Anya Taylor-Joy says she tries to show different emotions for women in her characters. Instead of just crying, she fights for them to show anger and strength.
Anya’s view on acting comes from her own life. She had a tough childhood, moving around a lot and facing bullying. She told British GQ she learned to stand up for herself and believes that as long as you’re not hurting others, you should stand your ground:
“As a survival mechanism, you learn to be self-effacing and self-deprecating. You bury yourself before anybody else does. What I’m coming to understand is: as long as you’re not causing anyone else harm, you have to stand your ground. How do I say this? I’ve developed a bit of a reputation for fighting for feminine rage, which is a strange thing because I’m not promoting violence – but I am promoting women being seen as people. We have reactions that are not always dainty or unmessy.”
‘Furiosa’ director George Miller admits he’s glad Anya changed her character for the story:
“She’s one of those great actors who’s resolute [and] incredibly protective of her character. Several times in the cutting room I said, ‘God, I’m so glad she did that.”
Anya plays a young version of Charlize Theron’s character from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ in ‘Furiosa.’ Her character doesn’t talk much — she only has about 30 lines in the whole film. The focus is on her actions and expressions instead.
Anya is Famous For Her Creative Choices
Anya changed a scene in her first big movie ‘The Witch.’ She was playing a character named Thomasin, who was supposed to cry when accused of being evil. She felt Thomasin would be angry, not sad. This change made a big impact on the movie. She admits she feels proud of this version:
“Eventually I said, ‘She’s angry; she’s f*cking pissed. She’s been blamed time and time again, and she’s not doing anything. We have to stop with the crying.’ I feel so happy for her. Girl, fly, do your thing. Live deliciously, you’ve earned it. This world is not for you. I love the ending of that film.”
Anya also made changes in ‘The Menu.’ This time, her character was supposed to cry when she found out her date brought her to a deadly restaurant. Anya said her character would try to fight back. The director and her co-star agreed with her.
The actress worked with the same director from ‘The Witch’ again in ‘The Northman.’ She suggested a bold idea for her character Olga to use menstrual blood in a scene. The director thought it was a strong choice and included it in the film.
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is released on May 24. You can watch the film’s trailer below.
