‘WE HAVEN’T SEEN THIS SINCE THE ’70S’

Taraji P. Henson has played numerous roles wherein she had to shoot a gun, but as the lead in Proud Mary, it’s the first time she will be a hitwoman.

The Empire actress who made mathematics seem cool in Hidden

Figures is now donning black leather disguises, has an arsenal that would make John Wick proud and is driving a Maserati to and from jobs working for an organized crime family in Boston. Her life is turned around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a hit goes bad.

The film’s teasers highlight action that we haven’t seen from Henson until now and the posters hark back to a time when blaxploitation was the new kid on the block. Henson, an executive producer on the film, chatted about her latest endeavour of female empowerment, which opens Friday.

The film is one of empowerment, at a time when it’s needed. Did you plan this?

No, that’s just the way of the universe. It orders up the things that it needs when it’s the time. So I couldn’t have planned this better myself. This is not me, this is the universe, but here we are and now I can use this platform to speak on some important issues. This movie is dealing with taking your power back and not becoming a victim, not being the victim. This woman wants out of a lifestyle that she is sick of. She has a bunch of men telling her she can’t leave; well guess what? She takes the power back . . .

This movie speaks to an AfricanAmerican woman of a certain age carrying a film like this, even being offered a role like this — this hasn’t happened since the ’70s. We’ve had badass/sidekicks, but we haven’t had the woman lead the film (very often). It’s her movie . . . she wins in the end, she kills the man . . . we haven’t seen this since the ’70s.

Why haven’t we seen a movie like this since then?

They don’t see the money. No one is smart enough to see the dollars in it. But they’re going to see it, though.

It took the powers-that-be this long to wake up and smell the coffee?

People are fearful. People are changing positions in these studios and they’re seeing what’s wrong. Women go to the movies more than men — appeal to the women, stupid!

Did you envision being an action star when you started in the industry?

Who doesn’t envision that? That’s where the fun is, that’s where the cheques are. Who doesn’t want to play a badass?

Who is your favourite action star?

I like Keanu Reeves and Liam Neeson. I like all the Bonds. My favourite is Daniel Craig because he turned it up — he gave me grit and edge and he made it sexy. Idris (Elba) will be great as Bond, or me.

What was your inspiration for the character?

Just all women trying to fight it out. It’s based on all kinds of women — women I know from the ’hood, women I know in my life, friends.