Teyana Taylor Channels Her Inner Angela Bassett in High-Energy ‘SNL’ Hosting Promo
Teyana Taylor is gearing up for her debut as a host on Saturday Night Live in 2026. To kick off the excitement, the multi-talented star delivered a stunningly accurate tribute to a cinematic classic, channeling the legendary Angela Bassett in a hilarious new teaser.
In the promo clip released Wednesday (Jan. 21), the A Thousand and One actress shares the screen with SNL cast member Ashley Padilla. The sketch begins with Padilla jokingly lamenting the physical toll of trying to replicate Taylor’s high-octane choreography from Kanye West’s 2016 “Fade” music video. “Why are you hitting the floor so hard?” Taylor quips, watching the comedian struggle through the iconic moves.
The mood shifts dramatically when Padilla receives a text revealing that fellow cast member Andrew Dismukes has pilfered the chicken parmesan she was saving in the communal fridge. Taylor immediately transitions into full “Bassett mode,” declaring with cinematic intensity, “He is going to regret touching that parm.”
The teaser then cuts to Taylor flawlessly recreating the iconic 1995 Waiting to Exhale sequence. Clad in a silk robe and nightgown, and backed by a dramatic score, she ransacks Dismukes’ office, tossing his belongings into a car before setting them ablaze—a direct nod to Bernadine’s legendary act of revenge in the original film.
“This man is psychotic,” she cries out, perfectly capturing Bassett’s signature vocal delivery. “Bernadine, you didn’t deserve this!”
Taylor is set to take the Studio 8H stage this Saturday (Jan. 24), with the band Geese serving as the night’s musical guest. Her appearance follows the show’s 2026 return last week, which featured host Finn Wolfhard and a musical performance by A$AP Rocky.
Check out the full promo below to see Taylor’s impeccable transformation before the episode airs this weekend.
