Hollywood actress Anya Taylor-Joy has opened up about being bullied at school over her appearance — an experience that preceded a chance encounter on a London street that launched her modelling career at just 16 years old. The revelation offers a striking contrast to the image of the actress, now widely celebrated for her distinctive beauty and rising star power.

Bullied and frozen out at school

Taylor-Joy, now 30, recalled moving from Argentina to England at the age of six — a transition that proved socially bruising. She was reportedly labelled a lesbian and shunned by classmates after kissing a fellow student on the cheek, a cultural gesture that was misread by her peers. From that point, she said, children repeatedly told her she 'wasn't beautiful.' The bullying, by her own account, was consistent and targeted at her looks.

The street encounter that changed everything

Despite the childhood taunts, Taylor-Joy's path took an unexpected turn as a teenager. While practising walking in stilettos on a street ahead of a party, a car pulled up beside her. A man leaned out and warned her, 'If you don't stop, you'll regret it.' When she got into the vehicle, she discovered Sarah Doukas, founder of the prestigious modelling agency Storm, seated inside. Doukas had spotted her potential. Taylor-Joy's response to the offer was characteristically direct: 'I have no interest in modelling, other than I hear that sometimes models become actors. And that's what I want to do with my life.'

From modelling stepping stone to screen breakthrough

True to her stated ambition, Taylor-Joy used modelling purely as a launchpad. Her onscreen debut came with the horror film The Witch, followed by roles in Glass and Thoroughbreds. It was, however, the Netflix chess drama The Queen's Gambit — released in 2020 — that transformed her into a global household name. She played Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy navigating trauma and genius, and the show went on to become one of the most-watched series in Netflix history.

What the role meant to her

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor-Joy reflected on her connection to the character: 'Sometimes you feel like a character is ahead of you. Sometimes you feel like you're both exactly at the same place. But with Beth, I had experiences in my own life where I just thought, Oh, I can sort of big sister you through this.' She described the show's success as 'one of those beautiful moments.'

A trajectory that defied early rejection

Taylor-Joy's journey from a bullied schoolgirl to one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses underscores a broader pattern — that early social rejection, particularly around appearance, is a recurring thread in the biographies of many performers who later redefine beauty standards. Notably, the very features her classmates mocked are now considered hallmarks of her singular screen presence. Her story also highlights how the modelling industry, often criticised for narrow standards, can serve as an unlikely gateway for those with their eyes firmly set on acting.