Anya Taylor-Joy Takes Over ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ in a Stunning Beach Editorial Ahead of Her Most Ambitious TV Role Yet
There are actors who appear in magazines, and then there are actors who seem to transform the magazine around them. Anya Taylor-Joy belongs unmistakably to the second category, and her latest appearance in print makes an overwhelming case for just how singular she continues to be at this stage of her career.
Taylor-Joy has been earning international acclaim since her breakout with ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ on Netflix, and she has spent the years since expanding into films like ‘The Witch’ and tentpole blockbusters with equal ease.
Her upcoming slate alone tells the story of an actress operating at peak demand, with appearances in Apple TV’s ‘Lucky’ and Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Three’ already confirmed, alongside a newly announced role in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’. The next few years are shaping up to be the most consequential chapter of her career yet.
That momentum is reflected in the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s June issue, where the publication describes her as the “rule-defying movie star who’s poised to make her biggest splash yet.” The editorial, photographed by Myles Hendrik, captures Taylor-Joy in a striking beach setting with the ocean visibly present throughout the shoot. In one frame she arches dramatically against the tide, arms raised, with her dress sculpted against her body by wind and water, blurring the boundary between fashion and something more elemental.
The cover story arrives as Taylor-Joy marks her return to television after six years away from leading a streaming series, anchored by the Apple TV crime thriller miniseries ‘Lucky’, which premieres on July 15. Taylor-Joy is not only the star of ‘Lucky’ but also an executive producer through her own production banner, Ladykiller, and Reese Witherspoon’s media company Hello Sunshine is also producing the series.
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel and Reese’s Book Club pick by Marissa Stapley, ‘Lucky’ follows con artist Lucky Armstrong, who is forced to go on the run after a multi-million-dollar heist goes sideways, pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss.
Annette Bening plays the crime boss Priscilla, while Timothy Olyphant portrays Lucky’s father John, adding a deeply personal dimension to the high-stakes pursuit. The ensemble also includes Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as FBI agent Billie Rand, Drew Starkey as Lucky’s husband Cary, and Clifton Collins Jr. and William Fichtner in supporting roles.
‘Lucky’ consists of seven episodes in total, with the first two dropping simultaneously at the July premiere before new installments arrive every Wednesday through August 19. The summer release window means the series will not be Emmy-eligible until the following cycle, though it is well positioned to compete at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and other winter awards.
The series was co-showrun, written, and executive produced by Jonathan Tropper alongside co-showrunner Cassie Pappas, with Taylor-Joy’s own producer credit signaling a creative investment that goes well beyond the performance itself.
Between a career-defining cover shoot and a return to television in a project she helped shape from the inside, Taylor-Joy is clearly not interested in simply showing up. The question for fans is whether ‘Lucky’ will deliver the kind of Emmy-adjacent cultural moment that ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ created, or whether it carves out something entirely its own. Which direction do you think it will go, and does the chemistry of this particular ensemble give you confidence that this is the role that redefines her television legacy?
