battle

When the Screen Actors Guild gathers to present its annual awards for the 32nd time on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A., the event will have a new name: the Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA. The new moniker aligns with the name of the statuette that’s been presented to winners since 1995 (but a lot of folks are still referring to them as the SAG Awards). The show will stream live on Netflix, with Kristen Bell hosting for the third time, after previous gigs in 2018 and 2025.

In the film categories, just two weeks before the Academy Awards, the top contenders are “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller led all films with seven nominations, including cast in a motion picture and individual recognition for actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn.

“One Battle’s” toughest competition will likely be Ryan Coogler’s Southern vampire horror-musical, “Sinners,” which earned five nominations. Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and Miles Caton each earned individual nominations, as well as nods for the film’s cast and stunt ensembles.

Timothée Chalamet, nominated for male actor in a leading role for “Marty Supreme,” could be the first performer to win in consecutive years after taking home the Actor last year for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” “Marty Supreme” has three nominations overall, including Odessa A’zion for female actor in a supporting role and performance by a cast in a motion picture.

In television, Apple TV’s “The Studio” scored the most nominations, with five, including one for performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. The show’s individual nominees are Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz and the late Catherine O’Hara.

HBO’s “The White Lotus” and Netflix’s “Adolescence” followed with four nominations each. The latter’s nominees include 16-year-old Owen Cooper, who would be the youngest performer to win an individual Actor Award. Currently, the youngest winner is Kate Winslet, who was 20 when she won for female actor in a supporting role for “Sense and Sensibility” in 1996.

Harrison Ford will be presented the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award during the telecast. Recent honorees include Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand and Sally Field.

Follow along as we update the list live throughout the evening. Nearly everyone in attendance will go home with an actor, but who will take home an Actor statuette?

Performance by a cast in a motion picture

“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”

Performance by a female actor in a leading role

Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia”

Performance by a male actor in a leading role

Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”

Performance by a female actor in a supporting role

Odessa A’Zion, “Marty Supreme”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good”
Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”

Performance by a male actor in a supporting role

Miles Caton, “Sinners”
Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet”
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”

Performance by an ensemble in a comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”
“The Bear”
“Hacks”
“Only Murders in the Building”
“The Studio”

Performance by a female actor in a comedy series

Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio”
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio”
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday”
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale”

Performance by a male actor in a comedy series

Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio”
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”
Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside”
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Performance by an ensemble in a drama series

“The Diplomat”
“Landman”
“The Pitt”
“Severance”
“The White Lotus”

Performance by a female actor in a drama series

Britt Lower, “Severance”
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus”
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus”
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus”

Performance by a male actor in a drama series

Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus”
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”

Performance by a female actor in a television movie or limited series

Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me”
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault”
Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence”
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”

Performance by a male actor in a television movie or limited series

Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit”
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me”

Action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture

“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”

Action performance by a stunt ensemble in a television series

“Andor”
“Landman”
“The Last of Us”
“Squid Game”
“Stranger Things”

Paul Thomas Anderson’s darkly comedic action-thriller “One Battle After Another” won the top prize at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, continuing its dominating run through awards season.

The PGA honor, presented at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, cements Anderson’s celebrated film as the front-runner for the best picture Oscar. Since 2009, when both the Producers Guild and the motion picture academy expanded their best picture nominee slates from five to 10 and adopted a preferential ballot, the PGA winner has gone on to win best picture all but three times.

The last time the groups diverged came six years ago when PGA winner “1917” lost the Oscar to Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” a film that surged in momentum in the weeks leading up to the 2020 Oscars.

No other movie this season has shown that kind of strength other than Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which scored a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations in January. However, “One Battle” has prevailed at the major ceremonies since then, winning best picture at the British Academy Film Awards last week and Anderson taking the top honor with the Directors Guild earlier this month.

“Sinners” has one more chance to reverse the tide. It will compete against “One Battle After Another” for the cast award at the Actor Awards on Sunday. That ensemble honor, the most prestigious prize handed out by SAG-AFTRA voters, isn’t as strong a precursor as the PGA’s best film. But “Parasite” did win it right before the 2020 Oscars.

Hope springs eternal. Oscar voting ends on Thursday.

Read the full list of 2026 Producers Guild Award winners below.

Darryl F. Zanuck Award (outstanding theatrical motion picture): “One Battle After Another”

Outstanding animated theatrical motion picture: “KPop Demon Hunters”

Norman Felton Award (outstanding episodic television — drama): “The Pitt”

Danny Thomas Award (outstanding episodic television — comedy): “The Studio”

David L. Wolper Award (outstanding limited or anthology series): “Adolescence”

Outstanding televised or streamed motion picture: “John Candy: I Like Me”

Outstanding nonfiction television: “Pee-wee as Himself”

Outstanding live entertainment, variety, sketch, standup and talk series: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

Outstanding game and competition television: “The Traitors”

Outstanding documentary film: “My Mom Jayne”

Outstanding children’s program: “Sesame Street”

Outstanding sports program: “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”

Outstanding short form program: ” Adolescence: The Making of Adolescence”

PGA Innovation Award: “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere”

David O. Selznick Award: Amy Pascal

Milestone Award: Jason Blum

Norman Lear Award: Mara Brock Akil

JESY Nelson has shared an adorable new video of her giggling twin girls.

The pop star’s mum Janice can be seen holding one of the twins who erupts into laughter as her nan nuzzles her face into her neck.

In another clip, Jesy, 34, can’t help but chuckle about her daughter’s little mullet hairstyle, while she likens the other to a Cabbage Patch doll as she runs her fingers through her hair.

Nine-month-old sisters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe look happy and well-loved in the sweet footage on Instagram.

The singer gave birth to her little girls prematurely at 31 weeks and is no longer with their music producer dad Zion Foster.

Last month, Jesy bravely revealed the tots have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1).

brave mum

Jesy Nelson reveals new video of twins holding hands after breaking down in tears

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Jesy Nelson bursts into tears over struggle her twins are facing

The incurable condition causes muscles to waste away, but early detection and treatment can significantly improve prognosis. The girls have had gene therapy infusion to prevent their muscles from deteriorating, but damage already suffered cannot be reversed.

If untreated, the life expectancy of a baby with SMA Type 1 is two years.

Jesy and Zion have been told it is unlikely the girls will ever walk and may face serious breathing and swallowing difficulties.

Only around 50 children in the UK are born with the condition a year.

The former Little Mix star and mum-of-two has seen her Amazon documentary on her parenthood journey hit number one spot while continuing her fight for life-saving SMA tests.

Recently, she became emotional about the struggles her twins will face growing up.

Jesy revealed she “burst into tears” after receiving the special feeding chairs her daughters will need.

She admitted the arrival of the equipment brought home the reality of their condition.

She posted a photo of one of the special feeding chairs to her Instagram story.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Signs and symptoms

Spinal muscular atrophy is a disease which takes away a person’s strength and it causes problems by disrupting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord.

This causes an individual to lose the ability to walk, eat and breathe.

There are four types of SMA – which are based on age.

• Type 1 is diagnosed within the first six months of life and is usually fatal.
• Type 2 is diagnosed after six months of age.
• Type 3 is diagnosed after 18 months of age and may require the individual to use a wheelchair.
• Type 4 is the rarest form of SMA and usually only surfaces in adulthood.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of SMA will depend on which type of condition you have.

But the following are the most common symptoms:

• Floppy or weak arms and legs

• Movement problems – such as difficulty sitting up, crawling or walking

• Twitching or shaking muscles

• Bone and joint problems – such as an unusually curved spine

• Swallowing problems

• Breathing difficulties

However, SMA does not affect a person’s intelligence and it does not cause learning disabilities.

