Anya Taylor-Joy is one of those rare actors who doesn't just play a role—she seems to physically inhabit it until the line between her and the character gets kinda blurry. Honestly, if you’ve followed her career from the eerie woods of New England to the dusty chess boards of the 1960s, you’ve probably noticed she has a very specific, almost fearless relationship with her body on screen. People often search for anya taylor joy naked expecting something scandalous or gratuitous. But the reality? It’s usually about something way more uncomfortable and artistic than what the internet’s basement dwellers are looking for.
She’s basically built a career on being an "exposed nerve," as director M. Night Shyamalan once put it. When she shows skin, it’s rarely about being a "sexpot." It’s about vulnerability. Or power. Or, in the case of her breakout hit, a literal pact with the devil.
The Witch and the Reality of Artistic Nudity
Let's go back to 2015. The Witch (or The VVitch, if you want to be fancy) changed everything for her. There’s a pivotal moment at the end where her character, Thomasin, wanders into the woods and joins a coven. It’s a scene involving anya taylor joy naked, but it’s not shot like a pin-up. It’s shot like a religious experience—horrifying and liberating all at once.
Interestingly, for the far-away shots in that sequence, a body double was actually used. Anya has mentioned in interviews that she felt incredibly "exposed and vulnerable" during the filming of her early projects, even when the nudity was purely atmospheric. She was only 18 when that movie came out. Can you imagine? One minute you're a teenager walking your dog in London, the next you're the face of "elevated horror" and the whole world is talking about your "naked" stroll into the supernatural.
Why She Pushed for Male Nudity in Emma
You might remember the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s bright, colorful, and looks like a tray of macarons. But Anya and director Autumn de Wilde did something pretty radical. They decided to flip the script on the "female gaze."
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Instead of the usual scene where the lead actress is cinched into a corset while the camera lingers on her skin, they did it to the leading man, Johnny Flynn. We see his character, Mr. Knightley, completely bare from behind as he gets dressed. Anya was super vocal about why this mattered. She basically said it was "about time" the guys felt that level of exposure. To her, seeing a character's physical body—unadorned and un-armored by period costumes—reminds the audience that these aren't just stiff historical figures. They're humans. They have skin. They get frustrated and rip their clothes off just like we do.
The Brutality of The Northman
If Emma was about the "cheeky" side of exposure, The Northman was the mud-soaked, blood-stained opposite. Working again with Robert Eggers, Anya played Olga, a Slavic sorceress. The filming conditions were notoriously brutal. We're talking North Ireland in the freezing rain, barefoot in the muck.
There are intimate scenes with Alexander Skarsgård, but they feel more like a "pagan psychedelic ritual" than a standard Hollywood romance. Anya has talked about how she "thrives" on those kinds of intense, physical experiences. She doesn't just show up and say lines; she wants to feel the cold. She wants the dirt under her fingernails. When she’s "naked" or semi-clothed in a film like that, it’s a tool to show how thin the barrier is between the character and the harsh world they live in.
Misconceptions in The Queen’s Gambit
Everyone and their mother watched The Queen's Gambit during the 2020 lockdowns. Because the show was so stylish, some viewers expected it to follow the "prestige TV" trend of having a lot of explicit sex.
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But it didn't.
Beth Harmon's sexuality was depicted as awkward, messy, and often secondary to her obsession with the game. Anya specifically worked with director Scott Frank to make sure the sex scenes felt "unfulfilling" and realistic. She’s gone on record saying that for Beth, explicit nudity wouldn't have added anything to the story. "The journey is with her mind," she told Refinery29. She’s become a go-to actress for showing desire and intimacy without actually needing to strip down, which is a testament to how much she can do with just her eyes.
The Fashion of Exposure
You can't talk about Anya without talking about her red carpet style. She frequently wears "nude" gowns—think the Dior dress at Cannes or the sheer, ethereal looks she’s known for. It’s a deliberate choice. She treats fashion as "make-believe" for adults.
- The "Nude" Dior at Cannes: 2024 saw her in a strapless, sand-colored gown that was basically a masterclass in Hollywood glamour.
- The "Second Skin" aesthetic: She often chooses fabrics that mimic skin, playing with the idea of being "naked" while being fully covered in couture.
- Method Dressing: During the Furiosa press tour, her outfits were metallic, sharp, and aggressive—reflecting the "stripping away" of her character’s humanity in the wasteland.
Navigating Fame and the "Male Gaze"
Anya has admitted she doesn't think she's "beautiful enough to be in films." Which is wild, right? But that insecurity is part of why she approaches nudity and exposure so carefully. She isn't trying to be the "hot girl." She’s trying to be the girl who’s been "ripped away" from her reality.
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She's an empath. She carries the ribbons and garters of her characters in her backpack like lucky charms. When you see anya taylor joy naked or in a vulnerable state on screen, you aren't seeing a celebrity showing off. You're seeing an actor who is fiercely protective of the "spirit" she’s representing. She’s mentioned that she "can't do something she wouldn't throw herself under a bus for." That kind of intensity is rare.
What to Watch Next
If you’re interested in the way she uses her physicality to tell stories, don’t just look for the "revealing" moments. Look at the way she moves.
- The Witch: Watch the final five minutes to see how she uses her body to signal a complete loss of innocence.
- The Northman: Pay attention to the scenes in the forest where her character uses the elements as a weapon.
- Furiosa: Notice how she handles the physical "exposure" of a character who has lost everything, including her hair and her sense of safety.
Anya Taylor-Joy has proven that "nakedness" in cinema isn't always about what you're seeing. Often, it's about what the character is feeling. By refusing to be put in a box—or a "sexpot" category—she’s carved out a space as one of the most intellectually honest actors of her generation.
To better understand the evolution of her roles, compare her early work in The Witch with her more commanding presence in The Menu. You'll see an actress who has moved from being a victim of the "gaze" to someone who completely controls it. Pay close attention to her interviews regarding "feminine energy" on set; it’s the key to understanding why she chooses the projects she does.