NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 09: Actress Teyonah Parris attends the U.S. premiere of ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ during the 56th New York Film Festival at The Apollo Theater on October 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

Since the cancellation of Survivor’s Remorse, Teyonah Parris hasn’t been in the spotlight much. But all of that is about to change with the release of If Beale Street Could Talk this fall. The cast of the film adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel is just beginning its press rounds for the Barry Jenkins-directed drama which hits theaters November 30. And already, Ms. Parris, who plays the role of Ernestine Rivers, is serving up lewks.

For the U.S. premiere of the movie during the New York Film Festival two nights ago, Teyonah rocked this glorious natural updo at the Apollo theater. The magnificence of the hairstyle took us back to that first look of Teyonah’s at the 2013 Sag Awards that made us all fall in love with her and her hair.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 09: Actress Teyonah Parris attends the U.S. premiere of ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ during the 56th New York Film Festival at The Apollo Theater on October 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

Tish Celestine, also known as Ms. Tish, is the stylist responsible for this updo. The hair technician/follicle specialist/beauty expert is the founder of LaBelle Boutique and she’s also styled some of our favorite looks on Kelly Rowland, Danielle Brooks, and our very own Listen to Black Women co-host Africa Miranda. We should also mention makeup artist Regina (@genne9902) who’s responsible for Teyonah’s flawless face and stylist Thomas Carter Phillips who smartly dressed her in this vintage pink Saint Laurent dress with 1950’s diamond knot spray earrings, a ruby and diamond wave bracelet, an Art Deco diamond filigree ring and a pair of diamond and ruby snake rings all from Fred Leighton.

If this is how Teyonah is starting things off, we can’t wait to see what’s to come on her next red carpets.

Source: Getty / Getty

It seems like Hollywood is slowly stepping into the realization that representation is not only important, it can actually make them some money if done properly. And they’re doubling down on it. This time, it looks like the casting or expounding of Marvel Universe characters.

First, there’s Tessa Thompson. Marvel fans out there know that Thompson has had a recurring role in the Thor films as Valkyrie. She will assume become the new King of Asgard, the land in which they live. According to Entertainment Weekly, Thompson shared an interesting tidbit about her character’s arc during Comic-Con. Thompson said of the upcoming film, Thor: Love and Thunder, “First of all, as new King [of Asgard], she needs to find her queen, so that will be her first order of business. She has some ideas. Keep you posted.”

While people close to the project have said that they’re not sure how Valkyrie’s sexual preferences and love life will affect the story, it was important that it be included.

This exploration into Valkyrie’s love life is not a deviation from the comics, in which she was bisexual. And interestingly, this was not the first time Marvel toyed with including this fact in one of the Thor films. In Thor Ragnarok, there was a scene that showed a woman sneaking out of Valkyrie’s room. But it was cut from the film. Instead, the studio decided to showcase Valkyrie flirting with Thor. But we’ve seen that before.

This development would make Valkyrie Marvel’s first openly gay character.

Also during Comic-Con Teyonah Parris, known for her roles in “Mad Men,” “Dear White People,” and If Beale Street Could Talk has been cast as Monica Rambeau in Wandavision, a new Marvel series for Disney +.

According to Shadow and Act, Parris will star alongside Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as the heroes in the new series.

Fans online have been lobbying for Parris to be cast as Rambeau or Storm for a while now. Rambeau is the second Captain Marvel and is known by several names. Her character, who has the power to manipulate and generate energy, appeared as a child in the 2019 Captain Marvel film as the daughter of Carol Danver’s friend, Maria Rambeau, played by Lashana Lynch She has the power to manipulate and generate energy. The series will take place after the events of the Captain Marvel film which took place in 1995.

While the announcement has only been made about the series thus far, Shadow and Act predicts that she will appear in several Marvel projects, including films, in the future, including a movie of her own.

Exciting times.

Source: Araya Diaz / Getty

Teyonah Parris just keeps the natural hair style slayage coming.

