According to her Twitter bio, 18-year-old actress Anya Taylor-Joy likes Disney more than you. Yet her breakout role was as far from Disney as they come: an intense and terrifying pilgrim in Robert Eggers’ Sundance horror hit The Witch. Blood-chilling horror film roles aside, Anya is a super bubbly London teenager. She even told Vanity Fair that she’d never seen a scary movie until the premiere of The Witch. Next year, she’ll return to theatres in Luke (son of Ridley) Scott’s sci-fi thriller Morgan.
What do you do and why do you do it?
I pretend to be other people, it makes me feel more like myself.
Describe yourself in five words.
Crazy, passionate, silly, curious and a weird-rebel.
How did you start your career?
I met a wonderful man named Allen Leech and recited some Seamus Heaney poetry. I guess it worked?
What are you working on at the moment?
Luke Scott’s Morgan.
What advice would you give young people wishing to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t have what you want.
We’re celebrating the 35th Birthday Issue of i-D, when did you last celebrate and what was the occasion?
Rob’s win at Sundance – we tore up the town.
Tell us one thing that no one knows about you.
I’ll take it to my grave.
Finish this sentence: 35 is the new…
If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Credits
Photography Alasdair McLellan
Styling Max Clark
Hair Pierpaolo Lai at Julian Watson Agency
Make-up Lotten Holmqvist at Julian Watson Agency using Estée Lauder
Anya wears cardigan vintage Mr Freedom from The Contemporary Wardrobe
Bracelet model’s own