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Stephen Colbert
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Stephen Colbert
I think we should call a Dr. Angie. The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com. Welcome one and all in here out there, Mr. And Mrs. America and all the ships at sea to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Right off the bat, right off the
Teyana Taylor
bean,
Stephen Colbert
right off the top, I have some shocking news. It is Wednesday, which can't possibly be true because I definitely watched the President speak for at least three days last night. We're still all recovering from the President's bramble ramble brain jamble. But the reviews are in and they are the bad. The New York Times said it was a tedious and tiresome performance. The Atlantic said the State of the Union revealed a sad reality. And Jeffrey Epstein said I almost died from boredom.
Teyana Taylor
Oops.
Stephen Colbert
I mean, I'm already dead. Don't look into it. I found the. I found the speech both boring and disturbing or dissorbing. And the people agreed with a poll showing it was the least popular State of the Union speech this century. And that includes 2006 when George W. Bush used his time to explain the rules of settlers of Catan but never actually let you play it. So now if we roll a 12, we all get wood. The only people who liked the speech were the thirstiest Trump butt kissers. Congressman Chip Roy said the President delivered a home run State of the Union. Conservative pundit Charles Gasparino said trump is a colossus. And Jeffrey Epstein said, nope, uh, not falling for it twice. I'm dead. Speaking of which, you can, you can tell he must be dead because he's snoring now. Speaking of which, one thing Trump did not mention in his two hour hockey humping, immigrant grumbling jamboree was anything about the Epstein files. Now, it is well known that big, incriminating stuff has been redacted from what Pam Bondi released, and yesterday we got confirmation the DOJ has withheld or taken down more than 50 pages of material from the Epstein files related to Donald Trump. And it's totally. Yes, yes. And it's totally on brand for the doj, this doj, especially, to be protecting Trump. It's the least surprising headline since youngest child becomes Theater Major. Now, any youngest child. Any youngest children out there? No. Okay. Now, we don't know exactly what's in there or if it's true. And whatever it is, Trump denies any wrongdoing. But it's weird that these files specifically are missing because the law prohibits redacting anything on the basis of embarrassment or reputational harm. And according to the New York Times, the missing files are FBI memos summarizing interviews they did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who alleged she had been sexually assaulted by both Trump and Epstein when she was 13 to 15. 15 years old. Holy unholy. This would be the worst scandal in presidential history. That the files are missing should be the biggest story in the world. But we're all so exhausted and worn down by this turd and a tie that when a bombshell like this comes along, we go, oh, that's terrible. I wonder if that baby monkey made friends yet. So. Baby monkey friends yet? He is. He is fine. Okay. He's fine. He's good. Now, there might be way more that we don't even know about, because the UK newspaper, the Telegraph, is now reporting that Epstein hit secret files in storage units across the US and we actually. Is this true? We actually have footage of the moment someone opened one of Epstein's secret storage units. Oh, boy. Okay, here's what they're reporting. Starting in 2003, Epstein rented six lockers in different states and then paid private detectives to remove equipment from his home in an apparent attempt to thwart investigators. That's gonna be a wild gig for those PIs. So this fellow walks into my office, he's got a mug that would peel the nonstick coating off a frying pan. Irish fella. Said his name was Pete. Pete o'. File. Now even crazier. Thank you. Thank you. Really? An actor. Primarily an actor Prime. A thespian, trotting the boards. Even crazier. For some reason, the same people who lost those 50 pages of Trump accusations never executed any warrant to search the storage lockers, even though, according to the Telegraph, the units contain things like three Brookstone massagers. Congratulations, Brookstone. There's no such thing as bad publicity. You know their slogan. Jeffrey Epstein had three of these. The list goes on and on. In one unit in, Epstein had an annual guide to New York city erotica and 11 boxes containing sex toys. Okay, one box is fine. Two boxes, sure. One for travel, one for home. But 11 boxes. Some of that's gotta go to Goodwill. Okay, Just Marie Conduit. You can't tell me all of them. Spark joy. There's also some strange news coming out of the Department of Homeland Security, because according to multiple law enforcement sources, Kristi Noem repeatedly claimed ICE deported a cannibal. It was completely made up. So now she's writing Immigrant Cannibal fanfic. We all know how the story ends. The cannibal has sex with Hermione and Captain Kirk. Noem's lies started last June. So approximately three faces ago. Noem was trying to defend. Noam. Was trying to defend ICE Detention Center. The one in Florida. Alligator, Alcatraz. When she told this story on the Fox News.
