Joy has just landed on Netflix, and the uplifting film tells the story of three trailblazers who pioneered IVF treatment. Thomasin McKenzie, a talented young actress from Wellington, New Zealand, takes on the role of English embryologist Jean Purdy.
The 24-year-old star, who had a small part in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, gained widespread recognition for her performances in Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit, and Eileen. Thomasin comes from a family of actors; her parents are actress and acting coach Dame Miranda Harcourt and director Stuart McKenzie.
Miranda, a veteran actress, began her career on Radio New Zealand in the 1970s and is best known for her role as Gemma in the drama series Gloss. She is also a director, producer, and acting coach.
In the 2023 New Year Honours, Harcourt was appointed Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to the screen industry and theatre.
In an interview with Issue Magazine at the age of 17, Thomasin revealed that she didn't always dream of becoming an actress. She said: "I'm in an acting family. My dad's an actor, writer, director, acting coach, corporate coach. My mom's an actress, an acting coach, and a director."
"My grandma is an actress as well. My granddad was in the film industry. My brother's done it. My big sister's done it. My little sister's done it.
"But at first, I did not want to do it at all. I was dead set against it as the last thing I wanted to do because I'd been surrounded by it my whole life.
"But then when I did Consent, it made me realise that acting gives me an opportunity to tell stories that need to be heard, and it means I can make a difference. That's how I kind of got into it."
Her maternal grandmother is Kate Harcourt, a 97-year-old actress who has worked in comedy as well as drama in theatre, film, TV and radio.
In 1998 she performed on stage alongside her daughter Miranda in the biographical Flowers from My Mother's Garden at the New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Like her daughter, she was appointed a Damehood in 1996 for her services to theatre.
Thomasin moved to London in June 2023 and at the time she said it was a totally different experience to New Zealand life.
Speaking to Hero Magazine she said: "The flat I've moved into is on the top floor of a townhouse, it's only three floors but I'm up with the tree line, so I look out my window and all I can see is trees."
"It's very quiet and the sun is really beautiful. There's a nature reserve right behind the building, so luckily the place I've found to live provides that stillness for me."
"In Wellington, I really love the access to nature, but the whole of the city is quite still and quiet, which isn't a bad thing at all, but I really like to know that things are going on around me. I like being the calm in the chaos."
Joy is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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