Anya Taylor-Joy won't go full method acting: "Can't completely lose our minds"
Anya Taylor-Joy has explained why she won’t do method acting — even with its hallowed reputation — so what, exactly, puts her off?
Asked whether she ever “goes method,” Anya Taylor-Joy didn’t hedge. In a recent sit-down with Complex News, she said fully disappearing into a character for weeks isn’t realistic when real life keeps knocking — and added that the industry rarely grants women the freedom (or the buffer) to vanish off the grid between takes.
“Women don't method act because we have things to take care of,” Taylor-Joy said. “So we can't completely lose our minds.”
She explained that if a character starts creeping into her off-hours, the people around her will step in — even calling her by the character’s name to pull her back. More practically, she noted there are hundreds of colleagues relying on her to be present and professional on set; getting lost in a role, she said, would make her harder to work with, not better on screen.
That approach puts her apart from actors who champion staying in character around the clock, but Taylor-Joy’s line in the sand is as much about respect for the crew as it is about craft.
Trusting her double
The way she works also shows up in the partnership with her longtime stunt double, Hailey Wright. The two first connected on The Gorge and built a friendship rooted in trust — the kind you need when one person literally takes the hit for the other.
Taylor-Joy has talked about the emotional knot of watching someone she cares about absorb the physical risk on her behalf. On Lucky, Wright handled intricate chases and fights that demanded split-second precision between them. Earlier on The Gorge, they coordinated a tense cliffside jeep sequence that called for flawless timing.
That care for the team extends beyond the work itself. A fan account on X claimed Taylor-Joy handed out roses to crew and stunt performers on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga after the “stowaway” sequence wrapped — a stretch the post said ran 76 shooting days (shared Aug. 18, 2024, by @TheChewDefense).