Anya Taylor-Joy is a British-American actress born on April 16, 1996, in Miami, Florida.
She grew up in Buenos Aires and London, and began her acting career after leaving school at 16.
Taylor-Joy gained recognition for her roles in The Witch (2015), Split (2016), and Glass (2019).
She became an international star with her portrayal of Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit (2020), earning a Golden Globe Award.
She also starred in Emma (2020) and Peaky Blinders (2019-2022).
Parents
Anya’s parents are Jennifer Marina Joy-Marancho and Dennis Alan Taylor.
Jennifer is a psychologist with Spanish and English heritage, born in Zambia to an English diplomat father and a Spanish mother from Barcelona.
Dennis is a former banker and powerboat racer with Scottish and Argentine roots.
They have two children together, including Anya, who is the youngest of six siblings, with four from Dennis’s first marriage.
The family moved from Buenos Aires to London when Anya was six, significantly influencing her upbringing and career.
Career
Taylor-Joy’s career began with small television roles before her breakthrough in the 2015 horror film The Witch.
She played Thomasin, the eldest daughter in a Puritan family, which brought her critical acclaim and recognition in the film industry.
As her career progressed, Taylor-Joy gained further recognition with roles in Split (2016) and its sequel Glass (2019), where she played Casey Cooke, a high school student who helps a man with multiple personalities.
These roles further established her as a talented young actress. She also starred in Thoroughbreds (2017), a dark comedy-thriller alongside Olivia Cooke, showcasing her ability to play complex characters.
Additionally, she appeared in Marrowbone (2017), a Spanish horror film, where she played Allie, a mysterious and protective older sister.
Taylor-Joy’s mainstream success came with her portrayal of Emma Woodhouse in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.
Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination, highlighting her ability to excel in period dramas.
However, it was her role as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit (2020) that catapulted her to international fame.
She won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for this role, solidifying her status as a leading actress.
She also played Gina Gray, an American socialite, in the BBC historical crime drama Peaky Blinders from 2019 to 2022.
In recent years, Taylor-Joy has continued to diversify her filmography.
She starred alongside Thomasin McKenzie in the psychological horror film Last Night in Soho (2021). She also played Olga, a Viking woman, in the epic historical action film The Northman (2022).
Looking ahead, Taylor-Joy is set to star as the titular character in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024), a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road.
his role will showcase her ability to take on action-oriented roles, further demonstrating her versatility as an actress.
