VOGUE HONG KONG – Tucked away in the heart of downtown LA, a nondescript sliding gate gives way to a lofty, cavernous warehouse. There’s a makeshift classroom in one room. In another, shelves filled with stereo TVs. A vintage Cadillac Eldorado is stationed out back, gleaming in the California sun. This was the set of Anya Taylor-Joy’s cover shoot for Vogue Hong Kong – a shoot so groundbreaking that it was shaken by the 4.4 magnitude earthquake that also rattled the rest of Los Angeles.

Strolling on to the Vogue Hong Kong set, Taylor-Joy’s wide doe eyes reveal a piercing intensity. Stark blonde locks are contrasted with a delicate bounce and gentle curl. Her stately, elegant frame is punctuated by sharp angles – defined collarbones, a pointed jaw. And then she breaks into laughter, and all that felt untouchable is softened instantly by a wide, generous smile and sunny laugh. She’s barely had time to introduce herself, but her presence is undeniable.

This formidable sense of gravitas has lent itself immeasurably to her acting roles. Case in point: her most recent film as the titular Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Taylor-Joy had 30 lines of dialogue throughout the film, yet she captured the nuanced humanity and deep rage of her character throughout. While a picture may be worth a thousand words, the depth of expression felt in Taylor-Joy’s eyes alone may be worth a million more. That, combined with her unwavering dedication and commitment to each and every role she plays, are what has made Taylor-Joy an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. From her strategic genius in The Queen’s Gambit to the visceral power of Furiosa, and her compelling presence in Dune: Part Two, Taylor-Joy has proven to be a generational talent unlike any other.

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ELLE – It takes something—or someone—pretty formidable to overshadow Anya Taylor-Joy, one of her generation’s most talented actors and, as of this year, a newly minted Hollywood megastar. Still, as the crew gathers to begin shooting this ELLE Australia cover, everyone only has eyes for a long-haired chihuahua puppy that must weigh in at less than a kilogram. “This is Bartok the Magnificent,” declares Taylor-Joy as we sit down for our interview. The new puppy, who she picked up only two days ago, is nestled sleepily in her lap. His name is taken from the 1997 animated movie Anastasia, a historical fantasy about the murder of Russia’s imperial family in the 1920s. Bartok the Magnificent is a street-performing albino bat and sidekick of the vengeful sorcerer Rasputin. This anecdote might go some way to capturing the magic of Anya Taylor-Joy, who is fiercely talented, bitingly intelligent and face-from-the-gods beautiful, but also a little bit off-the-wall, in the way the best people always are.

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FLAUNT – “It was definitely the bloodiest and dirtiest I have ever been in my life,” laughs actor Anya Taylor-Joy, recounting her “war stories” from the set of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, in which she stars as the titular lead. “I remember looking at my makeup artist at one point and saying, ‘I am filthy right now!’” she recalls, sharing nothing prepared her—not even her annual trips to Glastonbury, her favorite festival, where she’s well-used to being knee-deep in mud and grime.

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