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Teyana Taylor Will Prepare Thanksgiving Meal by Herself
Seems like a homemade holiday is the only way to make memories — “I don’t ever want to see a caterer for Thanksgiving”
Teyana Taylor states that she will be the one cooking in the kitchen this Thanksgiving and thus she is rejecting the idea of a caterer in order to spend the holiday cooking with family and friends. “That is the only thing that I just cannot do,” the 34-year-old said to E! News at ELLE’s Women in Hollywood Celebration, where she was honored along with Jennifer Aniston, Emily Blunt and Hailee Steinfeld.
In her statement, Taylor pointed out that her involvement in the preparation is a way of being with others: through cooking she gets to “see them, feel them, laugh with them and create new memories,” she said, not making a judgment of those who take the help of a caterer.
Teyana Taylor is handling Thanksgiving on her own — now learning culinary arts
Culinary school student, she is making turkey, ham, sides, and Cajun pasta for her kids
Teyana Taylor announced that she is taking Thanksgiving by the horns herself — and as a result, she is refining her skills in culinary school. “I’m cooking everything,” the 34‑year‑old said, while enumerating turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, collard greens, candied yams and baked macaroni and cheese as part of the feast.
For her daughters Iman “Junie,” 9, and Rue Rose, 5, she added a dish that the family loves — “My kids love Cajun pasta, so I have to make Cajun pasta.” Taylor, who is with the girls by ex-husband Iman Shumpert, said that cooking the holiday meal is about love and making memories.
Teyana Taylor thankful for her first Grammy nomination
It is the latest Teyana Taylor studio album Escape Room that got her a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album, and the very first moment was so special — if a little bit awkward. “When I first heard, I had on a Korean facial mask, so I couldn’t move my face,” she told E!. With the mask on and therefore unable to move her face, she only got really upset when her grandma started praying and speaking in tongues: “I literally cried my mask off.”
Taylor mentioned that the news could be shared with her family through a call, then they could all pray, cry, and laugh together which is what made the moment most precious to her. “Being able to call my family and pray, be happy, cry, laugh, all of the things — that’s enough for me,” she added.
Some of the hottest movies and TV episodes to help you celebrate the holiday season.
Friends
The iconic NBC sitcom is notorious for its annual Thanksgiving episodes, delivering 10 almost perfect holiday installments in its 10 years run. It’s nearly impossible to single out the best one (and we’ve done the ranking to prove it), so we’re going to pick three instead.
It is worth mentioning season five’s “The One With All the Thanksgivings” mainly for the charming flashbacks and the very first “I love you” between Chandler and Monica (who, of course, has a turkey on her head).
How about a season six’s “The One Where Ross Got High” next? The group’s dynamic cannot be any better. And, definitely, season eight’s “The One With the Rumor” is the episode where Brad Pitt makes his legendary guest appearance as the co-founder of the “I Hate Rachel Club” at their high school. (Seriously, if he can go to ex Jennifer Aniston’s 50th birthday party after the divorce and they can call each other “hun,” then we can feature his ep!) (Where to watch: HBO Max)
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How I Met Your Mother
This is basically another sitcom revolving around a tightly-knit group of friends who have a habit of producing excellent Thanksgiving episodes. Supporters of the show could always rely on HIMYM to provide what they were looking for. However, the finest episode is definitely the legendary “Slapsgiving” of season three which presented the third (and perhaps the best) slap of the wager between Marshall and Barney. Let’s all get together at the piano and sing it with us: “Ya just got slapped”! (Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+)
This Is Us
Just two words: Pilgrim Rick! Only the NBC series could manage to do that to us, right in the middle of the Thanksgiving vibes. In an episode from the first season, we get to see the flashback that reveals how the Pearson family came to own the Pilgrim Rick hat, which is their holiday tradition that was unexpectedly thrown into a roadside motel. The loss of Jack is still haunting the Big Three, and this is how everything is connected with the past that we see in the flashback.
