Anya Taylor-Joy praises Annette Bening’s ‘effortlessly cool’ acting style
The actress described Annette Bening as the 'G.O.A.T' revealing she picked up new techniques simply by watching her
Anya Taylor-Joy is full of admiration for Annette Bening, revealing the Oscar-nominated actress taught her valuable lessons while filming Apple TV+'s new thriller series, Lucky.
Speaking with People, Taylor-Joy reflected on sharing the screen with Bening, whom she described as the "G.O.A.T." — the greatest of all time — after watching her approach to acting up close.
“There are little actor things that she’ll sometimes do before takes that I’d never encountered before,” Taylor-Joy said.
“I was definitely like, ‘Oh, that’s something maybe a little bit before my time that I will definitely take forward with me in the future.’”
The Queen’s Gambit star praised Bening’s effortless screen presence, saying she brought remarkable depth to the role of crime boss Priscilla.
“She’s so effortlessly cool,” Taylor-Joy said, adding that Bening transformed what could have been a straightforward villain into someone “incredibly intellectual and sexy and interesting.”
“Anytime we did a scene together, I was always just reminded, ‘Oh yeah, Annette Bening, the G.O.A.T.,’” she added.
Based on Marissa Stapley’s bestselling novel, Lucky follows con artist Lucky Armstrong after a multimillion-dollar heist goes disastrously wrong.
The series also stars Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr. and Drew Starkey.
The project marks Taylor-Joy’s first television series since The Queen’s Gambit and her debut as an executive producer.
Reflecting on the difference between television and film, the actress said long-form storytelling allows performers to spend more time developing complex characters.
“The main difference... is just the sheer amount of hours that you are allowed with a character,” she explained, while stressing that her passion and preparation remain the same regardless of the format.
Meanwhile, Bening said she was drawn to Lucky because of its stylish storytelling and talented cast, describing the opportunity to work with Taylor-Joy and the ensemble as one of the project's biggest attractions.