The rise of this year’s Oscar front-runner Teyana Taylor

SecondNo matter where you look this awards season, Teyana Taylor There is no. not satisfied with won her first Golden Globe last weekend For her scene-stealing performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film one battle after anotherThe actor and singer also won her first Grammy Award for her recent R&B album, escape room, She is expected to be the front-runner for an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress when the nominations are announced next Thursday.

For anyone who has witnessed Taylor’s charismatic transformation one battle after anotherIt’s no surprise that her performance was praised for encapsulating the indelible image of her mercilessly firing a machine gun while pregnant in “Perfidia of Beverly Hills.” She jumps off the screen as if operating in an extra dimension, captivating the audience as she leaves both Leonardo DiCaprio’s Drunken Revolutionary Bob and Sean Penn’s perverse white supremacist Colonel Lockjaw follow.

While some critics claimed that her character pandered to sexual stereotypes that fetishized black women, Taylor proved that this portrayal was real. “Isn’t this what black women go through?” she asked. hollywood reporter Adding rhetorically: “We are fetishized, especially the creepy assholes. Unfortunately, we are the least protected. Showing what black women go through, it’s a hard reality to accept.”

in a recent interview vanity fair, Taylor went on to argue that her character used her sexuality as another weapon in her arsenal, especially when faced with a sniveling trismus (played by Sean Penn), saying: “Perfidiya was kind of caught up in ‘Oh, you think I’m hot? Well, bet. It would be cool if I could still keep doing what I’m doing, and all I have to do is show you a little nipple or something.'”

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Taylor playing a character like Perfidiya. Her star performance capitalized on the former backup dancer’s coiled body and savage wit, deservedly catapulting her into the highest echelons of show business. However, her overnight fame was a long time ago. The 35-year-old has been working in this industry for twenty years.

Beyoncé, Pharrell & super sweet 16

Taylor was born on December 10, 1990, in Harlem, a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood that has given birth to entertainment legends such as Angela Bassett and Sidney Poitier. Raised by her mother Nikki, Taylor began performing at a young age, entering a local singing competition at the age of nine. “I was one of those nosy kids,” Taylor told vanity fair. “I did everything. I was in the choir, had my own Bible study. I was running. I was choreographing.”

It was the latter talent that first gave her her brush with pop music royalty. when beyoncé In 2006, while filming the video for her single “Ring The Alarm” in New York, she decided to learn the then-famous Harlem dance move “Chicken Noodle Soup” and recruited 15-year-old Taylor to teach her. “I’m one of the faces of chicken noodle soup,” Taylor explained on LeBron James’ podcast. “I got the call and I literally jumped. I had my skateboard and walked in and was like: ‘Hey everyone!’ [Beyoncé] Like: ‘She’s a star. ‘”

Beyoncé saw Taylor’s rise coming. In 2007, the pop icon urged her husband, Jay-Z, to cast the teen as a dancer in his “Blue Magic” video, around the same time Taylor signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams’ label, Star Trak Entertainment. Pharrell also attended Taylor’s 16th birthday, a lavish Harlem bash where she sat in an oversized Barbie box and then led a choreographed group dance.

The party was featured in an episode of MTV My super sweet 16 year olda reality show notorious for spoiled rich kids complaining that they didn’t receive as many ponies as they expected. Taylor’s episode was funded by Pharrell Records, but things were different. “I remember watching this episode as a kid,” one YouTube commenter recalled. “Teyana is one of the only kids who isn’t grumpy.”

Working her way into Kanye’s house fantasy

At the age of 17, Taylor released her debut single “Google Me”, followed by a mixtape From a planet called Harlem. Her music initially struggled to break through, but she was catapulted into the mainstream spotlight a few years later when she was featured on two songs on Kanye West’s critically acclaimed 2010 opus. my beautiful dark twisted fantasy.

Taylor, who was just 19, later claimed she essentially worked her way into records after West brought her to the studio to discuss fashion. “Even though the invitation was actually to see the clothes, I told myself I would be on that album — whether he knew it or not,” she told me complex 2012. “He started playing his album and I started humming and doing little trots based on what I was hearing… I knew what I was doing!”

West added his vocals to the songs “Hell of a Life” and “Dark Fantasy,” and Taylor said of the latter, “It was pretty empty, just verses. He put me alone in another room and said, ‘Let’s go.'” I came back with a full intro and chorus. “

Taylor continued to work with West for several years, with the rapper signing her to his GOOD Music label and producing her 2018 album KTSE (keep the same energy). Talking about West’s subsequent fall from grace His anti-Semitic remarks and many other controversiesTaylor told vanity fair She still considers him family. “I don’t have to agree with everything he does or says, but I’m not going to give up on him and say, ‘Yeah, that asshole,'” she said. “My brothers are doing things that I don’t agree with… and I’m not going to be a part of that.”

Performances, Awards and Returning Music

In 2020, Taylor announced in an Instagram post that she would be quitting the music industry to focus on her acting career. She had a small role in the comedy sequel as the daughter of Wesley Snipes’ General Izzy Coming soon 2 usa The next year, it was her starring role in the family drama 2023 one thousand and one This caught the attention of directors everywhere. Taylor, who plays Inez, a woman who kidnaps a six-year-old boy from a foster care facility, proves herself to be a deep, compelling, and brilliant leading man.

It was the drama in her personal life that brought Taylor back to music. In 2023, she split from former NBA player Iman Shumpert, her husband of seven years and the father of her two daughters, Junie, 10, and Rue, 5. After their breakup, she wrote and recorded a new album, escape roomwhich earned her the best reviews of her career and a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album. She also released a short film featuring her then-boyfriend, mufasa Star Aaron Pierre narrates type It was inspired by “that journey we all go through, the shadow of heartbreak.”

Whether she can balance her music with a burgeoning acting career remains to be seen. Of course, Hollywood plans keep her busy. This month, she stars as a detective in the Netflix action film alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon tearshe will later appear in the upcoming Kevin Hart comedy 72 hours.

She also played a key role in Criticized but commercially successful legal drama all fairStarring alongside West’s former costar Kim Kardashian, who will return for the show’s second season. Before then, on January 24, Taylor will return to New York to host saturday night live first.

If this sounds like a daunting schedule, consider that on top of that, Taylor is currently enrolled at the prestigious Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. It’s a testament to her strong work ethic that she did reveal on the Golden Globes red carpet that she had to ask her chef to instruct her to extend the deadline on her latest project. She assured the interviewer that she wouldn’t let the deafening hubbub of awards season distract her from cooking. “I was a straight-A student,” she told and! information“I want to keep it that way.”

Now, wherever Taylor focuses her attention, her scoring seems straightforward. After winning the Golden Globe, she gave a heartfelt speech that began with a shout-out to her daughters. “My babies are upstairs watching!” she exclaimed. “You better turn off those damn phones and look at me right now!”

Historically, Golden Globe wins have been a good indicator of Oscar success, and coupled with the way Taylor holds an audience in a room, many in the industry believe the Academy Awards will be just as good as hers. With any luck at the Grammys, she might be Halfway to EGOT A few months later. Twenty years ago, Beyoncé called Teyana Taylor a star, and she was right. The rest of the world is catching up.