Teyana Taylor says working with Leonardo DiCaprio in the film One Battle After Another allowed her to see him in a “different light.”
In an interview with InStyle, Taylor admitted that while she and the Oscar-winner were longtime friends, working with him was an entirely different experience. She said this allowed her to view him differently than before.
“That was always my buddy, but the movie was my first time working with him, seeing him in a completely different light. And him just kind of being a mentor and being a great leader, it was really dope to see. He don't play no games with that,” Taylor said.
In response, DiCaprio had this to say about his leading lady. “Very early on, when we were having conversations about casting, we kept coming back to Teyana’s name over and over again,” he admits.
“We knew we needed someone fearless, who wasn’t afraid to represent this outspoken, freedom-fighting character. We knew we needed someone who could bring such an intense, ambitious, and complicated person to life—and that was Teyana.”
The entertainer is the female lead, alongside DiCaprio and Sean Penn, in the new Paul Thomas Anderson film. It’s inspired by the novel Vineland, written by Thomas Pynchon.
Taylor’s character, Perfidia Beverly Hills, is new to the story. She plays a femme fatale who becomes entangled with both DiCaprio and Penn, and quietly pushes the story along even when she’s not on-screen.
Along with her latest film, Taylor's new album, Escape Room, is scheduled to be released on August 22nd. The album will feature 22 tracks and includes previously released singles like "Bed of Roses".
In 2023, Taylor quietly filed for divorce from her husband of more than six years, NBA player Iman Shumpert. They have two daughters, Iman "Junie" Tayla Shumpert Jr. and Rue Rose Shumpert.
One Battle After Another hits theaters September 26.