Anya Taylor-Joy spends a significant amount of time running from danger in her new Apple TV crime thriller, “Lucky,” but she intentionally avoided training like an action star before filming.
During an exclusive interview with People, Taylor-Joy explained that director Jonathan van Tulleken wanted her character’s physical struggles to feel believable. Instead of portraying an expertly trained hero, the actress needed to move like an ordinary person trying to escape dangerous circumstances.
Taylor-Joy stars as Lucky Armstrong, a skilled con artist whose multimillion-dollar robbery takes an unexpected turn. After the plan falls apart, Lucky finds herself pursued by federal agents and dangerous figures from her past.
Although the role required a “considerable” amount of running, Taylor-Joy said intense physical preparation would not have served the character.
“If you’re playing somebody that is highly skilled and efficient at whatever it is that they’re doing, then you of course want to train,” Taylor-Joy told People. “For Lucky, I just didn’t.”
Anya Taylor-Joy Says Lucky Was Not Supposed to Run Like an Action Hero
Taylor-Joy initially wanted to prepare more extensively for the physical demands of the role.
However, van Tulleken encouraged her to avoid becoming too polished or athletic because Lucky does not have the training of a professional fighter, assassin or superhero.
The director wanted viewers to recognize the physical toll that each escape placed on the character.
Taylor-Joy explained that Lucky relies on her intelligence while surviving physically through determination rather than specialized skills.
“He wanted the audience to feel the stakes,” she said.
The actress added that her character spends much of the story narrowly overcoming dangerous situations. Allowing Lucky to appear exhausted and physically challenged helped communicate the risks she faced while on the run.
Taylor-Joy naturally became stronger as filming continued because of the amount of physical activity the role required.
However, she credited persistence rather than athletic ability for helping her complete the demanding scenes.
“I’m not fit, I’m stubborn, so I will get it done,” she joked.
The decision allowed Taylor-Joy to approach the action from a more vulnerable perspective. Instead of making each chase appear effortless, the series shows Lucky pushing through exhaustion while trying to stay ahead of the people pursuing her.
“Lucky” Gives Anya Taylor-Joy More Time to Explore Her Character
“Lucky” marks Taylor-Joy’s return to a limited television series following the success of “The Queen’s Gambit” in 2020.
The new series also marks her first project as an executive producer.
Taylor-Joy told People that longer television projects allow actors to spend more time exploring different sides of a character.
While some stories work best within the shorter format of a movie, she believes other narratives benefit from unfolding across several episodes.
The actress compared the process to slowly peeling back the layers of an onion.
“Lucky” tells its story across seven episodes, giving viewers more time to understand the experiences and relationships that shaped its title character.
Despite the differences between film and television production, Taylor-Joy said she approaches both formats with the same level of preparation and commitment.
She does not change her creative process based on whether a project will appear in theaters or on television. Instead, she focuses on understanding the character and bringing the story to life.
The series also stars Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr. and Drew Starkey.
The first two episodes of “Lucky” are available to stream on Apple TV. New episodes arrive every Wednesday through Aug. 19.
