Anya Taylor-Joy (born 16 April 1996 in Miami) grew up in Buenos Aires and London, speaking both Spanish and English, but her multicultural heritage (English, Scottish, Argentine, and Spanish roots) made her feel like an outsider during her school years. After being scouted by modeling agent Sarah Doukas outside Harrods at age 17, she signed with an agency on the condition that acting remained her priority, and her breakthrough came with the horror film The Witch (2015). She gained global recognition for playing chess prodigy Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit (2020), winning a Golden Globe and SAG Award, and receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination. Her subsequent filmography includes The Menu, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) as Imperator Furiosa, and voicing Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), alongside period dramas like Emma (2020) and the series Peaky Blinders. Early in her career, she appeared in Split (2016) and Glass (2019), cementing her status as a horror and thriller star. Taylor-Joy's journey from a displaced, multilingual childhood to international stardom demonstrates her resilience and adaptability across diverse genres.