Key Takeaways
- After retiring from music in 2020, Teyana Taylor found success in acting, earning critical acclaim for A Thousand and One.
- She founded The Aunties Production studio and is preparing to direct her first feature-length film.
- Taylor re-entered the music scene with Escape Room in 2025, a visual album that earned a Best R&B Album nomination for the 2026 Grammys.
Teyana Taylor stunned fans when she announced her retirement from music in 2020 — but the pivot opened doors even her advisers didn't see coming. Now, the superstar is in a whirlwind award season, having earned Golden Globes Best Supporting Actress and Critics Choice Supporting Actress nods for her role as Perfidia in One Battle After Another. The Harlem-bred artist is among the names many expect to be called when Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 22.
Though already an industry veteran, her pivot into dramatic acting marked a bold new chapter in her career. During a new episode of Deadline’s “Take Ten,” Taylor reflected on how the spontaneous decision transformed her wildest dreams into reality. “I remember going live… saying that I was retiring, and that I wanted more for myself, and I wanted to pour into other avenues, and I wanted to open other boxes,” she shared. “I don’t like being boxed in… A lot of people was upset, like it was me against the room, and it was a lot of, ‘We don’t feel like that’s a smart decision. We don’t feel like that’s the way to go.’”
Instead of allowing doubt to cloud her judgment, Taylor made a promise to herself: “I will be a great director. I will be a great actress one day, and I will be a creative director, and I will help creatives bring their visions to life.” She launched the 360-production studio The Aunties Production in 2021. In 2023, she starred in the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winning flick A Thousand and One. In late 2025, she co-starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another.
“It’s so crazy because taking that leap of faith and taking that faith walk changed my whole life, like I don’t know if I would be Perfidia today had I not taken that leap,” explained the multi-hyphenate. “If I stayed stagnant in being shelved or underused or just stayed put in one box, I would have never known how many other doors [would] open for me… It pushed me to work harder because I knew I had a point to prove that I can do it all… I was able to return to music on my terms.” Taylor’s comeback from music retirement delivered Escape Room, a visual album nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2026 Grammys.
Teyana Taylor is unlocking more creative ventures
The “Back to Life” singer wears many hats: choreographer, visionary, mom, businesswoman — and the list is growing. When asked what films and TV shows she’s been watching, Taylor revealed, “I’m really just starting to dive into everything as I prepare to direct my first feature. So now I’m watching stuff as a director… Seeing the new ways things are shot and the cinematography.” That’s not all she’s whipping up. The endlessly creative star divulged, “I am in culinary school right now to be a chef. I will be opening up my own restaurant very, very soon,” too.
Taylor’s journey proves that stepping away doesn’t mean stepping back. Whether she’s directing, acting, or cooking up a five-star meal, she’s doing it all on her own terms. Now, that’s a real flex.