Teyana Taylor Shares Her Journey Balancing Culinary School and Filming Challenges with Oscar Isaac
Teyana Taylor attends the "All’s Fair" Disney+ Premiere at Maison de La Chimie on October 21, 2025 in Paris, France. Oscar Isaac attends the 35th Gotham Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 01, 2025 in New York City.
Credit :
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Teyana Taylor Balances New Culinary Journey with Acting
Teyana Taylor, a multifaceted talent in the entertainment industry, has shared insights on managing her culinary education amid filming for her latest project, One Battle After Another. During an interview with Oscar Isaac for Variety’s Actor on Actors, Taylor described juggling her responsibilities while attending the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
“It’s actually the thing that gives me a few [minutes] to just be quiet and cook. It’s an art,” Taylor reflected, noting the unexpected challenges of combining her academic pursuits with her film commitments. “But when I signed up and realized I had business classes and all other types of s—, I was like, ‘Oh, s—, baby.’ So now I’m on my way to the One Battle After Another premiere on my iPad, doing schoolwork.”
Teyana Taylor Announces Surprise Career Pivot – Culinary School.
Teyana Taylor/Instagram
Taylor expressed that cooking has been a grounding force for her, requiring patience and attention to detail. She credited her collaboration with One Battle After Another director Paul Thomas Anderson for shaping her approach to directing, stating, “Culinary school and working with PTA really geared me up. I feel like I’m going to be a great director. It might sound weird, like, ‘All this from learning how to make a steak?’"
Oscar Isaac praised Taylor’s incredible work ethic during their conversation, to which she responded, “It’s all about balance.”
Later, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Taylor revealed the logistical complexities of her online classes, acknowledging that without in-person instruction, the learning process is significantly more challenging. “I get to do it online, which is actually harder because you don’t have your chef there to say, ‘No, fix this, fix this. It’s kind of like, ‘Figure it out.’”
Despite her busy schedule, Taylor takes pride in her coursework, claiming, “I’m a straight A student! I be so proud.”
Teyana Taylor in One Battle After Another.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Among the various culinary skills she is acquiring, Taylor particularly enjoys making pizza from scratch for her two daughters, Junie, 9, and Rue, 5, with ex-husband Iman Shumpert. She also cherishes the art of creating homemade butter, cornbread, whipped cream, pomme purée, and pilaf rice.
Taylor initially announced her culinary career transition in June through an Instagram video featuring her daughter, where she embraced the culinary world by donning a chef’s hat and apron.
In a heartfelt caption, she expressed, “Cooking and baking have always been more than just hobbies for me; they’ve been my passion, my peace, my therapy… Through every twist and turn in my life and career, the kitchen has been a safe space… No matter how hectic life gets, I find comfort in the rhythm of it all—the chopping, the stirring, the creating. Now, I get to take this love even deeper."
