For Anya Taylor-Joy, Her Own Furiosa Was 'Traumatizing to Watch' — But Why?

Summary:

• The prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Anya Taylor-Joy-led Furiosa premieres on May 24, 2024.
• For Taylor-Joy, filming the movie was the toughest and most demanding gig of her entire career.
• The actress admitted that even watching Furiosa’s rough cut proved “traumatizing” to her.

Considering the overwhelming success and popularity of Mad Max: Fury Road, it was only a matter of time until a new installment would be ordered. Anya Taylor-Joy-led Furiosa is set for a May 24 premiere, and the final cut is ready — but for the star herself, even watching the rough cut proved unbearable. Why did Taylor-Joy find watching Furiosa “traumatizing?”

Filming Furiousa Was Hard on the Lead Star

The making of the Fury Road prequel was the toughest gig of Anya Taylor-Joy’s career so far. From the inhumane schedule of working from 1:45 am and forth to being covered in grime and isolated from civilization for months, Furiosa was extremely demanding on the actress, and it largely exhausted her in the process.

“You will not believe how dirty I had to be for it to read on camera… I looked like a creature from the Black Lagoon. I hadn’t seen anybody that wasn’t in wasteland hair and makeup in two months. <...> [In most takes, director George Miller was] like, ‘Do it again with your mouth closed.’ He has a thing about my mouth: he thinks when my mouth is open, I look too young,” Taylor-Joy shared with Variety.

This gig wasn’t a walk in the park for the actress — more like a ride in the wasteland.

Taylor-Joy Found Furiousa ‘Traumatizing’ to Watch

Having put countless hours and a whole lot of sweat into making her Mad Max prequel, you’d think Anya Taylor-Joy would be happy to see the final cut of the movie. But when she got to watch the rough no-CGI cut, it made the actress cry.

“The restrictions that were placed on me by George did create a radiation off the character, because she is being suppressed continuously throughout the film. <...> Within the first three minutes [of watching Furiosa], I’m crying — and afterward, I cannot speak. I found it very traumatizing to watch,” Taylor-Joy admitted.

That’s what life in the brutal wasteland does to a person — but we’re all for getting traumatized by Furiosa, aren’t we? Once again, the movie hits the theaters in less than two weeks on May 24, so get your grime makeup ready!

Source: Variety