How common is it?

The majority of the time a child can only be born with the condition if both of their parents have a faulty gene which causes SMA.

Usually, the parent would not have the condition themselves – they would only act as a carrier.

Statistics show around 1 in every 40 to 60 people is a carrier of the gene which can cause SMA.

If two parents carry the faulty gene there is a 1 in 4 (25 per cent) chance their child will get spinal muscular atrophy.

It affects around 1 in 11,000 babies.

It showed a pink cushioned chair with straps, a headrest, a tray, a foot stand, handlebars, and wheels.

She wrote: “So the girls need special feeding chairs that came yesterday, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears yesterday when I saw them.

“It just made me feel so sad as it’s just another reminder of another obstacle we have to tackle. Do any other SMA mummies feel this way?”

In her first TV interview since revealing the twins had SMA, Jesy tearfully told This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: “I just want to be their mum. I don’t want to be a nurse. It’s hard.

“They’ve had their treatment, thank God. A one-off infusion. That puts the gene back in their body that they don’t have. It stops the muscles still working from dying. Any that have gone, you can’t regain them back.

“Now it’s down to constant physio. We’ve been told they’ll probably never walk or regain their neck strength. They’ll probably be in wheelchairs.”

Jesy revealed how the twins were going to Great Ormond Street Hospital twice a week.

“They’re still smiling, they’re still happy, and have each other. That’s the main thing I’m so grateful for because they could be doing this by themselves,” she continued. “All I can do is try my best to be there for them and give them positive energy, keep doing physio.

“My whole life has completely changed. If you came to my house, it looks like a hospital. My whole hallway is filled with medical stuff. It’s crazy how you can go from one extreme to the next.”

Since revealing her twins’ diagnosis, Jesy has called on the NHS to expand the standard heel prick test to screen for SMA1.

Large-scale trials are currently taking place, though Jesy is pushing Health Secretary Wes Streeting to speed up the process.

The offbeat thriller has won six BAFTAs, including best film and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson.

The dark comedy One Battle After Another has swept the United Kingdom’s top film honours, picking up six BAFTA awards, including best film and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson.

The film beat the Shakespearean family tragedy Hamnet, and the vampire thriller Sinners, to take the top prizes at Sunday evening’s ceremony.

The UK prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held this year on March 15.

One Battle After Another, an explosive film about a group of revolutionaries in chaotic conflict with the state, won awards for directing, adapted screenplay, cinematography, and editing, as well as for Sean Penn’s supporting performance as an obsessed military officer.

“This is very overwhelming and wonderful,” Anderson said as he accepted the directing prize. “We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film: ‘I know what freedom is: It’s no fear’,” the director said. “Let’s keep making things without fear. It’s a good idea.”

Sinners, which has a record 16 Oscar nods, won best original screenplay for writer and director Ryan Coogler, best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and best original score.

The gothic horror story Frankenstein won three awards each, while Hamnet won two, including best British film.

The documentary about Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, The Voice of Hind Rajab, was among the top contenders for BAFTA’s best director and non-English language film categories. But the film Sentimental Value won in the non-English language category.

The biggest surprise of the night was Robert Aramayo winning the best actor category for his performance in I Swear, a fact-based British indie drama about a campaigner for people with Tourette syndrome.

The 33-year-old British actor beat Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B Jordan, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons for the honour.

“I absolutely can’t believe this,” he said. “Everyone in this category blows me away.”

Jessie Buckley won best actress for playing Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, in Hamnet, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and directed by previous Oscar winner Chloe Zhao.

The best documentary prize went to Mr Nobody Against Putin, about a Russian teacher who documented the propaganda imposed on Russian schools after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The film’s American director, David Borenstein, said that teacher Pavel Talankin had shown that “whether it’s in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we always face a moral choice”, referring to the protests against US immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

“We need more Mr Nobodies,” he said.

It beat documentaries including Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing Ukraine war portrait, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, co-produced by The Associated Press and Frontline PBS.

The guests of honour at the awards were Prince William and Princess Kate. The event, hosted by Alan Cumming, was the first joint engagement for the pair since William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Thursday.

William, the president of the film academy, presented the BAFTA Fellowship to Donna Langley, studio head at NBC Universal.

ERIC Dane’s girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff has broken her silence after his death.

The Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor, 53, passed away after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Janell, 42, took to her Instagram story to share a sweet tribute to the late actor, posting several of their fond memories together.

The first photo she posted was one of Eric sitting under the shade of a palm tree, smiling down at her.

The next was a selfie of the couple outside posing by a set of stairs. In the snap, Eric dropped a kiss on Janell’s head.

Others showed Eric generally happy and enjoying spending time with Janell as well as friends and family.

Then the final memory is a reel showing Eric with Janell’s daughter, whose name has not been publicly revealed.

She’s attempting to direct the actor while taking photos of him.

She says: “I want you to look over there at Mom,” to which he happily agreed.

When Eric noticed Janell pointing her phone at them both he said: “Are you taking videos?”

“It’s cute,” Janell replied back, and then they both laughed.

Eric revealed he had been diagnosed with ALS in April of last year.

It’s a rare condition that causes progressive muscle weakness over time, and it has no cure.

In the final months before his death he was confined to a wheelchair and he missed some media appearances.

When Eric passed, he was reportedly surrounded by loved ones including his daughters Billie and Georgia and his wife Rebecca Gayheart.

Eric and Rebecca were set to get divorced but Rebecca withdrew her divorce filing upon discovering Eric’s ALS diagnosis, and he continued dating Janell.

Eric and Rebecca tied the know in 2004 and stayed married until 2018 when Rebecca filed for divorce.

After years had passed the divorce proceedings hadn’t moved forward, and seven years later upon hearing Eric’s diagnosis Rebecca dismissed the paperwork.

Eric played the role of Cal Jacobs in the popular program Euphoria.

Cal is the father of Nate Jacobs, played by actor Jacob Elordi.

He played Dr. Mark Sloan during his time on Grey’s Anatomy.

Tandy’s response to heavy opening defeats against England and France, in which Wales conceded 15 tries and 102 points, was to make four changes.

Uncapped Leicester wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow , Dragons second-row Ben Carter and Scarlets flanker Taine Plumtree coming in for Ellis Mee, Dan Edwards, Adam Beard and Olly Cracknell.

Wales made shocking starts in the opening two games but ensured that was not the case on this occasion.

Plumtree and Hamer-Webb both picked up injuries in the opening two minutes. Hamer-Webb was forced off briefly with a bloody nose before Plumtree was permanently replaced by James Botham because of a shoulder problem.

Wales’ discipline was again poor in the opening exchanges with two soft penalties, before Joe Hawkins was sent to the bunker for a high tackle on Scotland flanker Gregor Brown, who had moved from lock to the back row from the victory over England to replace the injured Jamie Ritchie.

Wing Josh Adams made a couple of important early interventions with a crucial tackle on Scotland centre Huw Jones followed by a vital interception.

Wales rallied with 14 men and after a searing break from scrum-half Tomos Williams, the home side produced an identical successful tap penalty move to last week when Carre dived over after the initial drive from Lake.

Hawkins’ card remained yellow as it was deemed a passive tackle but it was still an 11th sin-binning in Tandy’s seven games in charge.

Scotland took advantage of the extra back with a sweeping move that was finished by Steyn.

Hawkins returned and his fellow Scarlets centre Eddie James, along with Lake, Carre and flanker Alex Mann, laid the foundations for Adams to cross for his 24th Wales try.

