Teyana Taylor Moves Golden Globes Audience With Stirring Speech
Teyana Taylor captured hearts at the Golden Globes, delivering a moving speech after winning Best Supporting Female Actor for her role in 'One Battle After Another.' The film swept several major awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Emotions ran high at the Golden Globe Awards as Teyana Taylor took the stage to accept the award for Best Supporting Female Actor in a Motion Picture. Her performance as Perfidia Beverly Hills in Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed film One Battle After Another left a lasting impression on both audiences and critics, and her heartfelt words during the ceremony resonated deeply with viewers.
In the film, Taylor portrays Perfidia, a revolutionary and the missing partner of Leonardo DiCaprio ’s character, Bob Ferguson. Both are members of the radical group known as the French 75. Taylor’s commanding presence and nuanced portrayal brought depth to every scene, making her a standout among a competitive field that included Amy Madigan, Emily Blunt, Ariana Grande, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter.
Raw Emotion and Powerful Words
On January 11, Taylor stood before the crowd, visibly moved, and admitted she hadn’t prepared a speech, doubting she would win. Through tears, she expressed gratitude to the Golden Globe voters for recognizing her work and spoke directly to her family and supporters, saying,
“Thank you to the Golden Globe voters for seeing me and reminding me that purpose always finds its moment. To my mommy and my daddy, it 's up for y'all any time, I love you all so much, thank you for being here with me tonight. To my tribe, my joy, my daily reminder that love is an action, not just a word, and everything that I do is rooted in that truth.”
She also thanked director Paul Thomas Anderson for his vision and support, adding,
“To Paul 'Let 'Em Cook' Thomas Anderson: thank you for your vision, your trust, and your brilliance. My gratitude is endless, I love you, we love you, and thank you so much for holding space for me and our entire cast. None of this is taken lightly and none of this is taken for granted.”
A Message of Empowerment
Taylor’s speech reached its most powerful moment when she addressed young women of color watching at home. She encouraged them to embrace their strength and individuality, stating,
“And last but most importantly, to my brown sisters and little brown girls watching tonight: our softness is not a liability, our depth is not too much, our light does not need permission to shine. We belong in every room we walk into, our voices matter, and our dreams deserve space.”
The night proved monumental for One Battle After Another, which took home four awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director for Anderson. While Taylor was the only cast member to win an acting Globe, the ensemble—featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and others—remains in the spotlight for upcoming award shows.
Critical Acclaim and Oscar Buzz
Critics have been quick to praise Taylor’s performance, with some suggesting she could be a contender for an Academy Award. Julian Roman, writing for MovieWeb, highlighted the film’s intricate depiction of revolutionary movements and Taylor’s standout role. He wrote,
“Anderson's script gets granular to show the nuts and bolts of revolutionary movements. The French 75 run a sophisticated operation that utilizes elaborate code words, phrases and ingenious technology to thwart surveillance. The militants are aware of their adversaries' significant advantages, and play to every weakness they can exploit. But this level of complexity also requires an ongoing discipline to which every member must adhere. DiCaprio gets big laughs as Bob's years of getting high and hammered lead him to forget critically important details, his ire and frustration reaching a boil when trying to communicate under duress.”
Roman continued,
“One Battle After Another's character motivations are richly explored. Taylor thrusts herself into Oscar contention as a fierce warrior, playing Perfidia as a lioness who savors the hunt. Perfidia is both an asset and a liability; she's integral to the French 75's cohesiveness, but she's also a firebrand target for their powerful enemies. Her journey through motherhood becomes a fascinating point of contention when the group is literally public enemy number one.”