From returning to the “Mario Bros” universe to voice Princess Peach once again to portraying the intense Alia Atreides in the upcoming “Dune: Part Three,” Anya Taylor-Joy is already shaping 2026 as her year.
However, in her most recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers to discuss “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” she looked back to reveal the role she dislikes the most—despite it being a favorite with her family.
Anya Taylor-Joy Calls Gina Gray Her “Worst” Role
When asked how her relatives feel about her roles, Anya Taylor-Joy said, “I’m always impressed with which characters they gravitate to.” She immediately illustrated the point with Gina Gray from “Peaky Blinders,” noting that the show is huge in Argentina. “That’s potentially the worst character I’ve ever played. My family loves it,” she admitted.
The connection is personal: although Taylor-Joy was born in Miami, she grew up in Buenos Aires, spoke Spanish as her first language, and has an Argentine father. She lived in Argentina until age six before moving to London and frequently expresses pride in her roots. That “Peaky Blinders” resonated so strongly with Argentine audiences clearly struck her in a meaningful way.
Gina Gray, introduced in season five, is the ambitious American wife of Michael Gray. Manipulative and scheming, she becomes deeply involved in the Shelby family’s business and drug operations, plotting with Michael to shift power dynamics. For Taylor-Joy, the role was demanding, requiring her to fully inhabit a morally complex, often unlikable character.
The “Peaky Blinders” franchise is trending once again as the sequel, “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man,” arrives on Netflix worldwide. Set in 1940, the story follows a retired and grief-stricken Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), who is drawn out of self-imposed exile to confront his wartime legacy while dealing with his estranged son, Duke (Barry Keoghan).