Despite the jokes, it seems DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor share a mutual admiration, as evidenced by their humorous interaction alongside fellow cast members from One Battle After Another at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards. Both actors were recognized for their outstanding performances in the film.

Teyana, who portrayed the character Perfidia in the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed movie, had a child named Willa (played by Chase Infiniti) with DiCaprio’s character, Pat. She shared insights into how she prepared for her role.

“Getting into Perfidia’s character required a lot of discussions with P,” the 35-year-old revealed to Daryn Carp in an E! News interview at the January 4 event. “We focused on building those layers and ensuring they were color-coordinated to allow Perfidia to step back and let baby girl Willa rise, ready to tackle these challenges alongside Pops here.”

“Preparing for Perfidia was a lot of conversation with P, good conversation, you know?” the 35-year-old exclusively told Daryn Carp during an interview with E! News at the Jan. 4 ceremony. “Really building those layers and color-coordinating those layers and making sure we set it up for Perfidia to fall back for baby girl Willa to rise and take on these battles along with Pops right here.”

When asked what he thought about Teyana calling him “Pops,” Leo—who doesn’t have any children himself—embraced the nickname.

“Love it,” the 51-year-old said without skipping a beat. “Love it. Whatever she wants to call me.”