Costelow, who was starting his first game since July 2025 with Edwards having played the past seven games, converted from the touchline.

Botham was outstanding after his early introduction and a turnover laid the foundations for a Costelow penalty.

Scotland made a couple of early tactical substitutions as prop Pierre Schoeman and back rower Josh Bayliss came on for Nathan McBeth and Max Williamson, with Brown reverting to lock.

After another storming Steyn break, a vital Mann turnover forced a penalty as Wales led 17-5 at half-time, the first time the home side had led under Tandy at the interval.

IT was the long, hot summer of 1995, John Major was in No10 and Blackburn Rovers were Premier League champions.

The music charts had been dominated by acting duo Robson and Jerome, until one crazy week in August when Britpop’s heavyweights began slugging it out.

Oasis and Blur released their new singles Roll With It and Country House on the same day in a race for the No1 spot — and the nation was absolutely mad for it.

It was an era-defining, pop culture moment, billed as North v South, working-class v posh boys and sing-along anthems v lyrical sophistication.

Yet even their most ardent fans would have struggled to imagine that 30 years down the line the rivalry in all its boozy, sweary glory would be transformed into a theatrical production.

The Battle — which opened at the Birmingham Rep theatre this week — is a comedic caper that tries to recreate the 90s vibe.

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So Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher — played by George Usher — is seen snorting lines of coke, swigging champagne and threatening to knock Blur singer Damon Albarn’s block off.

And the production includes more uses of the C word than have been uttered in much of the rest of British stage history put together.

The play’s writer, best-selling novelist John Niven, tells me he had to explain the context of the expletive-laden script to the actors.

He said: “The young cast found some of the language challenging at first.

“I had to say that that was just the way people spoke back then. It was more full-on and a much more unfiltered time.

“There’s five or six c***s in it but I guess that’s a lot for the theatre.

“But there’s no way you could accurately reflect those musicians over a five-month period without a few C-bombs dropping. It wouldn’t be authentic.”

John, 60, said he took inspiration for the narrative from a comment by Oasis manager Alan McGee about the rise of his band from a tough Manchester suburb.

He recalled: “Alan said, ‘The thing is, Blur think this is all good media fun but you’ve got five lunatics off a council estate in Burnage who actually want to f*****g kill them’.

“Blur moved the release date of their record to coincide with the Oasis single, so Liam thought, ‘Right, they’ve offered us out’.”

With actor George, 21, successfully aping Liam’s loping gait, he also gets to deliver the most one-liners.

John, who spoke to Blur’s bassist Alex James while writing the play, added: “Someone like Liam is so seductive to write for.

“Noel and Liam are both very funny in completely different ways.

“Noel is really dry and has got great timing, like a stand-up comedian, while Liam is much more surreal, random and unfiltered. He’s a delight to write dialogue for.

“Sometimes you think, ‘F***, have I gone too far there?’

“And then you could go online and find an interview with Liam where he said something ten times crazier.”

John — who began writing the play in 2023, long before the triumphant Oasis reunion last year — also had to explain to the young cast how the Britpop battle came to dominate the national conversation.

He said: “It was such a big cultural phenomenon. The whole country, from six-year-olds to 60-year-olds, knew about it.

“It went from the music papers to the broadsheets to the tabloids to News At Ten. Back then, things spread via radio, TV and the Press, whereas now the culture is so atomised.

“I’ve got teenage kids and you can have acts with a billion TikTok followers who play Wembley Stadium and I’ve never heard of them.”

After a blast of Blur’s Girls & Boys, the play begins at the February 1995 Brits, where Blur won four awards to Oasis’s one.

Collecting the prize for best British group, Damon insisted: “I think this should have been shared with Oasis.”

Interviewed later, Noel Gallagher said: “As far I’m concerned, it’s us and Blur against the world now.”

But the love-in didn’t last. Later that year Noel said of Blur: “The bassist and the singer, I hope the pair of them catch Aids and die because I f***ing hate them two.”

(The guitarist would later appologise, insisting he was “f***ed” on drugs when he made the remark).

When John began writing the play, he recalled the resentment that had built up between the bands in a few short months.

The former music company executive who was at the Brits that year, added: “I thought. Now there’s a dramatic arc.

“Back in February they had all been mates with Noel giving an interview saying, ‘It’s us and Blur against the world now’.

“Now he was saying he hoped they died.”

Then, in August Oasis’s record company Creation announced their new single Roll With It would be released a week before Blur’s Country House.

John added: “Blur’s manager Andy Ross was worried that Oasis would have a massive No1.

“Back then a single could top the charts for a month so Andy was worried the Blur would be stuck at No2.”

Andy, played by Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne, decides to move Country House’s release date forward to coincide with Oasis and all hell was unleashed.

The then influential music magazine NME produced a front cover with the headline, British Heavyweight Championship, Blur v Oasis.

A then 29-year-old Clive Myrie reported breathlessly for the BBC News At Ten on the brewing rivalry.

Like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in the 1960s, the two bands divided friends and families into rival camps.

An exclusive in the The Sun revealed that Oasis-mad Mandy Vivian-Thomas had kicked out her husband Richard for being a massive Blur fan.

Richard said: “Mandy’s been a nightmare. She’s spent a fortune on trash about Oasis and the last starw was using my card to buy their record.

“I’m out on my ear but I’m hoping things will calm down.”

Headlined, You Blurty Rat, the Sun article takes centre stage in The Battle.

It’s cited by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon as a symptom of how the chart battle has seen his band drift away from their indie ideals and into the mainstream.

John explained: “It became apparent how different the two bands were because I think Noel and Liam loved being in the tabloids and wanted to be that big.

“They had no problems with having loads of reporters outside their door. They thought, ‘We want to be the biggest band in the world and this is part of it’.

“But I reckon Blur found it all much more uncomfortable, especially Graham. That when you get that big you’ve got the tabloids banging on your door.

“I think he thought, ‘This is getting crazy now.’”

In the end, it was Blur who would win the Battle of Britpop with Country House topping the charts but Oasis would go on to have a more stellar career.

John added: “Damon and Noel are pals now.

“When men are in their 20s and 30s and they’re really ambitious, they’re all claws and teeth, sharp edges and hustling.

“You hurt people trying to get where you want to be but I think as men get older in their 40s and 50s they get a lot nicer and they calm the f*** down a bit.”

John hopes the play will transfer to the West End after runs in Birmingham and Manchester.

“I don’t think we’ll see a time when two bands dominate the national consciousness in a way like that again,” he said.

“It’s almost impossible to imagine.”

TOUCH OF TARANTINO

EFFING and jeffing as he struts around the stage like a rampant chimp, George Usher has Liam Gallagher down to a tee.

I’m supping a lager in the stalls at the Birmingham Rep, where if you suck your gut in and comb your hair forwards, it could be 1995 all over again.

With blasts of their hits, and aided by newsreel and radio clips, the great Battle of Britpop is fought once again.

The dialogue is pacy, comedic and very sweary. Yet with two bands, assorted managers and girlfriends to cover, there is little time for character development.

However, just as the play seems to be running out of narrative, it plunges into a Quentin Tarantino-esque sequence.

It’s a fittingly surreal end to this parable of a drug-addled decade.

★★★☆☆

News of Eric Dane’s death Thursday was met with an outpouring of grief by celebrities, who expressed their admiration for the TV star’s mischievous on-screen charisma and his advocacy efforts during his battle against ALS.

Dane is best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, or “McSteamy,” on “Grey’s Anatomy” and recently portrayed the dark and secretive father Cal Jacobs in HBO’s “Euphoria.” He died at age 53, less than a year after publicly announcing his diagnosis with the neurodegenerative disease.

