Launched to fame thanks to ‘Lady’s Gambit’, the actress travels to 1960s London in Edgar Wright’s terrifying and original ‘Last Night in Soho’
In the last two years, Anya Taylor-Joy (Miami, 1996) has become a Hollywood star despite her youth. The actress surprised last year with the Netflix series ‘Lady’s Gambit’ and the delicious modern version of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’. Now it opens in theaters ‘Last Night in Soho’, signed by the always brilliant Edgar Wright, and shows his musical talents singing a surprising version of ‘Downtown’ by Petula Clark.
In this horror feature film, the actress is Sandie, a young woman who lives in the London of the 60s and seeks to woo one of her musical idols. Sandie is, in fact, the corporeal form that Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) takes every time she manages to travel through time. Born in Florida, Anya Taylor-Joy is the youngest of a large family of six siblings who have lived between Argentina and England.
-Is it true that you got your first job in the movie ‘The Witch’ by chance?
-Yes. I started as a model when I was sixteen and as an actress two years later. I met an actor who put me in touch with his agent and that’s how it all started. I wasn’t looking for a role when the possibility came up and ‘The Witch’ was one of the first auditions I ever did. On set, she was an eighteen-year-old girl surrounded by adults without knowing if she really wanted to be an actress. However, the experience was so wonderful that it taught me how important it is to enjoy your work. The people I worked with took care of me like I was part of their family.
-Has she been crowned as the queen of terror?
-I like the genre. I have worked with M. Night Shyamalan twice and ‘The Witch’ helped create that image. I try not to pigeonhole myself, because what I like the most is being an actress and when I’m not working I feel like I’m missing something. Edgar Wright is a brilliant director who has created a very original psychological thriller.
-Wright, at first, had the intention to show his character in silence throughout the film, but later changed his mind. Did you explain why?
-Yes. He told me that it made more sense within the narrative for Sandie to be able to speak. To tell the truth, I’m glad he changed it because I’m a very intense person and I think this role needed dialogue.
-What do you mean when you say it’s very intense?
– That I do not like to remain half, to feel that it is not a complete paper. I live each character that I interpret as a personal lesson, with them I am learning to be an actress. I think the time has come to learn to relax.
-‘Gambit of Lady ‘changed the course of his career. Are you still thinking about that role?
-I feel very, very fortunate to have worked on that project because it allowed me to take a step forward in my acting career. I feel that every day I fall more in love with my profession and that, ultimately, is the most important thing. I don’t do my job to get prizes, of course the successes are wonderful, but the important thing is to have signed a project for which you get up every day. I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to earn a living as an actress among so many talented actors.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith in ‘Last Night in Soho’.
-In the movie, he sings a fabulous version of Petula Clark’s song ‘Downtown’. He likes to sing?
-I have always sung, but I did it for me, at home, I had never performed on stage. It was terrifying shooting that scene staring at Matt Smith. The movie is very well choreographed with some important mirror work. Talking to Matt and Edgar allowed me to understand my role from another perspective. It was a complicated shoot, but a lot of fun.
-What would you highlight about Edgar Wright?
-It’s unique. The actors were willing to do anything he asked of us. I think both Thomasin McKenzie and I really like challenges. We have been able to create characters that require coordination, not only between the two of us, but also with the camera. That was the biggest challenge.
-Your participation in ‘Last Night in Soho’ played an important role in landing the role of Furiosa in the next prequel to ‘Mad Max’ that George Miller will direct.
-I do not know. I try not to think in those terms and focus on the way I work. So my approach is very sensible: I’m here for the integrity of the storytelling. I want to continue working with directors who are considered artists, nothing more.
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