Quote Of The Day By Anya Taylor-Joy: 'I'm Someone Who Was Told From A Very Young Age That I Was Wrong In Some Way, Shape Or Form...'

Anya Taylor-Joy is a force to be reckoned with, and it is hard to believe that anyone would undermine her. The award-winning actor is currently starring in the Apple TV + series "Lucky," where she plays a woman fighting for survival after her husband leaves her alone to face the authorities following a heist gone wrong. Much like her character, Taylor-Joy proves time and time again that she won't allow others to determine her worth.

The British-Argentine performer turned down a Disney Channel job to star in her first major role in "The Witch" when she was 18. Thanks to her strategic career move, she won a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor. Her first horror acting credit was certainly not her last, with Taylor-Joy gaining further acclaim for playing opposite James McAvoy in "Split." 

The actress continued to show her range by playing a romantic lead in "Emma," a chess player in Netflix's psychological drama "The Queen's Gambit" (which earned her a Golden Globe, a Critics' Choice Award, and a SAG Award), and a renegade warrior in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." She is also using her platform to continue to champion women-led stories, like her current series: "Lucky," the Apple TV crime thriller in which she stars and executive-produces. She also will appear in "Dune: Part Three," set to premiere in theaters in December.

"I'm someone who was told from a very young age that I was wrong in some way, shape, or form, or that I didn't fit in. Because I didn't fit in, that was a problem. Then I realised that the most important relationship you have is with yourself — I mean, this is something that we've all heard, but it's just so true, and quite difficult to put into practice."

The quote above comes from an interview Anya Taylor-Joy did with Elle in January 2026, in which she revealed her confidence mantra. The actor shared that when she was younger, she felt like she was the problem for not fitting in. Yet, at an early age, she was already mindful of her worth. Taylor-Joy learned that the most important relationship you can have is with yourself, and that's a worthwhile reminder for those going through something similar. Taking her stellar career into consideration, she's proven that she can fit into any genre, without letting anyone box her in. 

She also shared the following with Elle: "I used to think there's a big divorce between how people think about themselves and then how they think about their body, but no, this is a combined effort that all together makes up you — and that's how you experience the world."

The main takeaway from Anya Taylor-Joy's quote is that no matter what other people say, loving yourself is key. Instead of allowing others to determine what you can do and what circles you can be a part of, you should trust your own potential.

Before breaking into the scene, Taylor-Joy struggled to fit in at school. She has said that moving to the United Kingdom after spending her early years living in Argentina was challenging for her, and her classmates made her feel like an outsider for both her multicultural background and her appearance. Taylor-Joy learned early on that one of the best ways to deal with rejection was to embrace her inner confidence, and that paid off in the long run. Her message urges everyone to do the same and celebrate what makes us unique, even if our instinct is to internalize the judgement. 

"I was very, very lucky with my parents, because when I was bullied for my looks, my mom always said, 'You look at the inside of somebody. You don't look at class, you don't look at anything like that. You don't look at their job; it is just, do you like that person's heart.' I really have to give my mom a shoutout for that, because it was really helpful." — From her guest appearance at The Drew Barrymore Show in 2023

"If you're not in love with your craft, if you're not in love with your art, you will be empty because that is the thing that sustains you, so make sure you're doing it for the right reasons." — From an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK in 2022

"I think chess is a pretty good metaphor for life in the sense that you can have a plan, but then once the game's kicked off you have to be able to pivot and adapt." – From an interview with OTHERtone in 2020