Teyana Taylor, currently up for a potential Oscar win for her widely acclaimed performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, tells Complex in a new interview that she believes her character in the film has been “misunderstood” by some viewers.
Speaking with Aria Hughes for a new Complex cover story, available in full here, Taylor, who previously earned critical praise for 2023’s A Thousand and One, emphasized the need for films to take the risk of presenting “complicated characters.”
In PTA’s OBAA, Taylor—joined in the cast by Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, and Benicio del Toro—plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary who ends up on the run. In doing so, she ultimately leaves behind her daughter, played by Infiniti in what is no doubt a breakout performance.
As Taylor sees it, her OBAA character is an example of an onscreen presence whose decisions may be questioned by viewers, leading to a “healthy dialogue” that’s often lacking in modern cinema.
“It felt powerful to see this movie and Perfidia shake the table,” she told Complex. “It made some people uncomfortable, while others understood it completely—especially mothers who’ve dealt with postpartum depression. Perfidia is misunderstood. She comes from a long line of revolutionaries, and that identity is ingrained in her. When you inherit something like that, you feel pressure to carry the torch.”
Perfidia’s pregnancy leads to her not fully understanding the changes in her life, per Taylor, particularly with how DiCaprio’s character shifts into focusing on the child. This, Taylor explained, folds into a larger sense of the character feeling alone in her own life.
“The debate around her character shows how overlooked postpartum depression still is,” Taylor added. “Instead of asking how to help, we end up judging a mother who’s struggling with it.”
Read Teyana Taylor’s full Complex cover story here.
This Sunday (March 15), we’ll find out if Taylor’s performance as Perfidia lands her an Oscar. She’s up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role alongside Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons), and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners).