Summary:
- Actress Anya Taylor-Joy explained that she was willing to shave her head to portray Furiosa, just like how Charlize Theron did, however, director Chris Miller didn’t let her.
- Apparently, Miller liked Taylor-Joy’s hair too much, he felt it would be a waste for her to go bald.
- Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillian is another actress who was willing to shave her hair to portray Nebula in the MCU.
Anya Taylor-Joy steps into a major role with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” where she plays the younger version of the titular character immortalized by Charlize Theron in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Theron’s bald look for Furiosa became iconic, sparking curiosity about whether Taylor-Joy would do the same in the spinoff movie.
In a Variety interview, Taylor-Joy shared that she was prepared – excited, even – to shave her head for the role but was advised against it by director George Miller himself. He had two big reasons to deny this plea. Firstly, it’s unnecessary since this is a prequel movie, which means it’s not shot in chronological order. And secondly, Miller was quite taken with Taylor-Joy’s hair, and he felt that it would be a waste for her to shave it all away.
I felt so fiercely protective over Furiosa, and fiercely protective of her interests. I was so excited to shave my head. Then George saw me in real life, and went, ‘No, we can’t!’,” Taylor-Joy recalled.
“I said, ‘Please!‘” said Taylor-Joy.“But George is such a softie. He saw my hair and he said, ‘It’s beautiful. Don’t do it.’” The Queen’s Gambit‘s alum added. As a result, for the film’s final act, Taylor-Joy wears a bald cap instead that covers all of her hair, making it look like she’s actually bald.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” delves into the backstory of Theron’s formidable character, with Miller at the helm once again. The role of Furiosa resonated deeply with Taylor-Joy, who admired Theron’s portrayal and was eager to bring her own interpretation to the screen.
Having an actress go bald for their roles isn’t a new thing in Hollywood. Prior to Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron cut her hair to portray the adult version of Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. Karen Gillian, who plays Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and the MCU, has even gone bald for several years so that she can best portray the cyborg character.
While she managed to keep her hair, Anya Taylor-Joy still had her own fair share of problems filming the movie. The actress maintained her locks intact throughout the shooting, which spanned over six and a half months in Australia. The film was shot in winter, therefore Taylor-Joy and the rest of the crew must wake up extremely early to catch the sunlight.
“I had the earliest call time of my life: 1:45 a.m. I’d be like, ‘I just wrapped! What do you mean?! It’s a mistake!’” The 28-year-old explained.
The demanding schedule and immersive environment also made Taylor-Joy feel isolated from the normal world, therefore she felt more immersive as Furiosa more than ever. “I hadn’t seen anybody that wasn’t in wasteland hair and makeup in two months. I had not seen anybody looking regular,” she added.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is currently hitting theaters worldwide.
