Anya Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy, also known as Anya Taylor-Joy, was born on April 16, 1996 in Miami, Florida. She is the youngest of six children. Anya’s father is Scottish Argentine and a former international banker. Her mother, who is English of South African and Spanish descent, worked in photography and interior design. Taylor-Joy moved to Buenos Aires as an infant and spoke only Spanish before moving to London at age six. She attended the preparatory school Hill House in Kensington, then Northlands School in Argentina and Queen’s Gate School in London. At the age of 16, she was scouted as a model while outside Harrods Department Store by Sarah Doukas of Storm Management. It was through her work as a model that she met and signed with an acting agent.
In 2014, Taylor-Joy had her first acting role in the horror comedy film, Vampire Academy. She rose to prominence in 2015 with her starring role as Thomasin in Robert Eggers’ period horror film, The Witch. The film and her performance gained critical acclaim, with Taylor-Joy receiving the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor, the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer, and the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress. In 2016, Taylor-Joy starred in the Science Fiction horror film Morgan, directed by Luke Scott. In 2017, she earned further recognition for her headlining role in the horror thriller film Split and its 2019 sequel Glass.
With her first Marvel film, The New Mutants, finally making its debut, Taylor-Joy is going to take the spotlight by storm.