Teyana Taylor Loves The Debate Over Her ‘one Battle’ Character: ‘get It Off Your Chest’

In this section of The Envelope video podcast, Teyana Taylor describes nan “slingshot” of occurrence that’s travel pinch “One Battle After Another” and shares her insights arsenic to why fictional revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills does what she does successful nan film.

Kelvin Washington: Hello, everyone, and invited backmost to The Envelope. Kelvin Washington, Yvonne Villarreal, we person Mark Olsen arsenic well. Hopefully you each person been awesome since nan past clip I saw you. Everybody been good?

Mark Olsen: Of course.

Washington: Well, I show you what, there’s a database of folks who’ve been very bully because they’ve been nominated for an Oscar. And obviously, you benignant of get nan accustomed suspects, if you will. And past you get immoderate surprises retired there. Some folks you go, “Whoa!” So I want to commencement pinch you. Either of you tin jump successful connected this. Is location personification that possibly amazed you, a movie aliases thing that you were conscionable excited astir aliases possibly personification said, “Them again?” aliases “That movie again?”

Olsen: I deliberation it was very breathtaking that “Sinners” sewage nan astir nominations of immoderate movie ever pinch 16 nominations. It was nominated successful each class that it was eligible for. To spot a movie that has had commercialized occurrence and felt for illustration a taste infinitesimal now being recognized location for illustration nan Academy Awards, it’s conscionable breathtaking to spot that each coming together and rolling on for that film, sloppy of really it turns retired astatine nan show.

Villarreal: I was very excited to spot Rose Byrne get acknowledged for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Because I was worried astir that movie losing steam aft each nan raves it sewage astatine Sundance [in 2025] and it’s a smaller movie. I wasn’t sure, “Are group going to retrieve it?” But I conscionable deliberation she’s truthful awesome successful that film.

I was benignant of amazed that Chase Infiniti didn’t get nominated.

Olsen: Because of nan quality of nan movie, nan full lead/supporting business was tough, and besides it being her first movie, it’s a small harder to get that information — particularly successful lead actress, faced with, say, Kate Hudson, personification who’s been successful nan business for a agelong time, is overmuch beloved successful nan industry, has evidently family humanities ties to Hollywood. It’s absorbing to spot moreover successful nan nominations this benignant of alchemy of like, “a small of this, a small spot of that” arsenic acold arsenic who nan academy was choosing to recognize.

Washington: You know, I spell backmost to thing you said, Mark, erstwhile you spell to “Sinners.” You mentioned nan blockbuster consciousness of it, getting people’s butts to nan theaters, spending money. And besides benignant of original. We’ve had vampire movies before, but, you know, you get nan “Transformer 12’s” and “Expendable 32’s.” I deliberation a batch of folks were excited to spot thing original that besides had commercialized occurrence arsenic well.

Another movie that had a bunch of occurrence is “One Battle After Another.” You had a chance to speak pinch a prima from that film, who’s been a prima successful her ain correct musically, but now into nan movie world, pinch Teyana Taylor.

Olsen: That’s right. It’s truthful exciting. She’s nominated for champion supporting actress. This is simply a agelong movie, it’s complete 2 and a half hours long. She much aliases little exits nan image astir 30 minutes in. So I deliberation it says thing astir nan spot of her capacity that her characteristic benignant of hovers complete nan remainder of that movie. You consciousness her successful nan movie, moreover though she’s really not onscreen. So astatine nan Oscar nominees luncheon recently, we had a chance to beryllium down pinch Teyana and she was conscionable truthful vibrant, truthful afloat of energy, really has a awesome cognition astir this infinitesimal for herself. I mean, she conscionable precocious won a Golden Globe, she hosted “Saturday Night Live.” So overmuch is for illustration happening for her, seemingly correct now and she’s conscionable sewage this existent like, taking it each in, very unfastened to it [attitude]. It was really an breathtaking conversation.

Washington: A culmination of each her difficult work. Here is Mark’s speech pinch Teyana Taylor.

Teyana Taylor.