There is no way it could be all nice and lovable all the time — as Randall (“Thanksgiving dad is a hot dad!”) finds out a very unexpected secret that Rebecca has kept from him all her life. Oh, come on! What would Thanksgiving be if it were not the time when family scandals get unveiled? (Where to watch: Hulu)
Gossip Girl
Another show that made Thanksgiving an annual event tradition was Gossip Girl, starting with season one’s “Blair Waldorf Must Pie!” The episode throws Serena’s old self into memory, a moment which could not be more awkward when she and Dan realize they might have been siblings, and it gives the most important insight into Blair’s battle with an eating disorder. The Thanksgiving trip of season two can be easily passed over, but the season three “The Treasure of Serena Madre” is a guilty pleasure — a terribly awkward family dinner during which Serena has to ask Maureen for the butter, the wife of the man she’s hooking up with (and yes, hello Aaron Tveit as the creepy Congressman Trip). Leave it to Serena to always spoil Thanksgiving. (Where to watch: HBO Max)
Grey’s Anatomy
Season two’s “Thanks For the Memories” is a flashback very much focused on the interns from the beginning of the show, and it is quite a nostalgic trip: George ends up going turkey hunting somewhat unwillingly, Izzie tries to put together the most amazing holiday dinner, and Meredith, Cristina and Alex decide to stay in the hospital. The episode is packed with standard Mer‑Der clash, laughable character moments, and a soundtrack insertion that will instantly remind you of 2005. (Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Pangs” — a Thanksgiving gone wildly supernatural
Buffy goes full Pilgrim to host the perfect holiday; Xander’s ritual unleashes a vengeful spirit
Buffy attempts to pull off an epic, vintage Thanksgiving — even wearing a Pilgrim costume — and is set on giving the Scooby gang a feast of the right kind, in spite of her lack of cooking skills. The situation goes downhill pretty fast when Xander’s ill-conceived effort to make things right ends up releasing a vengeful Native American spirit, thus the holiday turns into a disaster: Spike becomes a vampire dart board and the episode ends with an unbelievable final reveal. A total fake-out with yams, for sure. (Where to watch: Hulu)
The O.C. “The Homecoming” — Thanksgiving trip ignites major drama
Ryan takes Marissa to Chino as tempers get out of hand; Seth’s double‑date plan fails miserably
The Thanksgiving episode “The Homecoming” of the first season depicted Ryan going back to Chino to bail out his brother who is in jail, with Marissa being a reluctant passenger — the trip being the introduction of Theresa, the important new character who ends up breaking Ryan and Marissa’s relationship. At the same time Seth, in a typical fashion of stirring trouble, invites both Summer and Anna to the house and, in a desperate attempt to keep them from meeting, he fails resulting in the inevitable teen love‑triangle fiasco. (Where to watch: HBO Max)
Master of None’s Thanksgiving episode — an insightful exploration of personal and familial bonds
As flashbacks accompany her realization, Denise finally understands and accepts her sexual orientation
The acclaimed by Emmys story is about main character Denise (Lena Waithe), employing a succession of Thanksgiving flashbacks to reconstruct the affective trip to the realization of the own sexuality and the understanding of the bond with family. The installment remains lighthearted and sad at the same time in order to authentically present an almost unnoticeable yet very potent experience of growing up. (Where to watch: Netflix)
You’ve Got Mail — A Thanksgiving moment in a cozy rom‑com
Zabar’s checkout scene is set on Thanksgiving — autumnal vibes and a memorable quip
Nora Ephron’s irresistibly romantic Upper East Side rom‑com is kept alive in the rotation of holiday watches because of its comforting, autumnal atmosphere — and also because of the very fact that a pivotal scene is actually set on Thanksgiving. In the Zabar’s checkout moment, Tom Hanks casually offers a helping hand to Meg Ryan, thus prompting Sara Ramirez to deliver the legendary line, “Happy Thanksgiving back.” It’s a tiny, heartwarming moment that deepens the film’s vintage appeal. (Where to watch: buy or rent on Apple TV+)