Alyssa Milano, who was Dane’s romantic co-star on “Charmed,” shared a heartfelt message on Instagram praising his cheeky, yet tender spirit and deep love for his daughters.

“I can’t stop seeing that spark in Eric’s eye right before he’d say something that would either make you spit out your drink or rethink your entire perspective,” said Milano. “He had a razor-sharp sense of humor. He loved the absurdity of things.”

HBO Max shared a statement on Instagram, lauding Dane’s talent and saying the network was “fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria.” The show’s creator, Sam Levinson, shared a statement with Variety saying he’s heartbroken by the loss of a dear friend.

“Working with him was an honor,” Levinson said. “Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.”

Former “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Krista Vernoff shared an Instagram post fondly reminiscing about when Dane returned to the set in 2021 to film a dream sequence featuring his character, who died in Season 9. Although it was shot during the pandemic, he “broke the rules” and gave her a huge hug.

“The thing I will remember most about Eric Dane are his hugs,” Vernoff wrote. “The best hugs. Oh my friend. I wish you peace.”

Dane was preparing to publish his memoir, “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,” later this year with Maria Shriver’s publishing imprint, the Open Field.

Shriver said Dane was heroic in the way he handled his disease and used his platform to raise awareness about ALS.

“He told me he wanted his family to know how much he loved them, and he wanted to leave them a story they could be proud of,” she said in a statement on X. “My love goes out to his family, and to all those battling this cruel disease, as well as all those caring for someone battling it.”

In 2025, Dane drew on his personal experiences with the condition to portray a firefighter living with ALS on “Brilliant Minds” and advocated for legislation to provide funding for ALS research and give patients early access to treatments.

He worked closely with the nonprofit organization I Am ALS to raise money to research new treatments for the disease, which currently has no cure.

“Eric brought humility, humor, and visibility to ALS and reminded the world that progress is possible when we refuse to remain silent,” the organization said in a statement. “Eric was more than a supporter of our mission — he was part of our family.”

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease that damages nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles, typically causing death two to five years after diagnosis.

Nina Dobrev, Dane’s co-star in the western romance movie “Redeeming Love,” wrote on her Instagram story that she was heartbroken by his death.

“He was warm, generous, prepared, and so passionate about what he did,” she said. “He led with kindness and made everyone on our set feel seen.”

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report

ERIC Dane has died aged 53 after a brave battle with ALS.

The Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor passed away with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and daughters Billie and Georgia by his side, his rep said in a statement on Thursday, February 19.

“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” the statement began.

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world. 

“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.

“He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. 

health battle

Eric Dane’s Grey’s co-star reveals ‘heartbreaking’ update on ALS battle

“The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

SCARY DIAGNOSIS

Eric had been battling ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, since early 2024, when he first began experiencing symptoms.

The star announced his diagnosis in April 2025, which quickly progressed to near full paralysis in the months before his death.

Eric had to bow out of multiple public appearances due to his worsening condition.

In January 2026, he withdrew from the ALS Network’s Champions for Cures and Cares gala just hours before the event began.

The TV star also missed his scheduled appearance at the Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2025 because of complications from the disease.

In December 2025, Eric shared an update on his health during a virtual panel for IAMALS.org.

At this point, the father of two had lost mobility in his arms, had noticeable changes in his speech, and was confined to a wheelchair.

“I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day,” an emotional Eric shared.

“I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying.”

Despite his drastic health decline, Eric vowed to continue acting and that he wouldn’t give up fighting.

“I’m not about to concede my purpose for some disease. I just am not capable of doing that.

“I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically as an actor, but I still have my brain, and I still have my speech, so I’m willing to do just about anything.”

BRAVE FIGHT

In November 2025, Eric starred in an episode of the NBC medical drama Brilliant Minds, playing a firefighter living with ALS.

“The hardest thing for me to do was separate myself from the character because it was something that was so fresh and it was something that was so real to me,” Eric told the Daily Mail about the role.

“I’ve never played a character who’s going through something, and something that I’m dealing with in real time, in real life as well,” he continued.

“So, it was hard, and there were moments where it was very difficult for me to get the lines out. 

“But overall, I was really grateful for the experience. I found it to be a bit cathartic.”

Eric is also reprising his role as Cal Jacobs in the third season of Euphoria, which will premiere on HBO in April, after a four-year hiatus.

In late January, Eric received praise from his Grey’s Anatomy co-star, Patrick Dempsey, for his bravery since his brutal diagnosis.

“I do try to stay in touch and see how he’s doing. I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease,” Patrick told Parade in an interview.

He also said that he tried to get Eric on his new crime thriller series, Memory of a Killer, but his condition made it “virtually impossible.”

Eric is survived by his two children, Billie Beatrice, 16, and Georgia Geraldine 14, whom he shares with Rebecca.

The couple separated in 2018, but called off their long divorce once Eric received his diagnosis.

The TV star is sharing her own experiences as part of a new NHS campaign that aims to raise awareness

Shona McGarty, a former star from EastEnders, has shared her mental health experiences with something she describes as a ‘little devil on her shoulder’ and encourages others to get help. The actress and singer, famous for her role as Whitney Dean on the BBC soap and for participating in I’m A Celebrity last year, has opened up about dealing with social anxiety since she was a teenager.

She said: “I was always a chatty child, but as I got older, everything changed. Around 15, I suddenly became painfully self-aware. I started overthinking and struggling to hold conversations, even though talking was literally part of my job.

“My social anxiety would happen when meeting new people, with colleagues or even at family gatherings. My heart would race, my hands would sweat, and sometimes I thought I might faint. I sometimes pretend to receive a phone call just to leave a social situation. People would say, ‘Shona’s so shy,’ or ‘she’s so quiet,’ and it really hurt.”

Sharing how she copes with social anxiety now, she said: “I’m worlds away from that level of panic now, because I’ve learned how to deal with it when it shows up. One thing that helps is imagining a little devil on my shoulder. I acknowledge it, and then I answer back: Thank you, but you’re wrong. I’m in control. I’m safe. People aren’t judging me; they’re listening because they want to hear me speak.”

Shona said the biggest help of all has been talking about it. “Acknowledging social anxiety instead of fighting it,” she said. “You’d be amazed at how many people feel the same way. A problem shared really is a problem halved.”

The TV star has shared her personal experience of social anxiety disorder to help raise awareness and support the launch of a new NHS campaign. The campaign urges people with six common anxiety conditions – including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) – to come forward for help by self-referring online at nhs.uk/talk.

The NHS England campaign is backed not only by Shona McGarty but also by The Only Way Is Essex’s Charlie King and former professional footballer and Professional Footballers’ Association chair Clarke Carlisle. Each is candidly sharing their own experiences to encourage others to come forward.

Dr Adrian James, NHS England’s National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity said: “While it’s encouraging that thousands more people facing mental health conditions are accessing NHS support than before the pandemic, we know that millions more could benefit from vital NHS talking therapies. This landmark new campaign is a critical step to ensuring that everyone struggling with challenging but very common conditions like anxiety and PTSD knows that there is support available to help them get on with their lives again.

“Through proven treatment and support available for free on the NHS, these conditions can be overcome to help people return to work, regain confidence or feel back to their old selves in social situations. Our message is clear, if you’re struggling with your mental health, NHS talking therapies are here for you, and you can either self-refer or speak with your local GP practice.” You can find out more and refer yourself for NHS Talking Therapies at nhs.uk/talk.

What is social anxiety?

