Anya Taylor-Joy on Split, M. Night Shyamalan, and the Epic First Cut

An Exclusive Interview

By Kevin James McAvoy

Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood today. She has starred in a number of critically acclaimed films, including The Witch, Split, and Glass. In Split, Taylor-Joy plays Casey Cooke, a young woman who is kidnapped by a man with dissociative identity disorder. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to launch Taylor-Joy's career.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Taylor-Joy about her work on Split. She spoke about what drew her to the project, her experience working with M. Night Shyamalan, and the epic first cut of the film.

What attracted you to Split?

"I was drawn to the script because it was so unique and challenging," Taylor-Joy said. "I had never read anything like it before. The character of Casey was also really interesting to me. She's a strong and resourceful young woman who is put through a lot, but she never gives up."

What was it like working with M. Night Shyamalan?

"M. Night is a visionary director," Taylor-Joy said. "He's very passionate about his work, and he always knows what he wants. He's also very supportive of his actors, and he gives them the freedom to explore their characters."

The first cut of Split was over three hours long. What was that like?

"It was amazing," Taylor-Joy said. "It was so cool to see the film in its entirety, and to see how all the different pieces fit together. The first cut was really rough, but it had a lot of great stuff in it. I'm glad that M. Night decided to cut it down, but I'm also glad that I got to see the full version."

Anya Taylor-Joy is a talented actress with a bright future ahead of her. I'm excited to see what she does next.