(Ian Spanier / For The Times)

Mark Olsen: You were conscionable astatine nan Super Bowl. About a week earlier that, you were a nominee astatine nan Grammys. About a week earlier that you hosted “Saturday Night Live.” About a week earlier that you won a Golden Globe. And you’re present coming arsenic an Academy Award nominee. I’m judge I’m leaving immoderate things out. I would opportunity what’s nan past twelvemonth been for illustration for you, but I consciousness like, what’s nan past period aliases 2 been for illustration for you? It feels for illustration nan rocket vessel has really taken off.

Teyana Taylor: Yeah, it’s really taken off. I’m truthful blessed and I’m truthful honored and I’m filled pinch truthful overmuch gratitude to conscionable spot truthful galore prayers get answered each astatine once, wherever I’m besides OK pinch 1 astatine a time. But it’s each happening, you know? And I’m conscionable beyond blessed. And for illustration we were talking astir earlier, conscionable really overmuch nosy I’m having pinch it. I’m really having a bully clip and I’m taking it each successful because life is short and life is truthful fragile. So I conscionable effort and return clip to bask life and bask my blessings and bask conscionable being live and well.

Olsen: Has location been a infinitesimal that felt nan astir surreal, for illustration a “What is happening to maine correct now” moment?

Taylor: Honestly, each of it, because it reminds maine of a slingshot, you cognize what I’m saying? It’s conscionable like, here’s nan way, here’s nan way, here’s nan way, here’s nan way, here’s nan work, here’s nan prayers, here’s nan tears, conscionable here, here, here, here, here. And past whoosh — immoderate nan shot hit, it knocked down everything astatine once. And that’s what this feels like. It feels really bully because virtually everything is happening astatine nan aforesaid time. So it’s not for illustration only 1 infinitesimal aliases only 2 moments that’s making maine consciousness this way. It’s everything. The mini wins, nan large wins, nan mean wins. Every azygous triumph and each azygous blessing is simply a large woody to me. You cognize what I’m saying? Even my Ls. I’m not gonna triumph everything and I’m not gonna get everything, and immoderate things are not moreover meant for me. But moreover those are blessings. It’s mentation for thing that is successful shop for maine and thing that is meant for me, because each of this is already written. What’s for you is for you and will beryllium for you, because that’s conscionable what’s written. So I person that mindset.

Olsen: You’ve been doing this since you were a teenager, astatine first arsenic a choreographer and a dancer, a singer, an actor, you’re going to nonstop your first characteristic soon. What keeps you moving done each of this, done these different disciplines and pursuits?

Taylor: My babies. My support system. My village. My community. I emotion to make my group proud. I emotion to make my peers proud, my family. I conscionable emotion to make everybody proud and that’s what keeps maine going. Even correct now, I’m besides successful culinary school. So it’s conscionable juggling that, but taking retired nan small moments to conscionable beryllium quiet and navigator and provender my people. So it’s a push. It’s knowing it’s a marathon and that it’s not a sprint. It’s a portion of nan religion walk. And I deliberation that’s what keeps maine going, to aftermath up and consciousness truthful blessed, really could I ever complain? How could I ever beryllium like, “Oh, this is excessively much”? It is everything I’ve ever asked for. I’m ne'er going to kick astir answered prayers. What pushes maine is conscionable nan reassurance from my support system, nan reassurance from Father God himself, nan reassurance for my babies. They support maine going. That’s who I do it for. I want to create generational wealth. So them babies are my reason. They are my why.

Olsen: To commencement asking you astir “One Battle After Another,” your character, Perfidia Beverly Hills, she’s inspired a batch of speech and immoderate controversy. For you, was location thing astir that characteristic that you felt you hadn’t seen connected surface before?

Taylor: Yes. Perfidia is analyzable and she is besides misunderstood. This is simply a female who has been successful endurance mode, who has been fetishized, who has been ignored, not seen. We’re seeing this female woody pinch that, wherever successful movies we’re utilized to seeing america women person to beryllium successful capes each time and you spot this female rip this cape distant and it’s conscionable unapologetically herself — moreover successful her weakness. And moreover for illustration you said, pinch nan contention of her sexuality, I deliberation her sexuality is her armor. It is besides her power. She’ll springiness personification what they want to get what she wants. And virtually successful nan movie, she’s made selfish decisions. But if you deliberation astir her tone and mentally and emotionally arsenic a woman, it felt bully to spot a female really beryllium selfish and put her[self] first, which we ne'er really get to do because we person to beryllium ace this, ace this, ace this. Super mom, ace wife, ace woman, ace chef; everything is ever pinch a ace successful beforehand of it. And you spot this female not really caring astir what group think. Nobody tin quiet her. And successful this abstraction of, “OK, you’re excessively loud, quiet down; you guidelines excessively tall, person a seat,” Perfidia is each of nan things that they can’t make her do. She’s like, “I’m gonna guidelines tall, I’m gonna usage my voice, I’m gonna usage immoderate I request to usage to get what I want.” And she makes decisions that we don’t work together with, but I deliberation 1 point we each tin work together connected is that she’s a badass. And I tin ever respect anybody that’s unapologetically themselves.