The NHS defines social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, as a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations. “It’s a common problem that usually starts during the teenage years. It can be very distressing and have a big impact on your life,” it says.

Dr Ravi Gill, a health psychologist and founder of Smart Mind Health, explains: “People that experience social anxiety know that the fear that they have around these certain situations is not OK, so their nervous system reacts in a way that sends them into a slight bit of panic.

“So, it’s not just nerves or a lack of confidence or not knowing how to navigate something, social anxiety is a lot more than that. There’s a genuine fear that something is going to happen and a fear of being seen and getting it wrong. It’s also linked quite closely with imposter syndrome, and the two often come up together.”

Social anxiety often occurs in performance and group situations in the workplace, he says. “Performance situations in the workplace, such as speaking up in meetings, doing a presentation or making a phone call can all add pressure and really heighten someone’s social anxiety.”

The health expert also says it affects social situations. He said: “Within a group of friends, the one that suffers with social anxiety will often just sit there and observe the conversation and won’t speak up and contribute. They may feel like they will say something wrong or feel that their opinion on something might be misconstrued or misinterpreted in some way.”

Caracas, February 17, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s Navegantes del Magallanes claimed the 2026 Serie de las Américas baseball tournament after defeating Colombia’s Caimanes de Barranquilla 10–9 on Friday, February 13, at the Estadio Monumental Simón Bolívar in Caracas.

The Colombian squad stunned fans with a commanding 5–0 lead in the opening inning and maintained a five-run advantage for much of the game. However, Magallanes engineered a dramatic comeback that will become one of Venezuela’s most celebrated baseball victories, scoring seven unanswered runs in the eighth inning to overturn the deficit.

The Venezuelan team, representing the host nation for the tournament held from February 5 to 13 in Caracas and La Guaira, stumbled in its opening match against Panama before rallying and stringing together consecutive wins. This included a decisive 9–1 semifinal victory over Cuba to book a place in the final.

The 2026 Serie de las Américas—the second edition of this regional international baseball competition organized by continental baseball league associations—brought together national teams from Cuba and Curaçao, and the winter league champions from Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Argentina. The tournament featured a round-robin phase followed by semifinals and a championship game.

Navegantes del Magallanes secured its place in the tournament after winning the Venezuelan league in early February. 

Venezuela’s participation in the Serie de las Américas became possible after the country opted out of the February 1–7 Serie del Caribe, following decisions by that event’s organizers to relocate the tournament amid claims of “political conflicts” linked to the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Venezuelan professional league initially suspended its Round Robin phase following the attacks, though play resumed on January 7 and continued through the Serie de las Américas.

On Saturday, the champion Magallanes were welcomed at Miraflores Palace by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who praised the team’s achievement. 

“When they achieved victory, I felt the joy of seeing a country rise up and demonstrate its winning spirit. The most important jersey we Venezuelans wear is that of Venezuela; you wore it and showed that there is no adversity we cannot overcome,” Rodríguez said.

The Venezuelan leader also formally expressed Venezuela’s desire to once again host the regional tournament in 2027.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — In Waco, Tex., Richard A. Gephardt kicked off his Super Tuesday campaign by deriding Michael S. Dukakis as the Democratic presidential candidate with the most money and “the least message.”

The next day, in Deerfield Beach, Fla., Dukakis castigated Gephardt as “the prince of darkness” for appealing to the angry side of America with his complaints about unfair foreign economic competition.

In part, the two candidates generally deemed the front-runners in the Democratic race, who came here last week for a debate before the cream of the Southern Democratic Party, are flinging rhetorical brickbats at each other because of the 20-state treasure-trove of delegates up for grabs in Super Tuesday’s primaries and caucuses.

Another Struggle

But Massachusetts Gov. Dukakis, the winner of the New Hampshire primary, and Missouri Rep. Gephardt, the winner of the Iowa caucuses, are locked in another struggle as well, one that transcends even as rich a prize as Super Tuesday. At stake is nothing less than the heart, mind and future of the Democratic Party.

And that deeper struggle has injected a bitter, biting element into the campaign because the cleavages between the two leaders are sharply drawn along class, cultural and regional lines.

To put the matter in starkly simple terms, Dukakis, with his core support in the suburbs and among upscale city dwellers, reflects the beliefs and values of the party’s Eastern liberal Establishment, and the interests of the nation’s thriving bicoastal economy.

Gephardt, hailing from America’s economically hard-hit hinterland with his Missouri legacy of Harry S. Truman populism, is striving to speak to and for working-class voters. Such voters have been the foundation of classic Democratic majorities of the sort the party has seldom managed to assemble in recent years.

“Nothing is ever 100% black and white in politics,” says Southern pollster Claibourne H. Darden Jr. As he suggests, the realities of the immediate battle for votes are so complex that the underlying struggle may not be precisely reflected in the election returns across Dixie or the rest of the nation.

“But there’s a real socioeconomic division here,” Darden says. “Gephardt is after the ‘Bubba’ vote–the good old boys, the middle-middle section of the Democratic Party. And Dukakis is the darling of the educated liberals and the suburbanites.”

In a sense, their battle is a sequel to the 1984 contest between Walter F. Mondale and Gary Hart, in which those two argued essentially over whether the Democratic Party needed to change. Although Mondale won the nomination, he lost the election and thus the argument: Virtually everyone entered the 1988 campaign agreeing that the Democratic Party needed to change.

The battle between Dukakis and Gephardt will help to settle the remaining question: In what new direction will the party now move?

Of course, Dukakis and Gephardt have to reckon with two other major rivals in the Southern contests–the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr.

Jackson is expected to run very well here Tuesday, perhaps capturing more states than any of his rivals. But most analysts doubt that he can sustain that success outside the South on the scale needed to make him a serious threat for the nomination.

As for Gore, few believe the only white Southerner in the race can do well enough in his home region to make up for his lack of achievement in the early contests elsewhere.

Meanwhile, what seems to be happening in the competition between Gephardt and Dukakis is that their debate is redefining the governing grammar of the Democratic Party, creating a new syntax in which the definitive phrases are not “liberal” and “conservative” but rather “change” and “pain.”

To a considerable extent the dividing line between Dukakis’ supporters and Gephardt’s backers is based on the degree to which any group of voters feels hurt by current economic conditions and prospects and the urgency with which they want to alter those conditions.

By using his argument against unfair trade practices as an expression of the case for broader change, “Gephardt has found a clean way to tap into the anger of voters who feel the circumstances of the economy are working against them,” said Paul Tully, former political director of Dukakis’ campaign.

Last January, just before the Iowa caucuses, Gephardt defined his populism in the rhetoric of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom he described as “the greatest populist of the century.” Recalling F.D.R.’s celebrated vow to crush “the forces of greed and privilege,” Gephardt called that dictum “the legacy and the life force” of the Democratic Party.

Listen to Gephardt 10 days ago at the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Atlanta, where he warned 3,500 Democrats that America was in decline and demanded change to reverse the tide.

“I want to put a Democrat in the White House in 1988 so we can make America move and soar again,” he declared. “But to move in that direction we must change America in fundamental ways. That’s what the election in 1988 is all about.

Must Stand for Change

“A lot of people don’t want change,” Gephardt warned. “Strong forces resist change for a whole lot of different reasons. You must understand that if you want to change America the only way it will happen is if you stand for change in the Tuesday, March 8, primary.”

This message, says Tully, has visceral appeal to “those Democrats who live in places where the economy is threatening or not encouraging.” Moreover, Gephardt’s insistence on tougher trade policies, denounced as “protectionist’ by the well-educated middle-class supporters of Dukakis, appears to strike a responsive chord among the blue-collar workers Gephardt is trying to reach.

