Anya Taylor-Joy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anya Taylor-Joy
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Taylor-Joy in 2024
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| Born |
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy
16 April 1996 Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Citizenship |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Malcolm McRae
(m. 2022) |
| Awards | Full list |
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (born April 16, 1996) is a famous actress. She was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and London, England. She decided to leave school at age 16 to become an actress.
Anya first had small roles on TV. Her big break came with the horror film The Witch in 2015. She then starred in other horror films like Split (2016) and its sequel Glass (2019). She also appeared in the comedy Thoroughbreds (2017) and the TV show Peaky Blinders (2019–2022).
In 2020, Anya played Emma Woodhouse in the movie Emma, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She became even more famous for playing Beth Harmon in the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit (2020). For this role, she won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. Later, she starred in Last Night in Soho (2021), The Northman (2022), and The Menu (2022). She also voiced Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and played Imperator Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).
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Anya Taylor-Joy's Early Life
Anya Taylor-Joy was born on April 16, 1996, in Miami, Florida. Her father, Dennis Alan Taylor, was a banker, and her mother, Jennifer Marina Joy, was a psychologist. She has said that her birth in Miami happened by chance because her parents were on vacation there. Because she was born in the U.S., she is an American citizen.
Her father is from Argentina and has English and Scottish family roots. Her mother was born in Zambia to an English father and a Spanish mother from Barcelona. Anya is the youngest of six children. Four of her siblings are from her father's first marriage.
Anya lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, until she was six years old. She went to Northlands School there. Her family then moved to London, England. Anya speaks both Spanish and English very well. Moving to London was hard for her at first. She even refused to learn English for a while, hoping her family would move back to Argentina. She attended Hill House International Junior School and Queen's Gate School, where she acted in school plays.
Anya first trained in dance, especially ballet, until she was 15. When she was 17, a modeling agent named Sarah Doukas discovered her outside Harrods department store in London. Anya agreed to sign with the agency only if she could also pursue acting. During a modeling shoot for the TV show Downton Abbey, an actor from the show, Allen Leech, noticed her. He later introduced her to his agent, and Anya began her acting career.
Anya Taylor-Joy's Acting Career
Starting Out: 2013–2019
Anya's first acting role was in the 2014 film Vampire Academy, but her part was cut from the final movie. She first appeared on TV in an episode of Endeavour. Then she had a few episodes in the fantasy show Atlantis in 2015.
That same year, she starred in The Witch, a horror film about a Puritan family. The movie was shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and received great reviews. This role was her big breakthrough. Critics praised her performance, calling her "remarkable." She won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor and the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer.
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The next year, Anya starred in the science fiction horror film Morgan. Even though the movie didn't do well, her acting was noted. She also appeared in Barry, a drama about a young Barack Obama. This film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2016, Anya's image was used for the covers of several Skulduggery Pleasant books. She also appeared in a music video for Skrillex's remix of GTA's song "Red Lips."
In 2016, Anya starred with James McAvoy in Split. She played Casey Cooke, a teenager kidnapped by a man with many different personalities. The movie was a huge success, earning a lot of money. Her next film was Thoroughbreds, which also starred Olivia Cooke and Anton Yelchin. Her performance in this movie was called "captivating." In 2017, she also appeared in the horror mystery Marrowbone. Anya was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and received the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival that year. In December 2017, she played Petronella Oortman in the TV miniseries The Miniaturist.
Anya played Casey Cooke again in the 2019 superhero film Glass. This movie was the last in the Unbreakable series and was also a big success. Later in 2019, she was in a documentary about her late co-star Anton Yelchin, called Love, Antosha. She also appeared in Hozier's music video "Dinner & Diatribes." Her next two films, Playmobil: The Movie and Radioactive, did not do well. She also voiced Brea in the fantasy series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Her last role in 2019 was Gina Gray in the TV crime drama Peaky Blinders.
Becoming a Star: 2020–Present
In 2020, Anya starred as Emma Woodhouse in the film Emma, based on the classic novel by Jane Austen. Critics praised her performance, calling it "incandescent." She earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for this role. Anya also played Illyana Rasputin in the superhero horror film The New Mutants.
In 2020, Anya gained huge international fame for her role as Beth Harmon in the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit. The show and her acting received excellent reviews. Netflix announced that 62 million households watched the series in its first month, making it their most-watched limited series at the time. Critics described her performance as "darkly fascinating" and "magnetic." Anya 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 for this role. She was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2020, she also appeared in the drama film Here Are the Young Men. In 2021, she starred in the psychological horror film Last Night in Soho. In this movie, she sings the song "Downtown." Her performance was highlighted for its "dazzling sense of purpose." Time magazine included her on their 100 Next list that year.
In 2022, Anya worked again with The Witch director Robert Eggers on the historical epic The Northman. She starred alongside Alexander Skarsgård in this Viking story. The movie received positive reviews. Anya then appeared in the comedy Amsterdam, which had mixed reviews. The next month, she starred in the black comedy thriller The Menu with Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes. This film received good reviews, and Anya earned another Golden Globe nomination. In 2023, Anya voiced Princess Peach in the animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
In 2024, Anya had a surprise cameo role as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two. Her role was kept secret until the movie's premiere. She then starred as the main character in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a prequel to the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya has mentioned that making Furiosa was a difficult experience for her.
Anya will next star with Miles Teller in the romantic action film The Gorge. She will also appear with Chris Evans in the action comedy film Sacrifice.
Anya Taylor-Joy's Personal Life
Anya Taylor-Joy started dating American musician Malcolm McRae in 2021. He is the lead singer of the rock band More. They got married in a private ceremony on April 1, 2022, in New Orleans. They had a second wedding ceremony in September 2023 in Venice, Italy.
Anya Taylor-Joy's Filmography
Films
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Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Vampire Academy | Feeder Girl | (Uncredited) |
| 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) | |
| 2024 | Dune: Part Two | Alia Atreides | Uncredited cameo |
| Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | Imperator Furiosa | ||
| 2025 | The Gorge |
Drasa | Post-production |
| TBA | Sacrifice |
Joan | Filming |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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" |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Red Lips (Skrillex remix)" | GTA (featuring Sam Bruno) | Girl | |
| 2019 | "Dinner & Diatribes" | Hozier | Wife |
Awards and Nominations
Anya Taylor-Joy has won several awards for her acting. She won the Empire Award for Best Newcomer in 2016. The next year, she was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and received the Trophée Chopard. In 2021, Anya 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.
Images for kids
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Anya Taylor-Joy in 2024
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Anya Taylor-Joy in an interview for Thoroughbreds in 2018
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Anya Taylor-Joy at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
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Anya Taylor-Joy in 2021
See Also
In Spanish: Anya Taylor-Joy para niños
