‘A Thousand and One’ is Teyana Taylor’s answered prayer: ' I just have to stop and give thanks '
Credit: EEW Magazine Online
In pulpits across America, pastors are often heard quoting the longtime adage that “God may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time.” If they’re in need of a witness, Teyana Taylor would surely testify.
“I just have random, random times of the day that I just have to stop and give thanks and give praise because this is everything I prayed for. And I had really long conversations with God and Him making me understand that the wait was not punishment; it was preparation,” explained the “A Thousand and One” actor.
“A Thousand and One,” the grand jury prize winner at Sundance this year, is A.V. Rockwell’s debt feature film. It follows a young New York City woman named Inez (Taylor) and her 6-year-old son, Terry, played by three actors at different ages, following her release from Rikers Island jail in 1994.
These image released by Focus Features show Teyana Taylor in scenes from "A Thousand and One." (Focus Features via EEW Magazine Online)
Inez takes her child from foster care without permission, and the movie tracks their ups, downs and hardships living in a tough and changing New York without much help, all while keep a low profile. But as Terry nears high school graduation, an explosive secret threatens to upend his entire world — and his relationship with his mom.
Known for her fashion, choreography and crafting R&B hits like “Gonna Love Me (Remix)” and “Morning,” Taylor, a former Ye (Kanye West) collaborator, shockingly announced her retirement from music in 2021 after feeling unappreciated by the industry. With all the acclaim and attention, it might be unimaginable to think of anyone else in the lead role, but she was far from a shoo-in, with only small roles or guest TV and film credits.
“She gave me the chance,” said Taylor about the writer of the film, Rockwell.
A New York native from Jamaica, Queens, Rockwell grew up loving films by fellow New Yorkers Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese. After studying filmmaking at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she cut her teeth on short films.
“What got me up every day that I worked on this movie for the years that I did is how I wanted to reach people, heal people, connect people to each other. So, this signifies all of that and I’m very, very thankful for it,” said Rockwell.
Taylor is currently in the early stages of prepping to star in Dionne Warwick’s biopic, handpicked by the legendary songstress herself. She also says making music again isn’t out of the question, stating it’s still her first love.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