For many of them, political professionals point out, the idea that it is time for the United States to get back at foreign competitors has not only economic significance but also patriotic resonance.

Because of this, many Democratic politicians believe this issue could help win back former Democrats who have turned away from the party and supported Ronald Reagan in recent years because they believed that Democratic national leaders were namby-pambies in dealing with foreign nations.

“The trade issue is a metaphor for the sense that people have that they have lost control of their economic destiny, for the sense that many people feel that ‘my standard of living is slipping, we’re drifting and we’re slipping,’ ” says Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.), a Gephardt supporter.

Dukakis is for change too, Tully asserts. But the Massachusetts governor is a self-decribed optimist. And the kind of change for which he argues is more businesslike and less impassioned, more methodical and less fundamental than what Gephardt preaches.

“It is more of a roll up your sleeves and get on with the work approach,” Tully says. “And it appeals to people who want change but who have a lower level of anxiety than Gephardt’s constituents.”

Central to Dukakis’ optimistic view and to his message of moderate change is the economic recovery in Massachusetts, for which he claims a large share of credit and which he seems to argue has almost unlimited relevance elsewhere in the nation.

“Over the last dozen years I’ve seen the Massachusetts economy turn around and come back strong,” Dukakis declared in a speech last fall on economic policy. “And over the past few months, campaigning around this country, I’ve seen example after example of the kind of strength and determination and spirit it will take to get our fiscal house in order and restore our competitiveness abroad.”

If Gephardt seems to respond to anger and frustration among the voters, Dukakis appears to try to smooth over grievances.

When the Democrats hold their nominating convention in July, Dukakis told the Atlanta dinner audience that Gephardt also addressed, “I hope we as a party will have learned the lessons of division. Let’s make 1988 a year for the promise of opportunity and not the politics of resentment.”

Ultimately, the argument between these two points of view will be settled at the ballot box.

And ironically, the circumstances of these two candidates and the special nature of those who normally vote in Democratic primaries suggests that–as in 1984–the apostle of fundamental change could be hard-pressed to win the nomination, while the moderate could lose in November.

More Electable

A good many Democrats who have reservations about Gephardt’s policies, particularly his views on trade, are nonetheless interested in the congressman’s candidacy because they think he would be more electable than Dukakis in November.

“Dukakis’ message is competence in domestic policy and the rule of law in foreign policy,” says Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City), one of the House members who–along with many leading Southern politicians–gathered here at Williamsburg for a meeting of the Democratic Leadership Council, a group of moderate-to-conservative office holders. “And, frankly, I’m not convinced it’s a winning message.

“The Gephardt message is very good for blue-collar workers,” continues Berman, who will not decide who to back until after Super Tuesday. “It could help us get back people we have been having trouble holding in general elections, people who were attracted to Reagan.”

Other Democrats are blunter in their assessment: “Dukakis looks like another 49-state blowout to me,” says a high-level Southern labor leader who declined to be identified. He thinks that Dukakis could not draw any significant amount of votes beyond what Mondale received in 1984, when he carried only Minnesota and the District of Columbia.

By contrast, this official believes that Gephardt would “bring the white middle-class and blue-collar vote in the South back to the Democrats. We have to be a party that’s not just interested in redistributing wealth, that’s also interested in helping the middle class.”

But for all Gephardt’s potential assets in the fall, some think he may never have the chance to cash in on them because of the practical realities governing Democratic primary politics, particularly in the South.

“(Dukakis’) is an elitist campaign,” Martin Linsky, a public policy specialist at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, says. “But the primary in the South is a setup for him. He gets the suburban, liberal upper-middle-class vote.” And, as Linsky points out, these are the voters most likely to go to the polls on Tuesday.

Gephardt Might Struggle

Moreover, while Gephardt’s message of change gives him much broader potential appeal than Dukakis, many professionals believe that without the financial and organizational resources Dukakis has amassed, Gephardt will have to struggle to get his potential supporters to the ballot box.

And Gephardt’s ability to win votes by emphasizing basic differences from Dukakis is complicated somewhat by the fact that neither man’s origins quite match his current billing.

As Gephardt’s rivals never tire of pointing out, while serving as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus he was widely considered to be a fixture of the congressional hierarchy. And the legislative connections he fashioned with lobbyists for business and labor have helped finance his presidential campaign–to the tune of more than $350,000, or about 6% of his total contributions.

“Dick, don’t give us that Establishment stuff when you’re out there taking their money,” Dukakis snapped at Gephardt during the debate here last week. And the Dukakis campaign released a negative commercial later in the week attacking Gephardt on just the same grounds.

For his part, Dukakis entered politics sounding more like a neoliberal than a traditional liberal. And even today his views embody his natural frugality and his abounding faith in the efficacy of high technology and rational management.

Dukakis campaign chairman Paul Brountas, who has known the governor all his political life, says: “Certainly Michael Dukakis is a progressive”–a term Brountas prefers to “liberal.” But he adds: “He’s very conservative fiscally. And he’s run the state in a tight-fisted way.”

In the end, many believe the outcome of the Gephardt-Dukakis battle in Dixie may depend on whether Gephardt can reach the voters whose anger is fueling his candidacy.

Chris Scott, president of the North Carolina AFL-CIO, contends that Gephardt’s argument for retaliation against unfair trade practices has great appeal in his state, where the textile industry has been hard hit by foreign imports.

“Gephardt’s trade message can romp and stomp in this state,” Scott says. “But I don’t know if Gephardt can get the message out.”

In this episode of The Envelope video podcast, Teyana Taylor describes the “slingshot” of success that’s come with “One Battle After Another” and shares her insights as to why fictional revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills does what she does in the film.

Kelvin Washington: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to The Envelope. Kelvin Washington, Yvonne Villarreal, we have Mark Olsen as well. Hopefully you all have been great since the last time I saw you. Everybody been good?

Mark Olsen: Of course.

Washington: Well, I tell you what, there’s a list of folks who’ve been very good because they’ve been nominated for an Oscar. And obviously, you kind of get the usual suspects, if you will. And then you get some surprises out there. Some folks you go, “Whoa!” So I want to start with you. Either of you can jump in on this. Is there someone that maybe surprised you, a film or something that you were just excited about or maybe someone said, “Them again?” or “That film again?”

Olsen: I think it was very exciting that “Sinners” got the most nominations of any film ever with 16 nominations. It was nominated in every category that it was eligible for. To see a movie that has had commercial success and felt like a cultural moment now being recognized somewhere like the Academy Awards, it’s just exciting to see that all coming together and rolling along for that film, regardless of how it turns out at the show.

Villarreal: I was very excited to see Rose Byrne get acknowledged for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Because I was worried about that movie losing steam after all the raves it got at Sundance [in 2025] and it’s a smaller movie. I wasn’t sure, “Are people going to remember it?” But I just think she’s so great in that film.

I was sort of surprised that Chase Infiniti didn’t get nominated.

Olsen: Because of the nature of the movie, the whole lead/supporting business was tough, and also it being her first movie, it’s a little harder to get that nomination — especially in lead actress, faced with, say, Kate Hudson, someone who’s been in the business for a long time, is much beloved in the industry, has obviously family historical ties to Hollywood. It’s interesting to see even in the nominations this sort of alchemy of like, “a little of this, a little bit of that” as far as who the academy was choosing to recognize.

