Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor opens up about chasing big dreams and inspiring fans

Teyana Taylor opened up about her dreams said she has always been a “big dreamer,” but never imagined she would one day be an Oscar nominee. 

The multi-talented actress and performer, who is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in One Battle After Another, has already taken home the same accolade at this year’s Golden Globes.

Speaking on Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast, Taylor shared how surreal it feels to realize her childhood dreams and the possibility of inspiring young viewers:

"You never know which one of them dreams is gonna become a reality. So I've always been a big dreamer," she said. 

"I dream about everything, all the possibilities, even just bucket list stuff. Just growing up watching SNL, who would've ever thought that I would've been hosting SNL in this same year that I'm like nominated for an Oscar?"

Taylor described the overwhelming joy and gratitude she feels knowing that another young girl might watch her on the Oscars stage:

"To now be in that space where I'm probably the one that another little girl sitting at home is watching me or saying that she loves my dress, or saying that she loves my speech, like, oh my God, I'm getting chills talking about that. It's a lot in the best way, you know? I'm so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude."

In One Battle After Another, Taylor portrays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary group leader. 

While her personal life differs from her character’s, she connected deeply with the experiences of being overlooked and the survival mindset many Black women face.

"What Black women go through, that was easy to understand in Perfidia," she explained. "It was easy to feel ignored, to feel like you’re in survival mode, to feel unseen or unheard."