Anya Taylor-Joy reveals painful school years before Hollywood success

Anya Taylor-Joy is looking back on her school years and the bullying that unfolded over her appearance before going on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

The 30-year-old actress, who recently faced renewed online bullying over her casting in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum, opened up about her struggle to fit in at the private Queen’s Gate School in London after moving from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to London at just six years of age.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Anya recalled feeling isolated as a result and being told by classmates that she was not beautiful.

The Florida-born actress told the publication her experience getting ostracised by other pupils after kissing a classmate on the cheek, which led to further teasing and exclusion.

Despite those difficult experiences, Anya went on to build a successful career in entertainment. She is now best known for starring in projects such as the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit, as well as the films The Witch, Split, Dune: Part Two and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Her journey into the industry began unexpectedly when she was approached by model scout Sarah Doukas outside Harrods as a teenager. Although she was not interested in modelling at first, she saw it as a possible path into acting.

Anya also recently spoke of her casting in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, calling it a dream role and her onscreen character a powerful feminist icon. She is next set to appear in the Apple TV+ series Lucky.