Anya Taylor-Joy accidentally ‘fried’ hair with bleach

Anya Taylor-Joy once accidentally "fried off" her hair with bleach.

The Emma actress has experimented with all sorts of hair colours since launching her Hollywood career in 2015, from a honey blonde hue to a chestnut brown shade.

But in an interview for the October 2021 issue of InStyle magazine, Anya recalled how she did some serious damage to her signature locks by dyeing them too often.

"I did this one project where they bleached my hair from root to tip every Sunday for three and a half months. Then I dyed it brunette, and the stylist said, 'Oh, that's so cute. You have an undercut.' She lifted up my hair and the whole bottom was completely fried off. I was like, 'Ah, OK, bleach is bad, good to know,'" the 25-year-old sighed. "I grew up as such a tomboy that I had no concept of hair dye, of how to take care of my skin or anything. Now I know some things."

To protect her strands, Anya now opts for wigs - like the vibrant red one she wore to play Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit - when on set.

But she admitted putting her wigs away when production wraps on a gig can be an emotional experience.

"I think I got saved with Beth because of the amount of time that I had with her. Still, I was in such deep grief that when I took off the wig for the last time, I just held it and sobbed. It's a very bizarre thing, but you do love (the characters). Even if they're terrible people, you love them," she added.