Taraji P. Henson knows the legacy she’d like to leave behind. “I love black people. I love telling stories,” the “Empire” star said in a new interview with Marie Claire. “I want these little girls to study me like I studied Meryl and Bette Davis and Carol Burnett. I want them to study my work, because I put a lot of work in, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.”
The trailblazing Oscar nominee wants to serve as an example and provide inspiration, and she’s always approached her career accordingly. Following her breakout role in 2001’s “Baby Boy,” Henson said, “I just knew [I’d be typecast]. They are going to think this is all I can do,” she recalled. “So I was like, ‘Never again a ghetto role. I’m not saying I can’t do it later, but right now, I have something to prove.” Henson explained, “My mission became showing that I’m a character actress. I can give them as many different performances as Meryl Streep — who is the one they look up to? Meryl Streep. Watch this. You think black women can’t do it? I’m trained just like she is.”
The “Person of Interest” alumna also emphasized how invested she is in supporting other women in the industry. “How can we get ahead if we’re feuding and hating on each other all the time?” she asked. “I made a pact years ago that I would never hate on another female, ever, especially in this industry.”
Henson was most recently seen on the big screen in box office hit “Hidden Figures.” Inspired by a true story, the drama shines a well-deserved and long-overdue spotlight on Katherine G. Johnson (Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), brilliant black women who played an instrumental role in the space race while working at NASA. The film, which has grossed more than $231 million worldwide and received three Oscar nominations, has already inspired a number of initiatives recognizing girls and women in STEM.