This time around, the newly cemented Marvel star, gave us another enviable glam look as she hit the Comic-Con Festival in San Diego, California. Parris was all smiles as she strolled on stage for a panel during the day, and rocked a sultry look to evening events with her hair coiffed into a loose curly textured bob.

“This was pretty much letting the world know that [Teyonah] was going to be a Black superhero for Marvel,” Parris’ hairstylist Richard Norman Grant told Madame Noire. “So, it was a huge moment.” It was a moment so big that her glam squad didn’t know the news until right before she left the room for a Comic-Con panel, where Marvel exec Kevin Feige revealed that Teyonah Parris would be starring as Monica Rambeau from Captain Marvel in the new series WandaVision.

“They kept it very secret, and she told us right before she went downstairs to the panel,” Grant continued. “That was super overwhelming. And I was like, this is huge. It was very cool.”

Although Norman styled Parris’ day for Comic-Con, it was the perfect look for the announcement too. “Her character has similar hair,” he continued. “It’s pretty much like an afrocentric natural style. So, it coordinated with her actual character and adventures.”

The Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist, who has worked with the likes of Eve, Kim Fields, and Tamala Jones, gave us the lowdown on how he styled Parris’s hair and the products he used to slay it.

Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty

Teyonah Parris is hair goals. Ever since the former Man Men actress hit the Sag Awards red carpet rocking her natural hair in an ornate pompadour in 2013, people haven’t been able to get over her afro and protective style choices. The volume, the healthy sheen, it’s something plenty of people would love to covet.

But Teyonah made it clear on her Instagram this week that before she was on everyone’s Pinterest “hair ideas” board, she like everyone else, was trying to figure out her natural hair, too. It was a frustrating process.

Posting images of herself getting her hair steamed, treated and blown out, as well as old photos of her with a perm, she shared what it took for her to get her hair to this luxurious point. She also talked about not putting heat on her head often and only letting people who are knowledgeable about her 4-level texture “and have a passion and love for nurturing natural hair” touch her strands.

“I dont like putting heat on my hair often. Usually only a light blow dry for a trim or a braid down. In the past I would relax my hair every 3 weeks. Then I moved to wearing my natural hair and only flat ironing once a year but even that I dont do regularly anymore,” she said.

“I didn’t always have the know how and it took years of learning, tears of frustration, practicing, and fruitlessly following YouTube tutorials of women whose hair texture was nothing like my own before I would truly love every kink, nap, and curl that adorned my head,” she added. “That brought me to a place called- HERE!”

“I’m grateful for the transitioning of not only the way I wore my hair but the transitioning and evolution of my thoughts, my mind,” she continued. “The way I viewed beauty. My own beauty. Stepping out of the very narrow box that trapped my self worth and opening up to a definition of beauty that allowed me, in my natural state, to include my own image as significant and worthy and beautiful- just as God created me.”
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Self Care Sunday . I dont like putting heat on my hair often. Usually only a light blow dry for a trim or a braid down. In the past I would relax my hair every 3 weeks. Then I moved to wearing my natural hair and only flat ironing once a year but even that I dont do regularly anymore. Generally my hair is in a protective style and I'm very particular to only allow folk who are knowledgeable with my texture and have a passion and love for nurturing natural hair. . I didn't always have the know how and it took years of learning, tears of frustration, practicing, and fruitlessly following YouTube tutorials of women whose hair texture was nothing like my own before I would truly love every kink, nap, and curl that adorned my head. That brought me to a place called- HERE! . I'm grateful for the transitioning of not only the way I wore my hair but the transitioning and evolution of my thoughts, my mind. The way I viewed beauty. My own beauty. Stepping out of the very narrow box that trapped my self worth and opening up to a definition of beauty that allowed me, in my natural state, to include my own image as significant and worthy and beautiful- just as God created me. . Here's to a new week of more loving, more growing, and more acceptance. . . Stylist- @thenaturalsparks

A post shared by Teyonah Parris (@teyonahparris) on Sep 29, 2019 at 3:06pm PDT

As you can see, her regimen and overall appreciation of her hair has helped it to flourish to amazing levels:

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Bout that life.

A post shared by Teyonah Parris (@teyonahparris) on Oct 1, 2019 at 5:27am PDT

If you’d like to see how far Teyonah’s hair has come over the years, and the unique, fresh ways she’s cared for it, hit the flip:

Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty

It’s not easy to always  be on point in Hollywood. Virtually anybody can look their best on a red carpet — if they want to — but these women here have managed to keep their manes perfectly coiffed whether they’re going to an event, chilling on the beach, or picking up groceries up the block. They know the hairstyles that work for them and whenever they switch up their styles it’s a win. Here are the celebrity women who we’ve never seen have a bad hair day.

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Felicia Leatherwood is one busy woman. The celebrity hairstylist, who is based out of LA, stays with heads in her chair. “It gets so crazy!” she tells me, and she’s not kidding. Leatherwood is often so busy perfecting coifs for her clientele that she was actually doing hair while we were having our interview. But that’s what happens when your work goes viral and you’re the go-to hair guru for the likes of naturalistas like Ava DuVernay, Teyonah Parris and Jill Scott. We chatted about how she linked up with DuVernay, what magic she’ll work on the director’s hair for today’s Oscars, and how having locs and natural hair in general on the red carpet impacts women trying to embrace their hair abroad. Leatherwood is taking part in the fourth annual Natural Hair Academy expo in Paris, which takes places on March 21. She’s looking to teach everyone, from celebrities to everyday women with limited access to products and natural hair knowledge, how to love and manage their hair.

How She Connected With Ava DuVernay

There’s a young lady named Teyonah Parris. I did her hair a couple years ago when she was on the SAG Awards red carpet. It was a natural hairstyle. It went viral and people knew me from doing Jill Scott, but they really started seeing what else I could do with that hairstyle. It was a sculpted updo. Ava admired that and we met at a dinner, and she was like, “Oh my God, you’re Felicia! I want you to do my hair.” I said “sure.” We were introduced by Afrobella. That’s how it came about. But she knew me from my work with Teyonnah, basically.

What She Has Planned For Ava On Oscar Sunday

That’s a good question. I make this stuff up as I go. I don’t always have a plan for the hair. I kind of just let my ancestors guide my fingers and my creativity and just come up with stuff. I love doing natural hair, so for me, it’s just about being creative and letting that part of me come out when I’m working the hair. It’s something that just kind of happens.

What Seeing Natural Hair On The Red Carpet Means To Her

At the end of the day, I want people to be comfortable with whatever they’re wearing. If it’s natural, I want them to love it. If it’s straight, love it. You gotta just own your hair. But the opportunity I get as a hairstylist is to create something based on what’s already beautiful about you, but just put more of that out there. I’m proud to be a part of that process. I love working with Ava. I have a lot of fun because she’s not just natural, she has locs. You don’t often get a chance to see locs showcased in a way where people start taking notice and saying, “Wow, I might want my hair locked as well!” Locs are becoming a big thing right now, which is really interesting. But people like Ava, in being able to do her hair and show how beautiful locs can be, and look, and how professional and glamorous they are–it’s making people rethink what locs originally were.

The Number One Hair Question She Always Gets

It’s all about moisture. That’s the biggest thing. A lot of people don’t know what their hair is supposed to feel like. Some people’s hair is supposed to feel dry. That’s what it is. You can soften it when it’s wet, but once it’s dry…you have to understand our lineage: Who we are as a people, African people, the region in which we originated is hot. If you have straight hair in heat that’s like 105, 108, 109 degree weather, your hair would burn off. They had to have this hair in order to protect themselves. We’re not used to that because things have changed a lot for us. We think we need to have everybody else’s hair. You need to have your own hair and make sure you’re treating that the best possible way. The best way to treat your hair is to put things in your body that help the hair survive and grow and be strong. The best way you can treat your hair is to not be stressed out. Yoga helps the hair to grow! All the oxygen that gets to flow in the body is what gets the blood to flow to stimulate more hair growth. Drinking water is important. And I think a lot of times, people talk about their hair being dry, and I think it’s because they don’t have all those elements together. Some people are supposed to naturally have dry hair depending on their texture or curl. Other people? You can always put something on it. But a lot of times, I have women who have tried every product under the sun and still have dry hair. And when I feel their hair, it’s the kind of dry that’s supposed to be natural. It’s not the kind of dry that I feel like, “Okay, something is wrong here.” I know what that feels like. There’s a way that your hair should feel naturally that I think women need to be introduced to.

