Anya Taylor Joy reflects on her Queen’s Gambit role: Recalls falling in love with her character immediately

Anya Taylor Joy recently revealed why she was thrilled to accept the role of chess superstar Beth Harmon in her hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit.

By Pinkvilla Desk

Updated on May 17, 2021 | 05:45 PM IST | 919K

Anya Taylor Joy reflects on her Queen’s Gambit role: Recalls falling in love with her character immediately

The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor Joy recently got candid about being a part of the hit Netflix series, which released in 2020. In a new interview with Deadline, the 25-year-old actress talked about her role as Beth Harmon in the popular series, which takes inspiration from the book titled Queen’s Gambit. The actress also reflected on why she accepted the role. “First of all, I ran to the meeting with Scott [Frank, showrunner]. I don’t run, that’s not something that I do really, but I ran to that meeting as soon as I finished the book, because I so excited and I just, I knew her so immediately,” Anya shared with Deadline.

“And the first thing I yelled at Scott across the restaurant was, ‘It’s not about chess. It’s about loneliness and trying to find your place and the price of genius, and what it is to be that other and attempting to find your world within that,’” Anya added. “And yeah, I was desperate to tell this story. I fell in love with her immediately, and I really thought that I could do it right.”

For those who have not seen the show, here’s the plot: Set during the Cold War era, orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon struggles with addiction in a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. The show released in October 2020 and has been a raging hit with fans and critics ever since. For her role in The Queen’s Gambit, Anya has won a Golden Globes award, SAG Award, and Critics’ Choice award.

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