Anya Taylor-Joy says marriage gives her security to take career risks

Hollywood actress Anya Taylor-Joy has said her relationship with her husband, musician Malcolm McRae, has given her a sense of security that allows her to take more risks, both personally and professionally. The 30-year-old, who rose to fame with Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, spoke about the impact of her marriage in an interview with Elle UK, published ahead of the magazine's September issue.

Security and risk-taking

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Taylor-Joy married McRae in April 2022. In the interview, she described how the relationship has provided her with an unexpected foundation. She told Elle UK that having a best friend to go through life with gave her a sense of security she had never dreamed of. That security, she said, has emboldened her to take more risks because she now has something solid and healthy to rely on.

“To have a best friend who goes through life with you – it has given me a sense of security that I didn’t really ever dream about.”

Anya Taylor-Joy, speaking to Elle UK

She added that she laughs 90% of the time with her husband, calling the relationship nutritive and fun. The actress has previously spoken about experiencing panic attacks on set, and in the interview she reflected on overcoming dark places. She said she now appreciates the privilege of being exhausted by the work she loves.

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Dune Part III and desert filming

Taylor-Joy will reprise her role as Alia Atreides in Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part III, the third and final film in the franchise. She told Elle UK that filming parts of the movie in the desert was something she embraced fully. She said a fire starts up in her when she realises something is going to be tough, and she loves to turn miserable situations into places full of joy.

Producing debut with Lucky

The actress is now producing her first series, Apple TV's Lucky, in which she also stars as a con artist who goes on the run after a heist goes wrong. She said she has always been interested in not just why something works, but how it works, and felt she had been doing the work of a producer for a while without the title.

What happens next

The full interview with Anya Taylor-Joy will be published in the September issue of Elle UK, which goes on sale from 6 August. No release date for Dune Part III or Lucky has been announced yet.