Washington: You know, I go back to something you said, Mark, when you go to “Sinners.” You mentioned the blockbuster feel of it, getting people’s butts to the theaters, spending money. And also kind of original. We’ve had vampire movies before, but, you know, you get the “Transformer 12’s” and “Expendable 32’s.” I think a lot of folks were excited to see something original that also had commercial success as well.

Another film that had a bunch of success is “One Battle After Another.” You had a chance to speak with a star from that film, who’s been a star in her own right musically, but now into the film world, with Teyana Taylor.

Olsen: That’s right. It’s so exciting. She’s nominated for best supporting actress. This is a long movie, it’s over two and a half hours long. She more or less exits the picture about 30 minutes in. So I think it says something about the strength of her performance that her character kind of hovers over the rest of that movie. You feel her in the movie, even though she’s actually not onscreen. So at the Oscar nominees luncheon recently, we had a chance to sit down with Teyana and she was just so vibrant, so full of energy, really has a great attitude about this moment for herself. I mean, she just recently won a Golden Globe, she hosted “Saturday Night Live.” So much is like happening for her, seemingly right now and she’s just got this real like, taking it all in, very open to it [attitude]. It was really an exciting conversation.

Washington: A culmination of all her hard work. Here is Mark’s conversation with Teyana Taylor.

Teyana Taylor.

(Ian Spanier / For The Times)

Mark Olsen: You were just at the Super Bowl. About a week before that, you were a nominee at the Grammys. About a week before that you hosted “Saturday Night Live.” About a week before that you won a Golden Globe. And you’re here today as an Academy Award nominee. I’m sure I’m leaving some things out. I would say what’s the last year been like for you, but I feel like, what’s the last month or two been like for you? It feels like the rocket ship has really taken off.

Teyana Taylor: Yeah, it’s really taken off. I’m so blessed and I’m so honored and I’m filled with so much gratitude to just see so many prayers get answered all at once, where I’m also OK with one at a time. But it’s all happening, you know? And I’m just beyond blessed. And like we were talking about earlier, just how much fun I’m having with it. I’m really having a good time and I’m taking it all in because life is short and life is so fragile. So I just try and take time to enjoy life and enjoy my blessings and enjoy just being alive and well.

Olsen: Has there been a moment that felt the most surreal, like a “What is happening to me right now” moment?

Taylor: Honestly, all of it, because it reminds me of a slingshot, you know what I’m saying? It’s just like, here’s the way, here’s the way, here’s the way, here’s the way, here’s the work, here’s the prayers, here’s the tears, just here, here, here, here, here. And then whoosh — whatever the ball hit, it knocked down everything at once. And that’s what this feels like. It feels really good because literally everything is happening at the same time. So it’s not like only one moment or only two moments that’s making me feel this way. It’s everything. The small wins, the big wins, the medium wins. Every single win and every single blessing is a big deal to me. You know what I’m saying? Even my Ls. I’m not gonna win everything and I’m not gonna get everything, and some things are not even meant for me. But even those are blessings. It’s preparation for something that is in store for me and something that is meant for me, because all of this is already written. What’s for you is for you and will be for you, because that’s just what’s written. So I have that mindset.

Olsen: You’ve been doing this since you were a teenager, at first as a choreographer and a dancer, a singer, an actor, you’re going to direct your first feature soon. What keeps you moving through all of this, through these different disciplines and pursuits?

Taylor: My babies. My support system. My village. My community. I love to make my people proud. I love to make my peers proud, my family. I just love to make everybody proud and that’s what keeps me going. Even right now, I’m also in culinary school. So it’s just juggling that, but taking out the little moments to just be quiet and cook and feed my people. So it’s a push. It’s understanding it’s a marathon and that it’s not a sprint. It’s a part of the faith walk. And I think that’s what keeps me going, to wake up and feel so blessed, how could I ever complain? How could I ever be like, “Oh, this is too much”? It is everything I’ve ever asked for. I’m never going to complain about answered prayers. What pushes me is just the reassurance from my support system, the reassurance from Father God himself, the reassurance for my babies. They keep me going. That’s who I do it for. I want to create generational wealth. So them babies are my reason. They are my why.

Olsen: To start asking you about “One Battle After Another,” your character, Perfidia Beverly Hills, she’s inspired a lot of conversation and some controversy. For you, was there something about that character that you felt you hadn’t seen on screen before?

Taylor: Yes. Perfidia is complex and she is also misunderstood. This is a woman who has been in survival mode, who has been fetishized, who has been ignored, not seen. We’re seeing this woman deal with that, where in movies we’re used to seeing us women have to be in capes all day and you see this woman rip this cape away and it’s just unapologetically herself — even in her weakness. And even like you said, with the controversy of her sexuality, I think her sexuality is her armor. It is also her power. She’ll give somebody what they want to get what she wants. And literally in the movie, she’s made selfish decisions. But if you think about her spirit and mentally and emotionally as a woman, it felt good to see a woman actually be selfish and put her[self] first, which we never really get to do because we have to be super this, super this, super this. Super mom, super wife, super woman, super chef; everything is always with a super in front of it. And you see this woman not really caring about what people think. Nobody can quiet her. And in this space of, “OK, you’re too loud, quiet down; you stand too tall, have a seat,” Perfidia is all of the things that they can’t make her do. She’s like, “I’m gonna stand tall, I’m gonna use my voice, I’m gonna use whatever I need to use to get what I want.” And she makes decisions that we don’t agree with, but I think one thing we all can agree on is that she’s a badass. And I can always respect anybody that’s unapologetically themselves.

Another thing that I feel like the controversy is proof of is how much of a nonfactor postpartum depression is. Half of the mistakes we see Perfidia make is her dealing with postpartum depression. You see the moment where they say, “Perfida, she’s a runner. She comes from a long line of revolutionaries.” That in itself is a pressure on her to feel like she gotta keep that going. The revolution is instilled in her. It’s a part of her identity. So imagine getting pregnant and you’re feeling like, “Oh, my God, does this slow down the revolution? Am I gonna play house with a person that’s ignoring me?” Nobody is really taking the time to think about what’s happening in her mind. We can’t control how a person handles postpartum depression. We hear her, through the door, cry, and then we see Bob put his ear to the door — and instead of him walking in, he walked away. And then what was the result of that? Her walking away. Even if it had to be walking away from Baby Willa, it’s something that she felt like she needed to do, and that’s what postpartum make you do sometime. And every mother handles postpartrum depression differently. But I think that’s what I love about her character, because you get to see a harsh reality that I know is hard to take in. But when you watch it a few times you understand exactly what’s happening. … I think that’s what makes the letter at the end so important. Because you hear the pain, you hear the hurt, you hear the regret, you hear the accountability, “Do you have love? Are you happy? Will you try and change the world like we did? We failed, but maybe you will not.”

And that’s another thing. This is a story that Paul Thomas Anderson wanted to tell. It was Perfidia’s job to go and anchor this boat and stay there and create the path for Willa to take on these battles, because her past haunted Willa and Bob. That’s a part of Perfidia being supporting — supporting the next steps of what is for Willa. It’s for Willa to go on and to rise. So you see Perfidia in the beginning of the movie, you see her drive this boat, you see her get to the middle of the sea and you see her anchor herself. And from there, we have to continue the story. So I’m happy that the controversy around her can create dialogue like this, can create healthy dialogue or even uncomfortable dialogue. As long as it’s dialogue and we’re conversing and we are speaking and people are speaking from their point of views, I can absolutely respect that.

Olsen: Is that a conversation you expected to have? When you were making the film, were you and Paul, or you and your co-stars talking about the depiction of Black women in the movie? Or have you been surprised that’s been such a talking point now that the movie’s out in the world?

