If you’re going to play a leading character in one of the Mad Max movies, then being able to drive is a requirement. That wasn’t any different for Anya Taylor-Joy, who took over the role of Furiosa from Charlize Theron for the character’s origin story, which is arriving soon on the 2024 movies schedule. And yet, while Taylor-Joy did plenty of driving during the making of Furiosa, she doesn’t have a driver’s license, and she’s explained why this is.
Why Anya Taylor-Joy Doesn’t Have A Driver’s License
We learned back in 2022 that the Last Night in Soho and The Queen’s Gambit actress engaged in stunt driving without a license while shooting Furiosa, but even long after the production finished, she still hasn’t become legally qualified to get behind the wheel, which she attributes to not sticking around in one place for too long. As Taylor-Joy specifically put it:
I still don’t have my license. I haven’t been anywhere long enough to get a license.
If you’re not aware, Anya Taylor-Joy was born in Miami, Florida, but she was raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and London, England. But even in adulthood, she travels around a lot because of her job, so she simply hasn’t been in one place long enough to carve out time to secure a driver’s license. Now, it should be noted that during this EW interview, the actress was accompanied by her Furiosa costar Chris Hemsworth, who plays Warlord Dementus. He said that Taylor-Joy “unofficially” does have a license, and I’m not exactly sure what he means by that, but she should make it official before running into any legal entanglements.
On the bright side, at least Taylor-Joy can say that her first driving experience was one few others have gotten to do, and ironically, she comes from a family that’s passionate about cars. She said:
Yeah, it is pretty cool that the first thing I learned to do in a car is a juicy lift 180. I feel pretty secure in that, but I love cars. I love Formula 1. My dad was a power boat racer, so we’re just pretty petrol-y as a family.
Now this isn’t to say that Anya Taylor-Joy will never get a driver’s license, though she already has a good idea what will happen when that day comes.
What Anya Taylor-Joy Expects Will Happen When She Gets A Driver’s License
During her interview with Chris Hemsworth, the actress shared which car she plans to get, as well as speculated that it won’t be too long until after the purchase that she’ll likely wreck it:
I know once I have my license, the stupid car that I’m going to get. I’ll probably break it. It’s a Ferrari Dino. Those are hot cars. It’s going to be bright yellow and I’m psyched.
That’s a solid pick, but as far as Hemsworth is concerned, Anya Taylor-Joy shouldn’t have to go through the proper channels to obtain a driver’s license. As he laid out below, all she needs to do is have whoever’s working at the DMV (or whatever equivalent government agency) look at her work in Furiosa:
Your driving test should just be you handing them a DVD of Furiosa: ‘You tell me if I can fucking drive.’
I’d love to see that happen, but just to be safe, she should study the driver’s manual and brush up on her everyday driving in case that DMV employee pushes the Furiosa DVD/Blu-ray aside. Fortunately, in the Mad Max world, Furiosa doesn’t need to worry about pesky rules like speed limits and right of way. Unfortunately, the tradeoff is living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where resources like food, water and fuel are hard to come by… so actually, I’ll stick with having to carry a driver’s license.
Furiosa opens in theaters on May 24, and you can revisit Charlize Theron’s performance as Imperator Furiosa by streaming Mad Max: Fury Road with your Max subscription.