It was a bold decision on director George Miller’s part to replace Charlize Theron with Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa, but it seems like the choice has paid off. Taylor-Joy is receiving a healthy amount of acclaim for her sharp, tortured performance as the eventual Imperator and the film proves that she has what it takes to headline a major blockbuster. The picture also allowed the actress to tap into a deeper part of herself. “For all my championing of female rage, I’ve never been an angry person,” she admitted to GQ.
But as production moved along, Taylor-Joy allowed herself to feel the emotions — rage, anger, vengeance — that she had to portray onscreen. “I’m so grateful for ‘Furiosa,’ because there was a real moment where I started getting angry for myself,” Taylor-Joy added. “My husband was like ‘I’ve never heard you be like this.’ I was like, ‘I’m glad! I’m glad that I’m angry!’ If someone steps on me now I’m like, ‘Hey, f*** you!’ That makes me feel good.”
Casting Taylor-Joy was a huge gamble but Miller’s expectations were certainly high. The director thought that she was perfect for the role because of her training as a ballet dancer, an experience he felt would lend itself well to the physicality, discipline, and stoicism that was required for Furiosa. “She proved my instincts to be right,” Miller told GQ.
