Seventeen Starter Pack: Wednesday's Joy Sunday Shares Her Comfort Books and Favorite Theme Park Memories

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Joy Sunday's star is on the rise thanks to her role as tantalizing siren and Queen B Bianca on Netflix's Wednesday. She's also made her mark in other projects like 2020's Bad Hair and the Channing Tatum-led comedy movie, Dog. What you might not know about the Nigerian-American actress is that she perfected her craft while spending her summers at the Summer Arts Institute in New York. And, before she was jet-setting for her movie and TV roles, she actually traveled across the globe to collect coins from each country as souvenirs.

If you're wondering how the 27-year-old star got to where she is today, or what she considers the items that make her, her, you'll find everything you're searching for right here. From her "comfort books" to personal items with sentimental value, Joy Sunday walks us through the essentials that make up her Seventeen Starter Pack.

"Aesop's Fables" by Aesop

Joy credits the classic "Aesop's Fables" as a "foundational book" in her life as she read it every night as a kid. "I would read books that were staples in between my new books, and so, this is one of them," Joy tells Seventeen.

The Sword in the Stone

Raise your hand if The Sword in the Stone was on replay when you were a kid. 🙋♀️ Joy credits it as her favorite Disney flick. "I love the soundtrack and I love the story. It's about someone who has to have faith in themselves and you know, kind of has the world against him and works his way up," she dishes.

Coin Collection

"I love solo traveling," Joy says before diving into her collection of coins from all around the world. "It's really beautiful to mark my journey throughout the years and all the places that I've ventured by myself."

Six Flags Ticket Receipt

When she was growing up, Joy made fond memories at Six Flags in New Jersey while her family came to visit from Nigeria. "We rode the Kingda Ka [rollercoaster]. Kingda Ka was ridiculous, you go at 168 miles per hour and as it was happening to me, the sun was setting. I'm going up and I feel like I'm dying, but I'm in heaven. It was an exhilarating experience," she tells Seventeen of her special moment at the theme park.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkein's hit novel, The Lord of the Rings, is another "rotation book" of Joy's. "I love how small the font is. You get to spend years [reading] a page," she jokes before admitting that one of the characters, Aragorn, was her first crush.

Summer Arts Institute CD

While she was a student, Joy joined the Summer Arts Institute in New York City and says it was the place she turned to when she felt discouraged from acting. She formed a special bond with one of her teachers in the program, who released her first feature film the same day that Joy's Netflix show, Wednesday, premiered. The CD contains all of the short films Joy had made under the guidance of her teacher at the Summer Arts Institute.

"The Clique" by Lisi Harrison

If The Clique was your entire personality at any point in your life, congratulations — you have something in common with Joy. She tells Seventeen that she based the mean girl persona of her Wednesday character, Bianca, on the characters in the YA novel.

5K Completion Letter

During her senior year of high school, Joy competed in a 5K run and received this letter for participating. "I'm pretty sure the only reason I signed up for this program was because they were offering scholarships," she explains. "So, I literally ran for money and they ran me my money. I feel like this marks how much I've always sought my own opportunities and found abundance."

Ticket from Brazil

Brazil marks the first place Joy went outside of the U.S. aside from Nigeria, where her family is from. She went to Brazil for a month with The Brotherhood Sister Sol, a youth organization based out of Harlem in New York City.

"Brazil was the first place I ever felt like I was beautiful," Joy tells Seventeen, teary-eyed. She recounted the time three ladies in a church stopped her to tell her that she was beautiful. "I remember being incredulous because I didn't believe them. It was at the beginning of high school, so it was the first time I ever really thought about finding myself beautiful," Joy shares.

"The Roald Dahl Treasury" by Roald Dahl

The collection of Roald Dahl stories is another comfort read of Joy's that she picks up in between new books. She also shares her favorite childhood stories with newer generations in her family. "I recently started reading to my nephews, picking out the poems because they're... very witty and sly. I've always appreciated Dahl's humor," she says.

Tribeca Film Festival Badge

During her time at the Summer Arts Institute, Joy made a short film called Beautiful Hair that follows a little girl who searches online for the term and doesn't see herself in any of the images. The film was eventually featured in the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014 and earned the festival's award for Best Narrative Film.

Middle School Picture

"I looked at this photo last night and was like 'Aw, look at me trying to have a little style and jazz it up,' you know, match my earrings to my scarf," Joy says after reflecting on this time in her life. She remembered her dad had bought her headshots to submit to a "scammy acting school" around the same time her middle school photos were taken.

Twizzlers

This just in — Joy Sunday is, in fact, a Twizzlers stan. "Twizzlers are one of my favorite snacks and I'm unashamed about it. I don't care if I get canceled, Twizzlers are amazing," she jokes.

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