On Traveling Around The World Teaching About Natural Hair

What I do is I travel around and do events like the Natural Hair Academy, and I show women what their hair is supposed to feel like. I let them know that it’s okay where it’s at right now. There’s nothing wrong with your hair.

How She Got Involved With The Natural Hair Academy

About four years ago, women in Europe started asking me to conduct workshops. So I decided to go overseas and bring the knowledge we have here, there in person. I started in London, and then Chimole [Williams], who I’ve been working with for a while, and I like her a lot, she introduced me to the Paris group and said “Hey, they need your help over here. Women are asking about you over in Paris. Would you be interested?” And I said “sure.”

We have access to a lot here in the States. So when you start traveling outside of the States, it’s not the same thing. I try to take my knowledge to other places, and be there firsthand so people can come and consult with me and find out about their hair. I teach them product knowledge. I teach them which products are the best for their texture of curl. And I love going over to Europe and feeding that market. The women there, they’re more engaged and more appreciative of the fact that I traveled. They show up in droves. The Natural Hair Academy is very successful, and every year it has been successful. It’s grown leaps and bounds from the first time I ever worked with them.

The Lack Of Access To Products For Black Naturalistas Abroad

That’s the problem. Getting these products out to these women in other places. I go to Africa, I go to Europe, and they just don’t have access. Brazil does not allow our products to come over into their country. There are a few brands that have gotten there, but it’s not easy. You might have women in Brazil asking me how they get the products that I mention. There are people in the Caribbean trying to get a hold of products. So the natural movement is slowly growing, but it’s not as dominant as it is here for us. You can walk up the street and get what you need here, but they go through a lot. Especially when you even talk about Africa. Ordering? By the time it goes through customs and everything gets filled out, it’s like, “Wow.” Their money is spent and they don’t always get what they ask for. I’ve been going back and forth there as well. It’s a whole different thing, including in Nigeria. I’ll be there in May to train some of the stylists there about natural hair.

What She Wants Frustrated New Naturalistas To Know

Women who are struggling and having a hard time, there are three things they need to do: If they’re going to follow someone on YouTube, they should follow someone who has a texture like theirs! You have to. If you’re looking at a woman like Tracee Ellis Ross’s hair and wanting that, but your texture is more like Lupita’s hair, that’s not reasonable. You’re defeating your purpose. Both those women have gorgeous hair, but you need to follow someone whose hair is more on the level of what you have.

The other thing that they need to do is find out where the next natural hair show or meetup is in their town and go to those meetups. You can connect with women who definitely have hair that’s similar. Find out where they go and who does their hair and see if there’s a natural hairstylist in the area that can help assist someone who’s transitioning.

And they need to have a friend who is natural. And to tell them that you need support because you’re trying to do this thing but you just don’t know what to do and you’re having a hard time and you’re ready to give up. If you let somebody know that before doing it, they will help you, because they want you to hang in there. Being natural for a lot of women is not only about, “Oh I’m wearing my hair natural.” It’s also representing that I’m accepting who I really am and I’m loving it. That’s important for any woman of any shade or color to get–love for self. We grew up with a lot of self-doubt and self-esteem issues from some childhood and teenage years. So to become a woman and finally be in a position to say, “I’m feeling beautiful about what I have” is a big, big deal. So I encourage them to talk to someone who has done the journey and has been successful with it.