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I was Talking to a U.S. marshal just yesterday, and he was talking about the fact that they were deporting a plane load of illegals, and one of them was a cannibal. And he kind of said it offhanded. And I said to him, what do you. What do you mean it was a cannibal? And he said, well, we put him on the plane, put him in his seat, and he started to eat his own arms.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah. Sounds crazy, but you got to hand it to Kristi Noem. Unless you can't because you ate your arms. That happens. That happened to a friend of mine. His cousin happened to be friends. Cousin. So this is clearly a lie. If you're gonna eat yourself, you wouldn't start with your arms. You need those to hold the utensils. You go with a calf first, you know, aluminum foil, lemon, some olive oil. Low and slow. No Nome then doubled down.
Commercial Announcer
He called himself a cannibal, ate other people and ate himself.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah, and now they can't find him. Cause he's in the clean. Cause he's in the clean plat. It's the perfect crime.
Teyana Taylor
There you go.
Stephen Colbert
We got there. We got there. You're welcome. You're all welcome for the images. What's going on over there, Joe? Come on, now. Now I'm going to act like your vaping brother in law, because I want to talk to you about AI. AI systems are growing in power and sophistications all across the world. And soon they'll be able to do more than just convince your mom that I adopted two babies I found in a box outside of a church in Vermont. Two beautiful little girls. I named them Ben and Jerry. Now, one issue, one issue that even Trump brought up last night is that AI uses a lot of power. Just a single data center can use as much electricity as a small city. And in four years, AI's CO2 emissions are set to surpass the aviation industry. But no, folks, it's all worth it. Because humanity now has the power to create a video of the Zapruder film, but with all cats. But the AI pioneer boys. The AI pioneer boys behind the revolution are not worried about it at all, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, seen here after waking up from a wet dream about a smart humidifier this week. I like that. It's a weird joke. That's a weird joke and I like it. This week, Altman defended AI's massive power consumption like this. One of the things that is always unfair in this comparison is people talk about how much energy it takes to train an AI model relative to how much it costs a human to do one inference query. But it also takes a lot of energy to train a human. It takes like 20 years of life and all of the food you eat during that time before you get smart. Yeah. Think of all the food we're wasting keeping our stupid kids alive. Not one of my children ever drew. Lee Harvey Meows Wald speaking. Speaking of AI. See, you'd watch it. I'd watch it. Speaking of AI, apparently there's a fight brewing between an AI company called Anthropic and the Pentagon. Because Anthropic CEO is insisting on non lethal safeguards on the tech. But the military wants to use their AI in any way they want. And those guardrails might be pretty important in the future because new research finds that AIs can't stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations. Clearly, the machines are determined to rise up and destroy humanity. And Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to warn us.
Teyana Taylor
Put that cookie down now.
Stephen Colbert
Okay, that was not the right clip. Still, good advice. In the war game simulation, the AIs were given options ranging from diplomatic complaints to surrender to nuclear war. And the models deployed at least one tactical nuclear weapon in 95% of the games. This reminds me of Oppenheimer's grim warning. I am become happy I died in the 1960s. We got a great show for you tonight.
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Coming up, teyana Taylor.
Stephen Colbert
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Stephen Colbert
Welcome back, everybody. Ladies and gentlemen, my first guest is a Grammy and Oscar nominated singer and actress whose latest movie, One Battle after Another won best at the baftas on Sunday. Please welcome to the Late Show. Teyana Taylor. Beautiful, beautiful. Hey, so nice to meet you. Nice to have you on. You are off to a busy 2026.
