Anya Taylor-Joy feels "lucky" to have been mentored by a number of older actors.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy

The 22-year-old star has received a lot of helpful advice from her co-stars over the years and some of it has proven to be vital.

She said: "I'm lucky actors who are older than me seem to take me under their wing. Jennifer Jason Leigh [co-star in 'Morgan'] once said to me, 'Even if you don't understand a script or what's going on, if you love the director, just jump, because they're going to do something right.'

"Romola Garai ['The Miniaturist' co-star] gave me a book that killed me. Inside she wrote, 'Make sure your voice is heard; take a seat at the table.' "

The 'Split' actress was scouted as a model by famous agency Storm when she was just 16 but never felt comfortable in the fashion world so will always be grateful to 'Downton Abbey' actor Allen Leech for helping set her on the path to acting.

She told Britain's Marie Claire magazine: "From the second I walked into Storm, I thought, 'I want to be an actor.' I didn't think I could be a model. I grew up as a tomboy and never saw myself as pretty.

"I met Allen Leech on my third ever job and he took my name and number. A couple of weeks later, I got a call from his (and my now) agent. Allen jokes that he should be getting commission from all my movies. I'm like, 'Dude, you're not wrong!' "

While she's happy with her success, Anya thinks it's hilarious she's been in so many horror movies.

She said: "If you had told baby me that I would be known as a scream queen or as horror's It girl, I would have laughed so hard. That is so not me; I've never even seen a horror movie. I've never actually looked at genres."