Anya Taylor-Joy is reflecting on a "frightening" encounter with paparazzi.
The Queen's Gambit star graces the cover of Tatler magazine this month, and in an interview with the publication, the actress, 25, opened up about the fame she's experienced since landing the starring role in the hit Netflix series—for which she's won a Golden Globe award, a Critics' Choice Television award and a Screen Actors Guild award for her performance. "Most people are sweet and kind and just want to have a conversation," she said, "and I love that."
Something she loves less is when paparazzi approach her. "Well, there are other times when you're just one person facing off against 20 and that's just physically not safe," she explained. "It can be very frightening when there are whole bunches of men with cameras attached to their faces running after you down the street."
Anya went on to recall one specific instance during a May trip to New York, where she was staying to host the season finale of Saturday Night Live.
"I went home and cried, but then I figured it out," she said. "The next morning, I went out and I said, ‘Hello, my name is Anya. Let's lower down the camera and let's meet.'"
"I am not prey," she continued. "I don't want to run. I'd rather be like, ‘I understand this is your job and I hope that you can understand that I am a woman of a certain size and I feel intimidated right now, so can we make it work so you can do your job and I can feel less frightened?"'
Anya isn't the only star to speak out about her experiences dealing with paparazzi. Earlier this year, celebs including Hailey Bieber, Blake Lively and Sophie Turner also shared their feelings about their own encounters with professional photogs.
"Every day we pull out of our house, there's someone there, waiting," Hailey said during an April interview on The Early Late Show. "To a certain extent, you have to understand what comes with this industry and this lifestyle, but I still don't understand how people can just take photos of you without your permission. But it does come with the territory. I just try to set my boundaries with them as much as possible."