In her latest interview, Anya Taylor-Joy reveals that she would have been happy to play any role in Robert Eggers’ last theatrical release, The Lighthouse.
Anya Taylor-Joy, the Northman star, revealed that she had asked to be cast in Robert Eggers’ previous feature, The Lighthouse. She says he replied with a no, and she went on to work with him again when he directed her performance in Witch back in 2016. In 2019’s Northman release by April 22nd of next year (22), they team up once more as this is their second project together since working on Witch, which was released two years ago.
Despite her close connection with Eggers and eagerness to reunite following her work on The Witch, Tayor-Joy was absent from his last film. But, it did not appear there was a role for her in the movie as it focused only on two characters (Robert Pattinson’s character and William Dafoe). Winslow finds scrimshaw of mermaids tucked away in his decrepit lodging in that film. His fixation over this thing causes him to have hallucinations and an encounter with the creature, which is frighteningly realistic.
Anya Taylor-Joy reveals she asked Robert Eggers to play a small part in The Lighthouse, though he advised against it. She also says that when she originally found out about the project and called him up, there was no role for her, but when she mentioned playing the mermaid at this time, he said his feeling had changed because they had just now cast someone else in that role… “This is where I regret not being able to do this film earlier,” Anya tells NME. “I think if we’d been talking about doing it two years ago or something, then I would have jumped on board.”
In a recent interview with NME Magazine, Anya Taylor-Joy reveals she had asked Robert Eggers to play the small part of the mermaid in The Lighthouse. She says that he called her about the film but noted there was no role for her and when she suggested playing the mermaid, he advised against it.
Read her quote regarding joining The Northman after not appearing in Eggers’ previous project below:
“I was jumping at it because when he first called me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m making The Lighthouse, and there’s no role for you. There’s a mermaid….” I was like, ‘I can be the mermaid!’ He was like, ‘You really should not be this particular mermaid, Anya.’ I was like, ‘I can be the seagull, I can just be in the background.’”
Despite missing out on The Lighthouse, Anya Taylor-Joy praises The Northman and has expressed her excitement in being involved with Eggers’ upcoming film. She has been open in the past about how working with him informed how she approaches other projects and says they have known each other for a long time now. She also stated that she was proud to be a part of The Northman, where she plays the role of Olga, explaining that it is something never seen before.
As it turns out, actress Anya Taylor-Joy and director Robert Eggers are close friends and collaborators. It is exciting to think about how the movie The Lighthouse would have looked if she was cast as a mermaid instead of starring in his Nosferatu remake. For now, though, fans can enjoy their reunion when The Northman hits theaters later this month!
