Whenever you consider Anya Taylor-Joy, you tend to imagine strong, multi-dimensional characters. Nevertheless, there is one character she does not adore at all, and that character is Gina Gray from Peaky Blinders. Taylor-Joy mentioned in a recent talk at Late Night with Seth Meyers that Gina is the worst character that she has ever performed, not because it was a poorly written character, but because Gina was a menace to the Shelby family in Peaky Blinders.
She is manipulative, ambitious and ruthless. However, oddly enough, Taylor-Joy does not like her, but her own family, on the contrary, loves the character. Such contrast makes Gina memorable. She is fashionable and tough, but morally disheveled, too. Playing her was to bring to screens a darker, more anarchic state of mind, even for an actor who’s played hard-core roles.
Gina Gray in Peaky Blinders
Gina Gray did not merely walk into Peaky Blinders, she stirred things up. As the ambitious American wife of Michael Gray, she soon proves that she has come for power, not to support. She is intelligent, fashionable and forward-thinking. Yet more than anything, she desires control. Gina challenges Michael to defy Tommy and replace him, even at the cost of everything.
The dangerous thing about her is the extent to which she goes. Her strategies are not survival but winning, at any price. Nevertheless, she is difficult to forget. Outspoken, loud, and merciless, Gina is the type of character that people hate to love, and cannot help but watch.
The irony of a hated role
It is somewhat ironic that, on one hand, Anya Taylor-Joy refers to Gina Gray as the worst character she’s ever played, but on the other hand, her family does not agree. In a recent interview, she laughed at the amount of love her close ones have for Gina despite the character being toxic and manipulative.
This is partly due to the fact that Taylor-Joy has a strong cultural attachment to Argentina where Peaky Blinders is very popular. Because of that, Gina isn’t just seen as a villain, she’s actually a fan favorite. Anya Taylor-Joy stated on Late Night with Seth Meyers:
“Peaky Blinders is huge in Argentina. That’s potentially the worst character I’ve ever played. My family loves it.”
This reveals one interesting aspect about storytelling: characters do not have to be good to be loved. The more anarchic and unpredictable, the more pleasant they are to watch. And yet, although Taylor-Joy may not be proud of Gina’s behavior, viewers, and her own family included, certainly appreciate all of the drama that she delivers.
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Edited by Sohini Biswas