Anya Taylor-Joy has gripped the world since her incandescent debut in the 2015 film, The Witch, and her star has only grown brighter since. After starring turns in the critically acclaimed (and über-chic) Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, and as the spunky female lead in Jane Austen’s Emma, her place in the firmament was cemented with her being named the global brand ambassador of Swiss luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2022.
“The encounter with Anya was meant to be. Her long family history with polo and interest in watchmaking led us to a natural partnership. With her ethereal beauty, her sensitivity, her talent and hard working ethics, she embodies the values and style of our maison,” says Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, of Taylor-Joy’s appointment at the time.
Now, almost two years into her ambassadorial role with the watchmaker, the actress is back with yet another stunning campaign for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous Moon watch, shot by celebrity lensman Mark Seliger. Over an early morning Zoom call, GRAZIA Singapore’s Pakkee Tan sat down with Taylor-Joy to talk about her secret side, definitions of success and discover what else the intrepid actress would still like to accomplish.
GRAZIA Singapore (GS): What’s one piece from Jaeger-LeCoultre that’s especially meaningful to you?
Anya Taylor-Joy (ATJ): I have a Reverso, and I got my dad one at the same time, and we both inscribed things on each other’s watch. So that’s my favourite piece.
GS: Are you able to share what you inscribed on the pieces? Or is that private?
ATJ: We just inscribed little phrases [that are meaningful to us]. I’ll share what’s on my one: My dad has always said, “The harder we work, the luckier we get”. So that’s what my one says.
GS: Amazing. So is that the piece that you would wear every day, or is there another piece that you would choose as an everyday piece?
ATJ: I think that’s my everyday piece right now. [I like that] it’s also a larger watch. I kind of went for more of a menswear-inspired design. But I think if I was going to pick something now, I would do the Classic Duetto, because I love the idea of being able to flip from day to night.
GS: In the spirit of the Reverso, is there a secret side to you that others don’t easily see?
ATJ: I don’t think that it’s not that [other people] don’t easily see it: I’m quite silly, and if you get to know me for longer than you know, like a red carpet interview, that comes out pretty quickly. [laughs] But I work in a lot of very serious films, so I wonder if that’s surprising to people. I really don’t take anything too seriously!
GS: What motivates or drives you?
ATJ: Passion and growth. I’m kind of obsessed with it. And what’s interesting about growth is it very rarely feels comfortable. You can still feel like you’re growing towards something good, but growing pains are real. So I’ve just kind of taken to planting myself in lots of different types of soil and seeing what direction that forces me to grow.
GS: And how would you define success? What does success mean to you?
ATJ: Being at peace with yourself. I have a lot of hunger in me: I have a hunger for new experiences. I have a hunger for passionate people. I have a hunger to see the world. So probably feeling at peace with that, and being like, okay, you’ve seen enough, or you’ve done enough, or anything like that.
GS: In the same line: is there a moment where you felt you’d made it?
ATJ: I can only speak from my experience, and I feel like the answer is kind of no. But I’ll sometimes wake up in a moment and be like, wow, I said I would take my dad to the Oscars when I was 12, and now I’ve done it. I’m not somebody that rests on accomplishments very easily. For better and for worse, I tend to kind of forget my accomplishments as soon as it happens.
GS: That’s a great quality to have. What is one piece of advice you wish you’d gotten at the start of your career?
ATJ: That you would make friends through working, not necessarily through parties. When I first started working, I’d go to these really big parties and feel very overwhelmed, because it was just like, wow, how on earth are you supposed to show people your entire personality in one evening? That’s not to say that I haven’t made friends through parties, but I find the events that I go to now, I feel more and more comfortable every time I go, because I just know a lot more people. I’ve worked with them, we know each other, we know each other’s families, and so it stops feeling so overwhelming the more that you work.
GS: How do you celebrate your wins?
ATJ: It depends! Something that has stayed pretty consistent—particularly when it comes to jobs—I tend to run around my room and scream at a certain moment. That’s never really stopped. I still get so excited by the idea of playing a character or getting to embark on a journey, and I hope that that never goes away. I hope that I never get numb from the feeling of being able to do the thing that I love.
GS: Is there anything that you would still like to accomplish?
ATJ: So many things. I’m really enjoying being a greater partner in the filmmaking process. I’ve always been, since my first film—it was such an indie, low budget movie, so I kind of had to be involved in every aspect of it, and that’s just something that I love more and more. So getting to be a part of everything that goes into making a film or a TV show, not just from the acting side, that’s something that I really enjoy.
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