Home for the Holidays — a painfully relatable, star‑studded holiday reunion
Jodie Foster’s underrated 1995 family dramedy mines the awkwardness of returning home
Jodie Foster’s second film as a director is a brilliant ensemble she casts—Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Dylan McDermott and a young Claire Danes— to the great impact in this melancholic film of 1995. The film is the perfect one to illustrate that confusing feeling when you return to your family for the holidays: you have changed, but the old patterns resurface as if nothing happened, and you get to laugh and quarrel in almost equal shares. A very quiet but still very sharp and even a little bit strange in its way of being something you can still count on, a holiday gem. (Where to watch: Paramount+)
Addams Family Values — Thanksgiving chaos at Camp Chippewa
Wednesday’s Pocahontas rewrite turns a kids’ play into darkly comic holiday mayhem
Camp play subplot at Camp Chippewa from the 1993 dark comedy, which is often considered a Halloween movie, adds a Thanksgiving vibe to the film. As part of a school production about the first Thanksgiving, which takes place at their school, Wednesday and Pugsley are sent. However, Wednesday changes the Pocahontas scene into a gory, furious one, thus the innocent play is completely overturned. In addition, the movie includes the delightfully twisted “Turkey Day” song, in which Pugsley, dressed as a turkey, sings the show’s grim refrain. (Where to watch: Paramount+)
Pieces of April — a messy, heartfelt Thanksgiving in a tiny NYC apartment
Katie Holmes breakout, Patricia Clarkson’s Oscar‑nominated turn and an unforgettable indie vibe
Katie Holmes plays the role of April, a character who scarcely thinks twice about yet is incredibly anxious, and awkwardly decides to invite her separated family to share Thanksgiving at her very tiny apartment in the Lower East Side. To get the idea of what happened, one just needs to guess that a mixture of chaos and emotions came after. Indirectly, as her mother, Patricia Clarkson got an Oscar nomination for her outstanding powerfully emotional role, and one of the film’s indie charms is the surreal addition of a Sisqó cameo. It is a small, disordered, deeply human holiday film. (Where to watch: Tubi)
Turkey Drop — a rom‑com about holiday heartbreak and second chances
College freshman returns home for Thanksgiving, faces a “turkey drop” and finds unexpected romance
A college freshman (Olivia Holt) is a protagonist in Freeform’s sweet-and-slightly-offbeat rom-com which picks up with a return home for the first Thanksgiving and then the unfortunate event of a “turkey drop” – i.e., being dumped by a high school sweetheart during the break. There is chaos and laughter when her brother’s handsome best friend comes to her rescue and thus heartbreak turns into the opportunity for a new romance. (Where to watch: Hulu)
Holidate — a rom‑com that covers every holiday (Thanksgiving included)
Technically the film spans the whole calendar of holidays, but it does feature a Thanksgiving beat — and it’s genuinely funny. Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play two people who agree to be each other’s no‑strings dates for every occasion, only to discover that their arrangement leads to unexpected chemistry, awkward moments and plenty of laughs.
Cooking Confusion? — Four families, one chaotic Thanksgiving
It’s a story of four families—Vietnamese, Latino, Jewish, and African American—who decide to combine not only their traditions but also their secrets and recipes for Thanksgiving. In this 2000 ensemble drama, Kyra Sedgwick and Julianna Margulies are the lead characters, and the film is a mix of comedy and the heated dynamics of the family as the clash of cultural expectations takes place at the dinner table. (Where to watch: Prime Video)
Friendsgiving — a millennial mess of a holiday comedy
A chaotic Friendsgiving rom‑com of the 2020 Netflix era, starring Malin Akerman and Kat Dennings
Destructive but hilarious Friendsgiving is the main theme of this 2020 ensemble comedy which goes in-depth with a group of friends of the kind that you would typically find in any real life–dysfunctional. The film is full of cringe moments and features sharp millennial humor. Among the cast are Malin Akerman and Kat Dennings. (Where to watch: Hulu or Paramount+)