Another point that I consciousness for illustration nan contention is impervious of is really overmuch of a nonfactor postpartum slump is. Half of nan mistakes we spot Perfidia make is her dealing pinch postpartum depression. You spot nan infinitesimal wherever they say, “Perfida, she’s a runner. She comes from a agelong statement of revolutionaries.” That successful itself is simply a unit connected her to consciousness for illustration she gotta support that going. The gyration is instilled successful her. It’s a portion of her identity. So ideate getting pregnant and you’re emotion like, “Oh, my God, does this slow down nan revolution? Am I gonna play location pinch a personification that’s ignoring me?” Nobody is really taking nan clip to deliberation astir what’s happening successful her mind. We can’t power really a personification handles postpartum depression. We perceive her, done nan door, cry, and past we spot Bob put his receptor to nan doorway — and alternatively of him stepping in, he walked away. And past what was nan consequence of that? Her stepping away. Even if it had to beryllium stepping distant from Baby Willa, it’s thing that she felt for illustration she needed to do, and that’s what postpartum make you do sometime. And each mother handles postpartrum slump differently. But I deliberation that’s what I emotion astir her character, because you get to spot a harsh reality that I cognize is difficult to return in. But erstwhile you watch it a fewer times you understand precisely what’s happening. ... I deliberation that’s what makes nan missive astatine nan extremity truthful important. Because you perceive nan pain, you perceive nan hurt, you perceive nan regret, you perceive nan accountability, “Do you person love? Are you happy? Will you effort and alteration nan world for illustration we did? We failed, but possibly you will not.”

And that’s different thing. This is simply a communicative that Paul Thomas Anderson wanted to tell. It was Perfidia’s occupation to spell and anchor this vessel and enactment location and create nan way for Willa to return connected these battles, because her past haunted Willa and Bob. That’s a portion of Perfidia being supporting — supporting nan adjacent steps of what is for Willa. It’s for Willa to spell connected and to rise. So you spot Perfidia successful nan opening of nan movie, you spot her thrust this boat, you spot her get to nan mediate of nan oversea and you spot her anchor herself. And from there, we person to proceed nan story. So I’m happy that nan contention astir her tin create speech for illustration this, tin create patient speech aliases moreover uncomfortable dialogue. As agelong arsenic it’s speech and we’re conversing and we are speaking and group are speaking from their constituent of views, I tin perfectly respect that.

Olsen: Is that a speech you expected to have? When you were making nan film, were you and Paul, aliases you and your co-stars talking astir nan depiction of Black women successful nan movie? Or person you been amazed that’s been specified a talking constituent now that nan movie’s retired successful nan world?

Taylor: Honestly, I’m not amazed of immoderate of nan talking. I deliberation 1 point that I said earlier nan movie moreover dropped and we were doing our property junkets, I was ever very boisterous astir nan truth that this movie, period, not conscionable nan character, would decidedly shingle nan table, and it would decidedly spark, whether it was awesome debates aliases — I emotion speech and I for illustration erstwhile we tin converse. Get it disconnected your chest, show maine really you feel. And I’m unfastened to person that. So I knew that it would shingle nan table. I besides knew that it needed to beryllium done. Postpartum slump is simply a large point for maine that I consciousness for illustration it needs much light. It needs ray astir it. We request much solutions for it. And for illustration I said, you spot this person, this female successful endurance mode. You spot this female beryllium ignored. You spot this female beryllium fetishized. And is that not nan truth? Is that not what happens, particularly successful this spot of a Black female emotion nan slightest protected? So I’m really happy that Paul put wings connected that to beryllium capable to dispersed and alert pinch that. And for illustration I said, I cognize it’s astir apt reliable to return in, but that’s what we sewage to spot because everybody is not wearing capes. Everybody is not handling things nan measurement you whitethorn grip things, I whitethorn grip nan things, nan measurement that personification aliases this personification whitethorn grip things. So we each conscionable sewage to springiness grace and return successful nan film. It’s a communicative that’s being told.

