Anya Taylor-Joy reveals she chose The Witch over a Disney Channel pilot

Anya Taylor-Joy in The VVitch
(Image credit: A24)

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Anya Taylor-Joy has revealed that she chose A24 folk horror The Witch over a Disney pilot after being offered both on the same day.

"I remember it was the same day I got asked to be in a Disney Channel pilot, and it was so exciting to be offered anything at all that I ran around the house like a loon," she told Harpers Bazaar. "But I just had this really good feeling about The Witch that made me willing to forego the Disney experience for the thing that felt unknown to me, the thing that felt sacred." 

 "I thought I’d done a really bad job, and I saw myself failing miserably with this dream I’d had for such a long time," she said of her performance, surprised by the critical acclaim. "I guess I’m not always the best judge of my own work."

She added, on The Witch: "It gave me the cornerstones of the way I work now, which is essentially the idea that there is no hierarchy on set: you work hard, you stay on top of the shots and you don’t assume anyone else is going to do that for you. Your title doesn’t stop at actor – you’re a creative on this film, and that’s how you need to approach it."

Lauren Milici
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.