Anya Taylor-Joy has disclosed that she experienced severe bullying as a child.
The assault caused the 26-year-old actress to drop out of school at the age of 16, but she thanked her parents for their encouragement and comforting words.
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress from The Queen of Gabi talked about her turbulent childhood.
Anya Taylor-Joy, who had a dramatic appearance on Thursday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, recounts being brutally tormented in school and says, “I was very lucky to have nice parents.”
The 5’8″ beauty, who was wearing a striking pink dress with a low-cut neckline and thigh-grazing skirt, said, “I was very, very blessed with my parents because when I was bullied for my appearance, my mum always told you look at the inside of such people.”
“You look at someone’s insides; you don’t look at classes or anything like that.”
The actress continued, “You just look at that person’s heart; you don’t look at what they do for a living.
Childhood: Anya was raised in Argentina for the first six years of her life before moving to London with her family, who she once described as “nomadic, travelling gipsies really” (shown in childhood).
Throwback: The 26-year-old actress, who was photographed at the premiere in 2015, won her first acting job in The Witch after dropping out of school at the age of 16 due to abuse.
Anya was raised in Argentina for the first six years of her childhood before moving to London with her family, whom she once described as “nomadic, travelling gipsies really.”
She did not speak any English at the time, and in an earlier interview, she talked about how difficult it was for her to adjust to her new home.
“I had horses and animals everywhere in Argentina, and the country is very green; all of a sudden, I was in a big city with no language,” she recalled.
I was not really sure where I belonged. I was too American to be anything, too English to be Argentine, and too Argentine to be English. The children simply had no understanding of 㸍e at all. Lockers used to lock me in.
She claimed that as a result, she spent a lot of time in class “crying in the bathroom.”
Tragic: The Queen’s Gaston actor thought back on her turbulent childhood while chatting with the show’s host, Drew Barrymore.
At the age of 14, she made the decision to move to New York, and two years later, she dropped out of school to pursue her acting career—a move that “terrified” her family.
Not too long later, back in London, Anya caught the eye of Sarah Doukas, the founder of the esteemed Stor ⹍odel agency, who is also credited with finding Kate Moss.
Anya shared her childhood story with Entertainment Tonight last year, saying, “I spent the first two years in England learning how to read and playing hand-clap games with plants—if you slap them hard enough, they clap back.”
“That was my life.” I didn’t spend time with other children. Clearly, I was a fairly normal child.
“I was very, very lucky with my parents,” Anya remarked, “because they always told me to look at the inside of everybody when I was being bullied for my appearance.” (September photo with her sister Jennifer)
“I needed to believe in a place where I could be valued and appreciated, and actually have soething to contribute rather than constantly feeling like, What is wrong with e, and why do I not fit in,” she told Elle, explaining that the strangeness of school was the reason she resorted to acting.
At the tender age of 17, Anya made her screen debut as the lead in Robert Eggers’s period horror film The Witch (2015), which brought her multiple accolades.
Since then, she has maintained a steady career, landing recurring roles in BBC series Peaky Blinders and The Miniaturist. However, she gained more recognition when she played the lead in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, a character she remembered finding endearing due to her stubborn nature.
Additionally, she starred in The Queen’s Gambit, which at the time broke the record for the most viewed scripted television series ever.
