Anya Taylor-Joy says she was bullied in high school because of the way she looks

Anya Taylor-Joy has opened up about the bullying she used to receive when she was in high school.

The Queen's Gambit star's profile has risen dramatically over the years and she was even featured on Time magazine's 100 Next list of 'emerging leaders who are shaping the future'.

She's also earned a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Taylor-Joy looks like her star is going to keep going into the stratosphere with each project.

However, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the 26-year-old.

She's told Drew Barrymore on her talkshow series about how she was subjected to cruel taunts by her school peers.

Thankfully though, Anya was given sage advice from her mum and dad about how to respond to bullying.

"I was very, very lucky with my parents because when I was bullied for my looks my mum always said you look at the inside of somebody," she said.

"You look at the inside of somebody you don’t look at class, you don’t look at anything like that."

Taylor-Joy added: "You don’t look at what they do for a job, it’s just do you like that person’s heart? And I really have to give a big shout out to my mum for that because it was really helpful."

Her experience at school actually helped her kickstart her acting career.

During an interview with Elle magazine, The Menu star said performing felt like a far better use of her time rather than pounding textbooks.

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"I needed to believe in a place where I could be valued and appreciated, and actually have something to contribute rather than constantly feeling like, What is wrong with me, and why do I not fit in?" she said.

Taylor-Joy has been candid in the past about how she feels about her looks.

Back in 2020, when the world was being captivated by Anya's performance of Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit, she revealed she didn't think she was going to be worthy of celebrity status

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "I have never and I don't think I will ever think of myself as beautiful.

"I don't think I'm beautiful enough to be in films. It sounds pathetic and my boyfriend warns me people will think I'm an absolute d*** for saying these things, but I just think I'm weird-looking."

Taylor-Joy added: "I won't go to the cinema to watch my own film, I'll watch it before. The beauty of being in your own skin is that you don't have to look at your own face."