Anya Taylor-Joy shares her ‘dream’ Disney role that would excite her

Anya Taylor-Joy has expressed her interest in starring in a Disney film, revealing a particular project that excites her.

The 28-year-old actor, known for her role in The Queen’s Gambit, had one of her early auditions to play the younger version of Angelina Jolie’s character in the 2014 live-action adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, titled Maleficent. Despite her varied career, there’s one Disney film she still hopes to be a part of due to its unique challenge and the joy it would bring her family.

Taylor-Joy mentioned that she is especially eager to work on a Disney musical because she thrives on challenging roles. She finds the idea of singing, dancing, and acting simultaneously particularly thrilling.

In an interview with Vogue Hong Kong, she stated, “I would love to do a musical because I’m a bit addicted to hard work. I like having an impossible mountain to climb. The idea of having to be able to sing, dance, and act at the same time would just really thrill me.”

When asked about a specific project she’d love to be part of, the star of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga replied, “I think Frozen would be pretty great. It would be very fun to shoot ice out of your hand.”

She added that playing Elsa would also make her a favorite among children, particularly her own family. “You’d just be the favorite at every kid’s birthday party. All of my siblings have children now, so I would love for them to be able to say ‘my auntie is Elsa,'” she said. “That would be pretty sick.”

Fans have often noted Taylor-Joy’s resemblance to the character Elsa from Frozen. This resemblance has even led to directors asking her to play the part for their children.

Taylor-Joy recounted an experience to BBC Radio One where a director, whose young daughter was a fan of Frozen, asked her to pretend to be Elsa. “I had a meeting with a director who had a young daughter who was three and she loved Frozen. He asked me if she could come over and I could pretend,” she said. “And I did the whole thing. Watching this little girl’s face… she was so excited… she thought I was going to freeze the place.”

Interestingly, Taylor-Joy declined an offer to star in a Disney Channel pilot at the start of her career. Instead, she chose to take a role in Robert Eggers’ puritan horror film The Witch, which became her breakthrough role.

The success of The Witch led to other notable offers, including roles in M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film Split and its sequel Glass alongside James McAvoy.

Reflecting on her decision, she told Harper’s Bazaar, “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.”

“But I just had this really good feeling about The Witch that made me willing to forgo the Disney experience for the thing that felt unknown to me – the thing that felt sacred.”

Source: Vogue Hong Kong, BBC Radio One, Harper’s Bazaar