BET Black Girls Rock! 2016 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Arrivals
Featuring: TEYONAH PARRIS
Where: NEWARK, New Jersey, United States
When: 01 Apr 2016
Credit: Derrick Salters/WENN.com

Teyonah Parris has been giving us hair goals ever since she stepped on her first red carpet and we don’t even know how to begin to thank Allure for getting the tea on how the Mad Men actress who is slated to play the lead role in the upcoming TV One movie, The Miki Howard Story, not only maintains her beautiful mane but retains such healthy glowing skin as well.

Here’s her routine with the most important bits in bold (you’re welcome):

Hair

“When I’m filming, I keep my hair in cornrows so that they can fit a wig on top of my hair. To care for my braids, I get an empty water bottle and mix up some leave-in conditioner, two drops of argan oil, 15 drops of peppermint oil, 15 drops of tea tree oil, and a little bit of the Anu Essentials Golden Blossom Hair Oil, and spray that concoction on my braids every morning and night. It keeps my hair moisturized and cared for so it doesn’t dry out and break.”

“When I’m not filming, I pretty much do the same thing. I try to keep my hair in protective styles, like twists or braids, and I always use my little concoction. And then if I do a twist-out, I love coconut oil. If I want to just add shine and moisture right before I go out, I just fluff it out and add a bunch of coconut oil, because it’s not greasy and my hair absorbs it. It adds the best shine. After that, I’ll add some of the Thank God Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer for Natural Hair. It’s amazing, and my hair really loves it. It keeps it nice and soft.”

Skin

“When I’m filming I have an intense routine, because we’re in heavy makeup for 15 hours plus, and it’s really important to try to get it all off. I start with Cetaphil Antibacterial Gentle Cleansing Bar just to get the first couple of layers off my face. Then I use Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser. It’s hilarious how I came to use that; I actually use that stuff for my sweat band around my stomach. You know, I slather that on my stomach and then put the sweat band on, and then I go work out. And then one day, I ran out of makeup remover, and I looked at my Albolene, and then realized it was actually pretty good at removing makeup. Then I use a liquid eye-makeup remover for all my eye makeup, and I switch over to the Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. After that, I wipe everything off with a makeup-remover wipe. Finally, I use the Unique Face Options Derma Pore Cleanser.”

“When that makeup is on you, it’s just sitting there, getting deeper and deeper. When I’m not working, I’ll just do the Bioré cleanser and one more cleanser. Every two or three days, I’ll do the Unique Face Options Special Clay Mask to try and really draw out everything.”

Who’s headed to Sephora tonight to pick up a few things?

Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty

Teyonah Parris is expecting her first child — and married!

The 34-year-old WandaVision actress shared her pregnancy is five months along in a recent interview with PEOPLE. 

Since Teyonah has kept fairly private about her romantic life throughout her career, the disclosure that she is married also comes as happy news.

The actress expressed she was “flooded with so many emotions and excitement” when she saw her positive pregnancy test.

“I was definitely surprised and a bit shocked. But I was only surprised because we’ve been trying for a while and had not had any success,” she told the outlet. “I used the Clearblue Pregnancy Test, so the fact that it clearly stated ‘pregnant,’ there was no confusion this go round. So that was exciting.”

Teyonah revealed the big news to her husband James when she made a “little gift box and put the pregnancy test in there along with some other little first-time dad goodies.”

“And he just started screaming — he was just very emotional and excited and we were crying and just really, really happy,”  she said about his reaction.

Teyonah Parris’ pregnancy announcement

“We’re pregnant!! Whooooo chiiile!! I’m so excited to share that we have a baby on the way,” The Marvels actress told her over 408,000 Instagram followers on Sept. 8. “There have been so many feelings since we’ve learned that our dream of becoming parents is finally a reality. My husband, James, and I have felt a mix of shock, lots of nerves, but most of all so much excitement! Seeing the word PREGNANT was such an amazing feeling! We are so blessed and so grateful.”

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A post shared by Teyonah Parris (@teyonahparris)

The expectant mother received congratulatory messages from Lena Waithe, Tika Sumpter, Yvonne Orji, Niecy Nash, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Naturi Naughton and many more.

We are so excited for Teyonah and James. We wish them the best through her pregnancy and their loving union.

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