Olsen: To me, 1 of nan biggest surprises astir nan movie is considering really cohesive and complete it feels, to study really improvisatory and collaborative nan process of making nan movie was. Were you amazed by that? What was it for illustration for you entering into nan process of making this movie pinch Paul?

Taylor: I was shocked astatine really collaborative it was. And I loved each spot of it because 1 point astir it is, again, erstwhile you are telling a communicative that personification wrote — he’s been moving connected this task for 20 years. This is thing that I see to beryllium his baby. And erstwhile you’re trusting maine to return connected a occupation for illustration this, I don’t ever wanna locomotion into immoderate group and consciousness for illustration I’m doing what I want to do. I conscionable want to beryllium of bully support. If you show me, “Hey, let’s find this together,” I’m gonna find it together. If you say, “This is my imagination of what that is and this is really I want it to be,” it’s my occupation to springiness you that imagination of what you want it be, and past adhd my small condiment connected apical of it. But to beryllium afloat collaborative, I thought it was really dope. We recovered Perfidia’s layers and we color-coordinated those layers. And I’m really happy that he fto maine beryllium a portion of that.

Olsen: What do you consciousness you brought to Perfidia aliases you were capable to adhd to nan character?

Taylor: I was capable to adhd a lot. Paul was very, very collaborative. And again, we recovered her layers, which was nan astir important, particularly pinch specified a analyzable character. And you know, I conscionable came from “A Thousand and One.” So I came from being different analyzable character, but this 1 was analyzable to a full different level, wherever we almost didn’t understand why we ne'er spot Perfidia cry. But you spot these small moments, for illustration small details, successful her look that’s conscionable like, it’s this strength, but nan spot — because I besides don’t really emotion nan word “strong Black woman” — it’s this spot that you consciousness for illustration she has to person because nan spot is really endurance mode. And again, for illustration I said, you perceive her ace down and you perceive her vulnerable, and cipher stepped done that door. So erstwhile you spot a beardown Black woman, location is nary grace, it’s, “Oh, she’s OK, she fine, she sewage it each figured out.” And past you perceive her susceptible and you still consciousness for illustration moreover astatine her astir vulnerable, she sewage this, she’s strong. And it’s conscionable like, “Step done nan door. Step successful early. Step successful nan first time. Hear maine nan first time, spot maine [this] time, swipe nan first tear away. Would she person walked retired that doorway connected Baby Willa and Bob, had he walked done that doorway erstwhile he heard her cry?

Olsen: I’ve heard you a number of times erstwhile you’re talking astir Paul, you ever telephone him Paul “Let Him Cook” Thomas Anderson. What does that mean?

Taylor: Let him cook! Listen, because he to maine is simply a maestro chef. And honestly, I’m very, very large connected leadership. I respect nan personification that is simply a leader. What makes it truthful dope is because, pinch being successful culinary school, I primitively signed up for culinary school, of course, to study nan creation of culinary, but to conscionable cook, I emotion to navigator and I wanted to study nan creation of that. With being enrolled successful culinary school, it’s a batch of penning activity and a batch of chat forums and a batch of quizzes and worldly for illustration that. So you’re not only learning to cook, but you’re learning really to tally a business. You’re learning really to navigate your staff, beforehand of house, backmost of house, successful nan kitchen. You person to understand it’s a full strategy successful really you grip group successful general. In nan room they telephone it for illustration a “servant leader,” wherever your leader is successful nan room pinch you, they’re cooking pinch you. They’re your mentor, they are your guidance, but they’re cooking pinch you. They’re not conscionable pointing, “Do this, do that, boom, boom, boom.” And it’s just, like, his gentle servant activity is thing that I respect truthful overmuch and thing that inspires maine arsenic an upcoming movie head connected really to grip and navigate my staff.

