Who is Isla Johnston, Baz Luhrmann’s new Joan of Arc?

Isla Johnston, an actress revealed in The Queen’s Gambit

Isla Johnston is one of the rising faces of cinema, one to watch closely. At just 19, the young British actress, who grew up on a farm in southeast England in a family of farmers, was not destined for a career in the film industry. It was after taking part in a school play that she discovered her passion for acting. From the age of 8, she began auditioning, landing a few small roles. It was at 11 that she secured the part that would change everything.

She went on to play the young Beth Harmon in the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit (2020), portraying a chess prodigy orphan in the 1950s and 1960s. She carries the entire first episode on her shoulders before handing over to the adult version of her character, brilliantly played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Following this breakthrough, Isla Johnston chose to prioritize her studies while continuing to play at a slower pace. She later appeared in the series Invasion (2021), alongside Golshifteh Farahani, and in the British miniseries Life After Life (2022) with Thomasin McKenzie. The actress will soon star in The Carpenter’s Son (2025), next to Nicolas Cage and FKA twigs, as well as in the horror film Visitation alongside Olivia Cooke.

Baz Luhrmann’s Joan of Arc

Yet, it is an entirely different project that has now put her in the spotlight. Her short red haircut in The Queen’s Gambit almost foreshadowed her future role, that of Joan of Arc in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming feature, Jehanne d’Arc. The shooting is scheduled for 2026 and her role was highly-coveted. Actress Jenna Ortega had expressed interest in portraying the young heroine. In the end, it was this nearly unknown young actress whom the cult director of Romeo + Juliet (1997), Moulin Rouge! (2001), and The Great Gatsby (2013) chose to embody the historical figure.

Besides, the resemblance with the 17-year-old girl from a small French village is uncanny. Joan of Arc was guided by voices and divine visions commanding her to liberate France, then under English occupation during the Hundred Years’ War. Despite her feats, she was burned at the stake in 1431.

An actress already winning over the fashion world

The choice of Isla Johnston is far from insignificant. The director wanted an actress who could ride a horse in full armor. Having grown up on a farm, the young woman has been around horses since childhood. Beyond these physical skills, however, the filmmaker above emphasized that Joan of Arc was a teenager from a modest background, suddenly thrown into a brutal war.

Yet, cinema may not be the only arena for this rising star… The house of Loewe is already betting on this emerging talent. On February 10th, 2026, Isla Johnston was officially named ambassador of the brand. She is the first young woman to become an ambassador for the house under the creative direction of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. A promising omen for her new career…

Jehanne d’Arc by Baz Luhrmann does not have a release date yet.