Taraji P. Henson is one of Hollywood's most loveable realest actresses in the game, and has starred alongside Terrence Howard, Tyrese, Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, and Steve Carrell. YRB Magazine had a chance to catch up with her..
Her Realness
I’m just Taraji from the block. I don’t travel with ridiculous security and a ton of unnecessary people. I think people relate to me because I’m real. What you see is what you get. I am always the same person. Anyone who ever says that I’m conceited or self-absorbed honestly doesn’t know anything about me. If you follow my Twitter timeline, you will see that I really am one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people you will ever meet.
Being Happy She Didn’t Win the Oscar for ‘Benjamin Button’
I really am glad that I didn’t win the Oscar that year. [African-American actors] have already won awards for playing those types of characters. I’m ready for us to win by [acting in] a comedy or a love story or just something different than the norm.
Baby Boy
Baby Boy wasn’t just a black movie. Everyone can relate to a baby boy to some degree. He is not a color; he’s a person. I remember when John Singleton (the film’s director) sat both myself and Tyrese down in the beginning of filming and told us that he wanted to make a film that people would want to watch 17 times, and judging by how much it has been in rotation, I think John’s mission is accomplished.
Choosing The Roles She Will Play
For me, it’s all about the writing and whether or not I feel I have played the character before. If it feels like I’ve done it before, I generally pass on the part. It really is about me continuing to challenge myself and not be pigeonholed. I will never say there’s a role that I will not play without first reading the script. I don’t judge my characters. I am a trained actress who has done Shakespeare in the Park. I can do anything, just give it to me.
Her Love Life & Relationship With Tyrese
He’s like my brother, for real. That would just seem really weird for the two of us to suddenly get together.
I’m not looking right now, but I would like a man that knows how to be a man and not be a boy pretending to be a man. I need a guy that’s not enthralled by what I do. I want someone to fall in love with, not Taraji the actress, but Taraji the person.
The Future
When things start sagging and I don’t look the same, I would like to get into producing. To produce and direct is a lesson learned, and that is something that I would like to embark on further down the line. As for now, I want to continue to just play the game. I want my journey to be legendary. To have people study my work the way I studied Bette Davis would mean so much to me. God has a plan for me to be here, and I’m here to do just what it is that He will have me do.
Read the full interview here
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