The definition of a rising star, Taylor Russell is in constant motion. Fresh off a flight from LA, she arrives on set for our cover shoot with freshly washed hair, a winter-appropriate Loewe grey overcoat and just a touch of jet lag. ‘I’ve been a little all over the place, but I’ve landed back in London. I’m here, I’m home.’
These past few months have been busy for 29-year-old Russell, in part thanks to her big London stage debut in Lucy Prebble’s The Effect at the National Theatre, in which she played Connie, a psychology student who takes part in an experimental drug trial — think of it as a story of love in a time of big pharma.
Taking on the role was based purely on intuition, given that Russell had never been on the stage before. What drew her to Connie specifically? ‘That there were all these hidden layers to her. We shouldn’t have the character figured out because we don’t have ourselves figured out. There’s no way that we could.’ Of course, it helped that she had the stellar support of playwright Prebble, director Jamie Lloyd and RSC alumnus Paapa Essiedu. ‘I felt like I was coming into this world that my collaborators know very well. Luckily, they were really patient with my first-year drama school questions like, “What do I do if I forget a line?”’
It’s been a liberating experience for the young actress. Having trained as a ballet dancer from a young age, Russell pivoted into acting at the age of 18, following the well-trodden route of indie featurettes before landing her breakthrough role in Luca Guadagdino’s carnivorous romance Bones and All, opposite Timothée Chalamet in 2022.
She remains sanguine about the effect of the strikes earlier this year on slowing down her trajectory in Hollywood — ‘all the things both the writers and actors were fighting for were very, very crucial points. The equality of that felt very important to me. I was raised in that way.’
And indeed, working in theatre helped refocus her attention in an age of social media-induced ADD. ‘I have this perfectionism thing, and it’s not ideal all the time because you want to be in flow, and it can stop you. But [coming to the stage] was freeing. Especially because we’re in a time where everything is filmed — you go to a concert and everything is filmed, or you go to an art show and you can have your phone out to take pictures and document it all. I think theatre is one of those last spaces where you can be at peace and not document it.’
While the play itself first opened in 2012, with Billie Piper and Jonjo O’Neill in the lead roles, the all-Black cast for this production felt crucial. ‘It deepens it if your experience is one that is reflected by the people that were on stage. It’s important to see that, and the history of pharmaceuticals and the Black community.’
Getting through the marathon two-month run required some serious stamina, but Russell found solace in the cultural delights of the capital, taking in art exhibitions — ‘I would rush after rehearsals to see Hilma af Klint at the Tate, or the great David Hockney show’ — and the city’s parks.
So what’s next for Russell? ‘I would love to do more theatre but I’m not somebody who has a great plan and how I’m going to get there. I’m curious and I’m interested in people more than anything. Hopefully there’s a lot of that in my future.'
Photographer: Nikolai Von Bismarck
Stylist: Jessica Skeete-Cross
Set Designer: Jabez Bartlett
Hair: Claire Grech at Streeters using Virtue
Make-up: Niamh Quinn at LGA Management using Victoria Beckham Beauty
Nails: Lauren Michelle Pires at Future Rep using The Gel Bottle
Photographer’s Assistants: Olivier Barjolle, Alex Board and Lola Taylor
Stylist’s Assistant: Benjamin Carnall
Manicurist’s Assistant: Megan Cummings
Production Assistant: Alex Oquendo