Teyana Taylor
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Okay. Critics choice, Golden Globe Award. Got a Grammy nomination. Just got back from the baftas and you still have the Oscars next month. Is this all, is this all a bit of a blur or is it just workaday for you?
Teyana Taylor
No, you know, chill, calm.
Stephen Colbert
Has it been like the coolest moment? Have you gotten to meet some fun people?
Teyana Taylor
It's the most amazing. I'm like, just filled with so much gratitude. I don't even know what to do with myself. My cheeks hurt because I'm just always smiling and just, always, just so happy. I'm very happy right now.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, that's good.
Teyana Taylor
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah. Well, you deserve it. You recently attended an Oscars luncheon for all the nominees and you managed to set the Internet aflame with this photo of you and Jacob Elordi right there.
Teyana Taylor
Do you. Oh, my God.
Stephen Colbert
Do you know how many people were jealous of both of you in this photograph? How'd this come about?
Teyana Taylor
It's crazy because we were really actually having a mullet war.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, I see he does have a little bit of shag.
Teyana Taylor
In the background. Made that, like, it was so sexy to them. But for us, I was just like. We were going mullet for mullet. Wow.
Stephen Colbert
Who won? Who won the mullet war?
Teyana Taylor
I think it was a tie.
Stephen Colbert
Okay.
Teyana Taylor
But I had, like, a little flip in the back. But then I realized in the video, he had a little flip in the back. So I was like, okay, gotta be a tie. First I thought mine was better, but then we both had a flip in the back.
Stephen Colbert
Okay, this is an important question. Who are you taking as your date to the Oscars?
Teyana Taylor
Ooh. It's been a little controversial, you know, because my Nana wants to go. But my mom also was like, uh, uh, girl, I called my dibs. I said, I'm going.
Stephen Colbert
So you have to choose between your mother and your grandmother.
Teyana Taylor
I wasn't trying to be in that kind of smoke. So I just went and bought everybody tickets. So I got everybody tickets. They both got tickets.
Stephen Colbert
All right. Okay. That's important. Yes, that's important.
Teyana Taylor
Cause you want. I was not telling Nana she couldn't go.
Stephen Colbert
Well, you can't say your mother can't go, but you also can't say to your mom you can't go.
Teyana Taylor
But then my mom can say to her mom that she can't go.
Stephen Colbert
All right, so she takes you back.
Teyana Taylor
You know what I'm saying? Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
So I was like, all this acclaim is so well earned. You gave an incredible performance as Perfidia Beverly Hills in one battle after another. Can you tell the people a little bit about who Perfidia is and the role she plays in this film?
Teyana Taylor
Yeah, I think Perfidia is very complex. You know, Perfidia has a lot of layers, and I think a lot of her layers are color coordinated. That's what I chose to do with her character. I wanted to color coordinate her layers, you know? But, you know, this is a woman who is unapologetically herself. Um, of course selfish at times, uh, but for. For whatever good reason she feel like that is, you know, but she is also coming from the pressures of being. From coming from a long line of revolutionaries, you know, And I think that's a lot of pressure for a person that feel like, you know, they need to carry that on so it becomes her identity, you know? And I think throughout her journey of trying to figure that out, then we have motherhood, and, you know, things get tough because you have postpartum depression. And it's just. It's a lot. It's a lot. And I think a lot of what we see in Perfidia is her being in survival mode and navigating all these different things, like navigating her faith walk, you know, as she go through everything that she's going through.
Stephen Colbert
The character is very physical. I mean, fierce and physical. There's a long stretch in the film when she's just running everywhere. Did you know when you took the job that it was basically gonna be track and field?
Teyana Taylor
I didn't know.
Stephen Colbert
At what point did he break into you?