Taylor: Honestly, I’m not surprised of any of the talking. I think one thing that I said before the movie even dropped and we were doing our press junkets, I was always very boisterous about the fact that this movie, period, not just the character, would definitely shake the table, and it would definitely spark, whether it was great debates or — I love conversation and I like when we can converse. Get it off your chest, tell me how you feel. And I’m open to receive that. So I knew that it would shake the table. I also knew that it needed to be done. Postpartum depression is a big thing for me that I feel like it needs more light. It needs light around it. We need more solutions for it. And like I said, you see this person, this woman in survival mode. You see this woman be ignored. You see this woman be fetishized. And is that not the truth? Is that not what happens, especially in this place of a Black woman feeling the least protected? So I’m really happy that Paul put wings on that to be able to spread and fly with that. And like I said, I know it’s probably tough to take in, but that’s what we got to see because everybody is not wearing capes. Everybody is not handling things the way you may handle things, I may handle the things, the way that person or this person may handle things. So we all just got to give grace and take in the film. It’s a story that’s being told.

Olsen: To me, one of the biggest surprises about the movie is considering how cohesive and complete it feels, to learn how improvisatory and collaborative the process of making the movie was. Were you surprised by that? What was it like for you entering into the process of making this movie with Paul?

Taylor: I was shocked at how collaborative it was. And I loved every bit of it because one thing about it is, again, when you are telling a story that someone wrote — he’s been working on this project for 20 years. This is something that I consider to be his baby. And when you’re trusting me to take on a job like this, I don’t ever wanna walk into any set and feel like I’m doing what I want to do. I just want to be of good support. If you tell me, “Hey, let’s find this together,” I’m gonna find it together. If you say, “This is my vision of what that is and this is how I want it to be,” it’s my job to give you that vision of what you want it be, and then add my little sauce on top of it. But to be fully collaborative, I thought it was really dope. We found Perfidia’s layers and we color-coordinated those layers. And I’m really happy that he let me be a part of that.

Olsen: What do you feel you brought to Perfidia or you were able to add to the character?

Taylor: I was able to add a lot. Paul was very, very collaborative. And again, we found her layers, which was the most important, especially with such a complex character. And you know, I just came from “A Thousand and One.” So I came from being another complex character, but this one was complex to a whole other level, where we almost didn’t understand why we never see Perfidia cry. But you see these little moments, like little details, in her face that’s just like, it’s this strength, but the strength — because I also don’t really love the term “strong Black woman” — it’s this strength that you feel like she has to have because the strength is really survival mode. And again, like I said, you hear her crack down and you hear her vulnerable, and nobody stepped through that door. So when you see a strong Black woman, there is no grace, it’s, “Oh, she’s OK, she fine, she got it all figured out.” And then you hear her vulnerable and you still feel like even at her most vulnerable, she got this, she’s strong. And it’s just like, “Step through the door. Step in early. Step in the first time. Hear me the first time, see me [this] time, wipe the first tear away. Would she have walked out that door on Baby Willa and Bob, had he walked through that door when he heard her cry?

Olsen: I’ve heard you a number of times when you’re talking about Paul, you always call him Paul “Let Him Cook” Thomas Anderson. What does that mean?

Taylor: Let him cook! Listen, because he to me is a master chef. And honestly, I’m very, very big on leadership. I respect the person that is a leader. What makes it so dope is because, with being in culinary school, I originally signed up for culinary school, of course, to learn the art of culinary, but to just cook, I love to cook and I wanted to learn the art of that. With being enrolled in culinary school, it’s a lot of writing work and a lot of discussion forums and a lot of quizzes and stuff like that. So you’re not only learning to cook, but you’re learning how to run a business. You’re learning how to navigate your staff, front of house, back of house, in the kitchen. You have to understand it’s a whole system in how you handle people in general. In the kitchen they call it like a “servant leader,” where your leader is in the kitchen with you, they’re cooking with you. They’re your mentor, they are your guidance, but they’re cooking with you. They’re not just pointing, “Do this, do that, boom, boom, boom.” And it’s just, like, his gentle servant leadership is something that I respect so much and something that inspires me as an upcoming movie director on how to handle and navigate my staff.

So it’s like the best of both worlds because I have PTA and then I have culinary school who’s teaching me how to be the best leader. Even in how we handle people, it’s bigger than just the people that work for us or with us. It’s also the people that come into this restaurant. It’s your customers. It’s just the hospitality of it all and the hospitality that he gives, it’s really amazing to see. I’m also a big sports girl. So even in regards to him being our quarterback, you know, he’s not on the side, pointing at what to do. He’s on the field with you. But he has an even bigger job because now he’s trusting that he’s going to throw this ball to you and you’re going to receive that ball. So we’re his receivers, we’re his wide receivers to take it to the touchdown. It’s all about being present. And that’s what I learned in culinary, it’s what I learned in sports, it’s just everything about being a leader as I prepare to lead my village and lead my community. That’s just so important to me. So I always respect people that are in the field with you. I become a warrior for you. You see Paul, you’re running in the battlefield, you look to your left, he’s with you. He’s not on a horse, he’s not on his high horse. He’s in the field with you. Let’s go, we got this! And it just makes you want to you want to go so hard for him. And that’s how I look at it. So I am a student. I am a teammate. I am a soldier. I am a warrior. That’s what I am with people that are great leaders.

Olsen: When you won the Golden Globe, your speech was so moving and you specifically spoke to your “brown sisters and little brown girls” and said that their light does not need permission to shine. Can you talk more about that? What was it that made you want to say that in that moment, specifically talking about this movie?

Taylor: I thought it was a very important moment on a very important stage. I wanted to use my voice and I wanted to use my platform. And in that moment, I had the voice and the platform to say just that. It’s nothing less than that. There’s nothing beyond that. Exactly what I said. We deserve space. What that night showed was that here’s the space. And I appreciated that. I was filled with so much gratitude. That moment hit hard for me because I was that little girl that sat on the floor on a TV watching the other queens onstage accept their awards. Like, “You can do it too, you can do it too.” And I knew that one day when it was my turn, I would tell my little queens, “You can do it too — all the little queens that look like me, you can do it too, you deserve space.” To know that also my daughters were watching as well, it’s everything to me. It’s everything for me to know that they embrace that as well. It’s so important. I’ve gotten so many women come up to me like, “Wow, that speech was just everything.” And that’s what it’s all about. That’s what is all about: to inspire, uplift and remind us that there is space.

Olsen: Before I let you go, you just bring it on red carpets time and time again. And the one thing I like is that you wear these really bold outfits, and it never looks like the clothes are wearing you. Do you have tips for people? What do you do for confident personal style?

Taylor: Honestly, follow your heart. Follow your heart. If you see it and you like it, put it together. You might put it together and be like, “That didn’t work the way I [intended].” Practice. Play in clothes. I love to play in clothes — but also will walk in the store and redress a whole mannequin. I’ll also be like, “I like that tie, I think it should be a little bit tighter.” I dream about certain outfits. I dream of certain moments where I’m like, “Oooh. I already know what I feel like I want my Oscar dress to look like. I already know what I want my Golden Globes dress to look like.” It’s always a vision. Or sometimes you might have a base. You might see something and be like, “I like this, but I feel it could use this.” Add it. If you feel like something can use something, add it. Because before you know it, now you done created your own thing. So don’t hesitate. When I was younger, I used to hesitate and be like, “This looked pretty cool, but now I’m not gonna do it.” And then later on, I see somebody try it, and I’m like, “Oh, I should have just…” Always follow your gut and always follow you heart.