribes" | Hozier | Wife |
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Anya Taylor-Joy
Taylor-Joy has received several accolades. She won the Empire Award for Best Newcomer and being nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in 2016. The following year, she was a nominee for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the recipient of the Trophée Chopard. Taylor-Joy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie in 2021.
| Name | Anya Taylor-Joy |
| Full Name | Anya Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy |
| Net Worth | $7 Million |
| Date of Birth | 16 April 1996 |
| Age | 26 Years Old |
| Birth Place | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Currently Live In | Miami |
| Profession | Actress and Model |
| Debut | TV Series: Endeavour (2014) Music Video: Red Lips (2015) Film: The Witch (2015) |
| Years Active | 2013 – Present |
| Famous Role | Thomasin in the Film The Witch (2015) |
| Nationality | American-British-Argentine |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Ethnicity | Scottish, Argentinian, British and Spanish Descent |
| Hometown | Miami, Florida |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| School/High School | Northlands School, Miami, Florida, United States Queen’s Gate School, London, England |
| Education Qualification | High School |
| Father Name | Dennis Alan Taylor |
| Mother Name | Jennifer Marina Joy-Morancho |
| Brother Name | – |
| Sister Name | – |
| Boyfriend | Malcolm McCrae Ben Seed (Ex) Eoin Macken (Ex) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband Name | Malcolm McCrae |
| Height (approx) | in centimeters: 170 cm in meters: 1.70 m in feet inches: 5’ 6” |
| Weight (approx) | in kilograms: 55 kg in pounds: 121 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
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