Teyana Taylor
I didn't know he broke into me on set, you know, like, I think it was, like the day before. Let me tell you how Paul talk. He likes to throw it in. He's like, yeah, you know, we'll do a little running. I'm like, okay, cool. A little running. Boo, boo, boo, boo. And then we get to set, and it's a whole lot of running.
Stephen Colbert
It's like, no, you're dead out running. Not a little like you're running.
Teyana Taylor
Let me explain something to y'.
Stephen Colbert
All.
Teyana Taylor
Y' all see from here to here, it's like you're gonna run all the way, and then you're gonna come all the way back, and then you're gonna do it again. It's not like, oh, let's just do a little pickup. It's like you literally run. And that was just one of the runs. Y' all see me running there twice, Maybe three, four, five, six times. But the two main ones, you see me, like, running down by myself. But then the police chase.
Stephen Colbert
Mm.
Teyana Taylor
It was like eight blocks.
Commercial Announcer
Yes. Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Back and forth and back and forth. Like, you know, sprints in middle school,
Teyana Taylor
I just knew we was gonna fight at some point. I said, I need five minutes with you. Five minutes. Lock the door, throw your hands, because this is crazy.
Stephen Colbert
You were gonna throw hands with Paul Thomas?
Teyana Taylor
I was gonna throw hands with Paul Thomas.
Stephen Colbert
You could take him. I've never met him. Is he a big guy?
Teyana Taylor
You know what? Paul is the greatest. You would just get to Paul and be like, you know what? I don't want to fight you.
Stephen Colbert
I do. I do want to. I've never met the guy. I know he doesn't do interviews, but I don't have to do it on camera. I just want to talk to him. I got so many questions about this film. It's such an incredible film. I saw things in there I've never seen before. Fantastic performances, but also just the way the film was shot.
Teyana Taylor
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Stuff I'd never seen, not even in other Paul Thomas Anderson films.
Commercial Announcer
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
That's me buttering up Paul Thomas Anderson. So he'll talk to me even off camera. We have to take a quick break. We're right back with more Teyana Taylor. Everybody, stick around.
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Stephen Colbert
Hey, everybody. We're back with the star of one battle after another, Teyana Taylor. We have a clip here. Okay, we have a clip here. It's your voice. What's going on here?
Teyana Taylor
That is a letter. It is a letter that Pofidia writes to Willa. And honestly, it's my favorite part of Pofidia's character. Um, you. You hear everything that has happened in the last 16 years. You hear regret, you hear fear, but you also hear freedom. You hear just all of the things that she's been through, and you also hear accountability. And I think I wanted to hear that from Pofidia. So when I hear. You know, when I said the letter, I just thought it was really amazing for Pofidia to have that moment because it's so real, even to everybody in the crowd. It's like, are you happy? Do you have love? Will you try and change the world? Like, it just hit heavy for me. Like, I was really crying when I. When I read the letter out loud, because they're very important questions and questions that I ask my babies, you know, like, are you happy? Do you feel like you have love? The best love? How can. How can I be better? How can whoever. How can anybody in your circle, in your life, in your world be better? You know, and I'm very affectionate, so I'm very big on just pouring into the people that I love. So, you know, that letter was something else.
Stephen Colbert
Well, let's take a listen.
Teyana Taylor
Yvonne, are you happy? Do you have love? What will you do when you get older? Will you try and change the world like I did? We failed. But maybe you will not. Maybe you will be the one who puts the world right. I think of you every single day.
Stephen Colbert
Every single day.
Teyana Taylor
And I wish I had been strong
Stephen Colbert
for the both of us.
Teyana Taylor
I know someday when it's right and it's safe, you'll find me. Please send a kiss to your dad, my ghetto pet. Love, your mom, Gravity. Thank you, thank you,
Stephen Colbert
Thank you. Now, you've been working since you were a teen. Choreographer, singer, dancer, actor. You're gonna direct soon.
Commercial Announcer
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
But I understand you've also enrolled in culinary school.
Teyana Taylor
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
What do you love about cooking? I'm curious.
Teyana Taylor
It make me shut up.
