Who is actor Anya Taylor-Joy?
Anya Taylor-Joy, whose full name is Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy, is a British-American-Argentine actor born on April 16, 1996, in Miami, Florida, United States. She is known for her work in psychological thrillers, horror films, period dramas and action productions. Taylor-Joy gained international recognition through films including The Witch and Split, and for playing chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the limited series The Queen’s Gambit. Her performance in the series earned major television honors, including a Golden Globe Award.
Background/biography
Taylor-Joy was born to an Argentine father of Scottish descent and an English mother. Her family moved from the United States to Buenos Aires when she was young, and later relocated to London. She has spoken about Spanish being her first language and about initially resisting the move to England.
She attended schools in London, including Hill House International Junior School and Queen’s Gate School, before leaving formal education as a teenager to pursue creative work. Taylor-Joy was discovered by a modeling scout outside Harrods in London and signed with Storm Model Management. Modeling introduced her to the entertainment industry, and she subsequently began auditioning for acting roles.
Acting career
- The Witch (2015) — played Thomasin, the eldest daughter of a Puritan family in Robert Eggers’s folk-horror film.
- Split (2016) — played Casey Cooke in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller.
- Glass (2019) — reprised the role of Casey Cooke in the sequel to Split.
- Emma. (2020) — starred as Emma Woodhouse in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel.
- The Queen’s Gambit (2020) — portrayed Beth Harmon, an orphaned chess prodigy, in the Netflix limited series.
- Last Night in Soho (2021) — played aspiring singer Sandie in Edgar Wright’s psychological horror film.
- The Northman (2022) — played Olga in Robert Eggers’s historical action film.
- The Menu (2022) — starred as Margot in the satirical thriller.
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) — played the title character in George Miller’s prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road.
After attracting attention in independent horror cinema, Taylor-Joy developed a varied screen career across studio productions, streaming television and period films. Her role in The Queen’s Gambit became one of her most widely seen performances and helped bring renewed mainstream interest to chess. She has also continued collaborating with filmmakers including Robert Eggers and M. Night Shyamalan.
A breakout role in modern horror
Taylor-Joy’s performance in The Witch was widely regarded as her breakthrough. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before its theatrical release, and her portrayal of Thomasin established her as a prominent young performer in horror and psychological drama. She later returned to the genre in projects such as Split, Last Night in Soho and The Menu.
Fun facts about Anya Taylor-Joy
- She spent part of her childhood in Buenos Aires and has said that Spanish was her first language.
- Before acting professionally, she worked as a model after being discovered by a scout in London.
- Her screen debut was a small role in the 2014 film Vampire Academy, although her scenes were removed from the final cut.
- She learned about chess while preparing to play Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit.
- She has worked more than once with director Robert Eggers, appearing in both The Witch and The Northman.
