Aahana Swrup
The Paul Thomas Anderson directorial film ‘One Battle After Another’ presents a narrative populated with a variety of interesting and intriguing characters. Father-daughter duo Bob Ferguson and Willa are at the center of the narrative. The former is an ex-revolutionary who is living low in civilian life to hide from the consequences of his past life. Nonetheless, his best attempts prove to be for naught when someone from his past, Colonel Steven Lockjaw, tracks him down in search of his daughter. The source of the military man’s pursuit of the young girl stems from the past he once shared with her mother, Perfidia. Although the latter character remains missing in action for much of the film, her early presence and subsequent absence become a defining aspect of the story. In fact, one of the most visually fascinating scenes in the movies revolves around Teyana Taylor’s character as she handles a firearm while in the third trimester of her pregnancy.
Teyana Taylor Wore a Fake Belly to Achieve Perfidia’s Pregnant Appearance
In ‘One Battle After Another,’ Perfidia occupies a narrative center stage at the start of the story. She’s a young revolutionary who is one of the leading members of French 75. Under her leadership, the leftist militant group execute many organized attacks and rescue missions with a particular focus on the liberation of people trapped in immigration camps. This dedication to the cause remains well and alive even once the revolutionary becomes pregnant with her first child. Even so, the pregnancy brings a new dimension to her characterization, particularly her relationship with Bob, or as he’s known at that point in the story, Pat. Consequently, Perfidia’s pregnancy becomes integral to her characterization and storytelling.
Actress Teyana Taylor, who portrays Perfidia’s character, was not pregnant in real life during the shooting of ‘One Battle After Another.’ Instead, a prosthetic, namely a fake belly, was used to create the visual element of Perfidia’s on-screen pregnancy. This look went on to inform the foundation identity of the film, heavily utilized in promotional material and even the film’s poster. In fact, on Halloween 2025, Taylor recreated the look, dressing up as her character from the instrumental scene in the movie. Within the story itself, Perfidia’s experience with the pregnancy and the role of motherhood that follows afterward presents a grounding narrative for the character.
As a mother of two daughters, this arc for her character, including her experience with postpartum depression, was something Taylor could relate to and empathize with. “It was dope to bring Perfidia to life because I’ve been in that space before,” The actress told Vogue. “I’ve been in survival mode. I knew what that looked like. I’m a mom of two, so I can sympathize. I love that Paul was able to bring awareness to a woman’s mental health after giving birth. Everybody handles things differently. The way Perfidia handled it may not be the way that I would have handled it in real life, but who are you to tell a woman how to handle her postpartum depression?”
Read More: Where Was One Battle After Another Filmed?
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