How Anya Taylor-Joy became Beth Harmon in ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

How do you turn yourself into the world’s most formidable chess prodigy when you barely know how to play the game yourself? That was the question facing Anya Taylor-Joy as she prepared to portray Beth Harmon, the fictional protagonist of Walter Tevis’ novel ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ in its lavish Netflix adaptation.

Set in the 1950s and ’60s, the series follows Harmon’s rise from orphan with a talent to teen prodigy to national champion, all as she deals with addiction to tranquilizers – crippling, but sometimes useful when she’s plotting her moves – and the men of the chess-world boys’ club who want to keep her out.

In this video, Taylor-Joy breaks down how she tapped into Harmon’s pain, why she relates to the character’s solitary pursuit, and how her own dance training helped her feign a mastery of pawns, rooks, and knights.

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