So it’s for illustration nan champion of some worlds because I person PTA and past I person culinary schoolhouse who’s school maine really to beryllium nan champion leader. Even successful really we grip people, it’s bigger than conscionable nan group that activity for america aliases pinch us. It’s besides nan group that travel into this restaurant. It’s your customers. It’s conscionable nan hospitality of it each and nan hospitality that he gives, it’s really astonishing to see. I’m besides a large sports girl. So moreover successful regards to him being our quarterback, you know, he’s not connected nan side, pointing astatine what to do. He’s connected nan section pinch you. But he has an moreover bigger occupation because now he’s trusting that he’s going to propulsion this shot to you and you’re going to person that ball. So we’re his receivers, we’re his wide receivers to return it to nan touchdown. It’s each astir being present. And that’s what I learned successful culinary, it’s what I learned successful sports, it’s conscionable everything astir being a leader arsenic I hole to lead my colony and lead my community. That’s conscionable truthful important to me. So I ever respect group that are successful nan section pinch you. I go a warrior for you. You spot Paul, you’re moving successful nan battlefield, you look to your left, he’s pinch you. He’s not connected a horse, he’s not connected his precocious horse. He’s successful nan section pinch you. Let’s go, we sewage this! And it conscionable makes you want to you want to spell truthful difficult for him. And that’s really I look astatine it. So I americium a student. I americium a teammate. I americium a soldier. I americium a warrior. That’s what I americium pinch group that are awesome leaders.

Olsen: When you won nan Golden Globe, your reside was truthful moving and you specifically said to your “brown sisters and small brownish girls” and said that their ray does not request support to shine. Can you talk much astir that? What was it that made you want to opportunity that successful that moment, specifically talking astir this movie?

Taylor: I thought it was a very important infinitesimal connected a very important stage. I wanted to usage my sound and I wanted to usage my platform. And successful that moment, I had nan sound and nan level to opportunity conscionable that. It’s thing little than that. There’s thing beyond that. Exactly what I said. We merit space. What that nighttime showed was that here’s nan space. And I appreciated that. I was filled pinch truthful overmuch gratitude. That infinitesimal deed difficult for maine because I was that small woman that sat connected nan level connected a TV watching nan different queens onstage judge their awards. Like, “You tin do it too, you tin do it too.” And I knew that 1 time erstwhile it was my turn, I would show my small queens, “You tin do it excessively — each nan small queens that look for illustration me, you tin do it too, you merit space.” To cognize that besides my daughters were watching arsenic well, it’s everything to me. It’s everything for maine to cognize that they clasp that arsenic well. It’s truthful important. I’ve gotten truthful galore women travel up to maine like, “Wow, that reside was conscionable everything.” And that’s what it’s each about. That’s what is each about: to inspire, uplift and punctual america that location is space.

Olsen: Before I fto you go, you conscionable bring it connected reddish carpets clip and clip again. And nan 1 point I for illustration is that you deterioration these really bold outfits, and it ne'er looks for illustration nan apparel are wearing you. Do you person tips for people? What do you do for assured individual style?

Taylor: Honestly, travel your heart. Follow your heart. If you spot it and you for illustration it, put it together. You mightiness put it together and beryllium like, “That didn’t activity nan measurement I [intended].” Practice. Play successful clothes. I emotion to play successful apparel — but besides will locomotion successful nan shop and redress a full mannequin. I’ll besides beryllium like, “I for illustration that tie, I deliberation it should beryllium a small spot tighter.” I dream astir definite outfits. I dream of definite moments wherever I’m like, “Oooh. I already cognize what I consciousness for illustration I want my Oscar dress to look like. I already cognize what I want my Golden Globes dress to look like.” It’s ever a vision. Or sometimes you mightiness person a base. You mightiness spot thing and beryllium like, “I for illustration this, but I consciousness it could usage this.” Add it. If you consciousness for illustration thing tin usage something, adhd it. Because earlier you cognize it, now you done created your ain thing. So don’t hesitate. When I was younger, I utilized to hesitate and beryllium like, “This looked beautiful cool, but now I’m not gonna do it.” And past later on, I spot personification effort it, and I’m like, “Oh, I should person just...” Always travel your gut and ever travel you heart.