Stephen Colbert
Oh. Like, inside, too.
Teyana Taylor
It's like, yeah. I'm able to shut everything off and just cook. It's always been therapeutic for me, but I think right now, with everything that I have going on, it brings me normalcy, and it just brings quiet because the kids be so busy ready to eat that it makes them be quiet.
Stephen Colbert
How old are you?
Teyana Taylor
Nobody's just quiet and ready to eat.
Stephen Colbert
How old are these kids?
Teyana Taylor
Five and ten.
Stephen Colbert
And they'll eat. Like, if Mom's making something adventurous, they'll eat it.
Teyana Taylor
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
They don't insist on sleeping.
Teyana Taylor
Their palate is way more open than mine because I'm a creature of habit. Like, once I made palm puree myself.
Stephen Colbert
Is that like mashed potatoes?
Teyana Taylor
Yes, but like, palm puree make mashed potato look ghetto. It's like now when I go in a restaurant, I'd be like, could I have palm puree? They like, ma', am, we have mash.
Stephen Colbert
Yes. You know, so is it the ratio of butter to potato that makes the difference?
Teyana Taylor
Oh, my God, yes. And it's just so. So it just. It melts in your mouth. It's amazing. It's so good. And I make it all the time, and we never get tired of it. So now I just be feeling like, bougetto, bougie and ghetto.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, Bougetto, Bougetto.
Teyana Taylor
I feel bouget.
Stephen Colbert
Well, thank you so much for being here. So lovely to meet you.
Teyana Taylor
I appreciate you.
Stephen Colbert
One Battle After Another is available to stream on hbo. Max. Teyana Taylor, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.
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Teyana Taylor
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Date: February 26, 2026
Guest: Teyana Taylor
This episode of The Late Show Pod Show features host Stephen Colbert in conversation with Grammy and Oscar-nominated singer and actress Teyana Taylor, fresh off her BAFTA win for her performance in "One Battle After Another." The discussion covers Teyana’s whirlwind awards season, her approach to her complex lead role, memorable on-set moments, her passions outside entertainment, and the grounding force of her family and cooking—a rich, lively discussion punctuated by Stephen’s signature humor.
Recap and Satire on Recent Political Events
Colbert skewers the recent State of the Union, referencing lackluster reviews and making satirical asides about missing Epstein files linked to Trump.
Commentary on AI and its Risks
Stephen raises concerns about AI's enormous power consumption and military interest in AI for war games:
Recognition and Gratitude
Teyana discusses how surreal and gratifying her trajectory has been:
Oscars Luncheon and Viral Photo with Jacob Elordi
Teyana recounts her viral moment with Jacob Elordi:
Family as Oscars Dates
When asked who she’ll bring to the Oscars, Teyana shares:
Character Study: Perfidia Beverly Hills
Teyana delves into the complexity of her role:
The Physical Demands: "A Whole Lot of Running"
On the strenuous filming:
Praise for Director Paul Thomas Anderson
Discussion of their rapport and admiration for his unique filmmaking style:
On Pofidia’s Letter — Emotional Resonance
Teyana describes why the scene hits so deeply:
Clip Excerpt:
Therapeutic Nature of Cooking
On why she enrolled in culinary school:
Teaching Her Kids to Be Adventurous Eaters
Stephen Colbert:
Teyana Taylor:
| Segment | Timestamps | |---------|------------| | Colbert Monologue: State of the Union/Epstein/AI | 01:00–12:08 | | Teyana Taylor interview (Part 1: Awards, viral moments) | 13:18–15:44 | | Role in "One Battle After Another" | 15:45–18:51 | | The Powerful Letter Scene | 19:46–22:19 | | On Culinary School and Family | 22:31–23:55 |
This episode is a vibrant mix of sharp political comedy, thoughtful cultural commentary, and a heartfelt, laughter-filled conversation with an artist at the height of her powers. Teyana Taylor offers insight into her craft and personal life rarely heard elsewhere, making this an engaging listen for fans and new audiences alike.