Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Actress Taraji P. Henson is small but mighty — and fearless
Tenacious star of ‘Acrimony’ and ‘Empire’ likes to face her fears
Dlet her 5-foot-4-inch stature fool you: Actress Taraji P. Henson was born tough. “I come from the mentality that I’m not going to lie down,” the Oscar nominee said. “I’m not that tall, but I’m mighty. “Plus, I know that any fight is really more of a mind game. It’s psychological. And no one plays with my mind,” she said.
It was actually her mindset as a young girl growing up poor in Washington, D.C., that assured her future success. “I remember my mother would be sitting at the table crying over a bill, and I’d walk in and be like, ‘Mom, don’t cry. I’m going to be rich one day.’ ”
Henson, 47, stars in Tyler Perry’s new film, “Acrimony,” in which she plays a woman betrayed by a lying husband (Lyriq Bent).
She also has returned to Cookie Lyon mode, since the new season of “Empire” just began on Fox.
Review-Journal: How do you like to spend a typical Sunday?
Henson: I love a quiet Sunday where I can wake up and take the time to meditate. I like to sit with my thoughts and allow them to flow freely through my mind. Sunday is a good time to set your mind straight for the week. I try to find the peace on a Sunday, so I’ll meditate, eat right and then might do a workout. It’s a day to take care of your mind, body and soul.
You’ve also had some fun R&R time in Las Vegas.
I’ve had some amazing times in Vegas. Years ago, I went to Vegas for a Memorial Day weekend with some friends and we just sat by the pool relaxing. Bring it on!
Tell us about “Acrimony.”
I was very excited to team up with Tyler Perry for another movie. The script blew my mind. I knew it was like my Glenn Close moment in “Fatal Attraction.” This is a thriller that picks apart what happens when love is lost. I promise you’re going to scream and talk back to the film. It truly is heart-pounding.
Tell us about your character Melinda.
You first meet her when she’s full of love, hopes and dreams. They fall
in love. Then she grows up and the rose-colored glasses come off. Then it becomes love reversed, which is hate.
Does love make you do crazy things?
Love does make you do crazy things. I’ve never busted a car window like she does in the movie. I don’t want to go to jail.
You grew up tough in Washington, D.C. What was the worst time in real life?
When I was 6 years old, we got robbed at gunpoint. A man with a stocking cap on his head and a gun in his hand ran up to my mom and me in the parking lot of our building. I remember it like yesterday. The man raced up to my mother, grabbed a clump of her hair and ripped her head back. I stood there looking at the barrel of his gun and holding our McDonalds bag in my shaking hands. He ripped out her hair and Mom gave him her purse. He took off running.
Then you were robbed again?
I was a preteen living in the same complex and it wasn’t the projects. Some knucklehead raced up to my mom in the same parking lot and
HENSON
punched her in the eye. Mom began to scream, “Not again! Not again!” This time, the robber ran off with her purse and she went to the hospital with a ripped retina.
What I can never get out of mind was that drive to the hospital. Mom was still being strong. But the sting from the punch caused one lone tear to roll down her face. Still, she wouldn’t allow another one to fall. She wanted me to see her strong. I have goose bumps telling this story. The moral of it is that after all of this happening to me, it feels good just to act tough — even in a movie. I feel like I have all the power.
Do you marvel at how strong women can be?
As a mother, I know that women will lift an entire half a car to free their child pinned underneath. When you mix danger and your babies, you have the inner strength of Godzilla.
Did you know from the start that Cookie on “Empire” would be such a game changer?
Sometimes all the energy in the world and the stars line up. That’s Cookie. That’s “Empire.” When I read the script for the first time, I knew the show would be so raw, ugly and beautiful at the same time.
What is your criteria for accepting a role?
I’m the type of actress where if it doesn’t make me nervous, I won’t do it. I like to overcome my fear as an artist.
Explain the origin of your name.
It’s Swahili. It means hope. My middle name is Penda, which means love.
You were an electrical engineer major at North Carolina A&T State University and then went to Howard University to study acting. Along the way, you had your son, Marcell. How difficult was it to launch an acting career?
I was always fighting the statistics. I was an unmarried black woman with a baby, a single mother with a dream. But nothing would stop me. I’ve always had extreme optimism. There is a fight deep inside of me where I don’t accept society’s statistics. I will rise above.
What do you love about acting?
I’m a creative person.
I just love the process of creating. I love playing different characters.
Years ago, you took your grandmother and mother to the Oscars when you were nominated. That must have been a thrilling moment for your family.
My grandmother grew up in a small town in North Carolina where she had to use a separate entrance to go into buildings. She lived off a dirt road with no streetlights. Suddenly, she was getting her hair done to watch her baby walk down the red carpet and she would be walking proud next to me. My stylist made sure she had the fanciest dress. My makeup artist did all of our faces. Three generations of strong women. It makes me cry just thinking about it.