Actress Anya Taylor-Joy says it’s “surreal and very wonderful” that fans of her hit Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit want to see her return for a second season.
“We never thought about it,” Taylor-Joy told Deadline during a recent interview. “There was no discussion about it. That said, never say never in Hollywood.”
Since the coming-of-age miniseries was adapted from author Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name, there isn’t a framework for a follow-up season. If that were to happen, creators Scott Frank and Allan Scott would have to create an entirely new narrative for the story to continue. That said, Taylor-Joy wouldn’t mind continuing to play chess prodigy Beth Harmon for another season.
“It would be very interesting to see how Beth would be as a mother, now that she’s sober and more cognizant of the demons that pull her down,” she said.
Last week provided some career-defining moments for the Argentine-British-American actress. She landed two Golden Globe nominations—one for her performance in The Queen’s Gambit and the other for her role in the film Emma—and a Screen Actors Guild nom for The Queen’s Gambit.
Because of the pandemic and being sheltered for the last year, Taylor-Joy says she’s well aware of how her successes in 2020 have impacted her career but feels disconnected to it in a way.
“I understand on a cerebral level, but on a physical level, I’ve been quite calm,” she says. “What makes me the happiest is that every year I spend working, I fall more in love with what I do. I’m getting more excited to push boundaries.”