It has something poetic about it Anya Taylor-Joys acting ability. She is poised by nature and brings a composure to her roles that is almost impossible to replicate. She is only a few years into her acting career and has already gained the liking and respect of many. Her quiet demeanor speaks volumes about self-confidence. Although on the quieter side, she is never shy about breaking out of her innate personality, making her a very interesting actress to watch.
Taylor-Joy’s acting is fierce and she embodies her roles with impeccable assurance of skill. Humbled and a reflection of a peaceful disposition, the result of her acting rests on success. Her light is contagious and you can see that immediately. Distinctive from others, there is no end where Taylor-Joy will direct her career.
Starring in the hit Netflix limited series The queen’s gambit, Taylor-Joy fits the role perfectly. The series tells the story of a young girl, Beth Harmon, who became an orphan because her mother passed away unexpectedly and her father was absent. Beth took place in Kentucky in 1967 and was lucky enough to find refuge. She befriends a girl named Jolene while at the orphanage and is affected by drugs, resulting in a mild addiction throughout her life. On the occasion when Beth is asked to clean the erasers in the basement of the orphanage, Beth meets Mr. Shaibel, a custodian and an almost expert chess player. However, when Beth initiates her first play, the rest is history.
7 Beth is supported by her adoptive mother Alma
One of the most heartwarming parts of the series is the relationship between Beth and her adoptive mother. Though her adoptive father would not be long in her life, her mother, Alma, approached parenthood with open arms. Not only did she support Beth with everything she had, but she made sure Beth took every opportunity she got to play chess.
Alma eventually falls ill due to her longtime relationship with alcohol, but she never put her addiction above Beth and her success. After each victory, Alma read the newspaper articles to Beth to let her know how well she was loved by the public, which gave Beth even more confidence. Their love for each other was boundless and Beth continued to remember and honor her loving adoptive mother even after she was gone.
6 Beth’s confidence is great and humble
Because she learned to play chess so young and succeeded at a high level, Beth grew into a very confident player and individual. Her competitive nature was fierce. Although she was sure of herself, she was also very humble and did not show an ounce of malicious intent towards her opponents. She talked herself through every move she made. While she would look down on herself if she realized in hindsight which plays might have been better, she remains meticulous in her narrative, seeing herself only as her opponent rather than those she played against.
5 Beth is strong and naturally competitive
After losing to her most rival and regular opponent, Benny Watts, Beth enlists the aid of a previous opponent, Harry Beltik, who helps train her focus. Although she was better at chess than he was, having a partner to practice with made her a stronger competitor. She trains as relentlessly as possible, both alone and with others. Watts may have been Beth’s biggest rival, but she would soon face “The Russian” while in Paris at the World Chess Championship, who she couldn’t stop thinking about since the beginning of her great skill .
She devoted her whole life to chess and its practice, not wanting, but having to be the best player. This competitive nature can be seen from the very beginning. She remains humble when she wins and calm when she loses, recounting every move she made to make sure it never happens again.
4 Beth explains how she trains herself to play chess
One of the most epic parts of The queen’s gambit is how Beth explains her chess practices. After developing a relationship with the “vitamins,” which were basically sedatives, Beth’s mind expanded to a whole other level of righteous ability.
She learned to play chess even better by playing in her head. Notice: “I’m playing in my head, on the ceiling.” Usually she took a pill and lay awake imagining the game and all the games she could play on the tiles above her bed in the orphanage. Beth started this practice when she was just nine years old, and continued to use it into adulthood, resulting in a photographic memory that aided in her gains.
3 Beth becomes addicted to sedatives
Although Beth was only nine years old, her friend Jolene at the orphanage influenced her to start taking what they called “vitamins.” These pills were actually sedatives. However, Beth didn’t take them to keep calm. She used these pills as a mental focus for her chess game. When the orphanage wouldn’t give her more because she noticed her growing addiction, she furiously jumped over the medication counter and stole everything she could.
The addiction followed her into adulthood. Attributing her attention to detail in chess, Beth would use the pills to play and practice playing chess on the ceiling. Although she never refused because of the addiction, it was still an addiction and gave her the utmost confidence while playing.
2 Beth wins her first chess tournament
Upon walking into the venue of her first chess tournament in Kentucky, Beth kindly demands to face only the best chess players. She was persistent despite her new beginnings. When her opponents heard she was playing against them, they all sighed in fear of embarrassing defeat. Although she was supposed to be a newcomer to the tournament world, she nevertheless dominated and won the state championship.
Her confidence and level-headedness were astonishing and she won the tournament with ease. Learning better plays along the way, her continued success would fall on the shoulders of her first major win against the multiple players she faced in Kentucky.
1 Beth starts playing chess for the first time
Orphaned at the age of nine by her mother’s car accident and her father falling victim to the street, Beth played her first game of chess in the basement of the orphanage. When asked to clean the chalk erasers, she sees the custodian, Mr. Shaibel, who has set up a game for him to play alone. Like the curious girl she was, Beth started her very first game of chess against him. She picked up the game faster than most, which led to Mr. Shaibel labeling her “amazing,” and more. The two shared a close bond, as Beth never forgot the man who trained her to be the winner she was, even after she left the orphanage.
She learned all of the plays from Mr. Shaibel and he eventually allowed her to make the first move while playing, giving Beth even more confidence to be the credited chess player she was. They also respected each other and when he died she attended his funeral with Jolene. She then traveled back to the orphanage only to learn that he had followed her entire career and clipped news articles about her on the wall near the table where he set up their first game of chess. A proud man and a woman who learned how to use that pride – the two were a virtuous couple, to say the least.
After all is said and done, Beth is known as having the “skill of a master twice her age.” She may have ruined her chance to win in Paris against The Russian due to one of the worst hangovers she’s had, but her innate strength got her through, along with the help of Jolene, Harry, Benny and a few more opponents who she became friends. when her adoptive mother died. Beth also never forgets Mr. Shaibel’s influence and arranges for him to attend his funeral with Jolene. Her confidence and competitive nature may have been strong, but her love of the game provided her with a safe place to be free.