Culture

‘Empire’ actress Taraji P. Henson conveys importance of struggling to achieve success

Leslie Edwards | Video Editor

Taraji P. Henson, an Academy Award-nominated actress known for her role as Cookie Lyons in FOX’s hit drama “Empire,” spoke at Goldstein Auditorium at Schine Student Center Wednesday night. Throughout the talk, Henson reflected on her life struggles.

If you’re looking for a pity party, you won’t get it from Taraji P. Henson.

Known best for her role as the outspoken Cookie Lyon on the TV show “Empire,” Henson spoke at Goldstein Auditorium in Schine Student Center Wednesday evening. Henson, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,”  focused primarily on the importance of struggle, saying that difficulties in life are needed in order to succeed.

“Nobody’s going to give you a break,” said Henson. “You have to make your own break.”

Throughout her talk, Henson used the obstacles she faced in her life — from her rejection from a performing arts school to her transition from Washington, D.C. to Hollywood as a single mother — to stress that struggles are a necessary component of success.

Both at the beginning of the night when Henson took the stage and at the end when she answered questions, many audience members cheered for Cookie, the character she plays on “Empire,” instead for Henson.



“I love Cookie,” said Henson, laughing. “I just hate that she’s stolen my identity.”

Although Henson described Cookie from “Empire” as her alter ego because Cookie is always saying the things she’s afraid to, Henson herself is the one who showed some gall.

Causing an uproar as she took the stage chanting “SU, you know,” Henson didn’t seem to have any reservations about discussing controversial issues.

“I know there is a God,” Henson said firmly. “And he didn’t give me anything that he didn’t also give y’all.”

Henson encouraged students to persevere in everything they do. She discussed the importance of employment, as well, saying she’s had a job since she was 13 years old. Though incredibly successful, Henson has refused to buy her now-20-year-old son anything that he hasn’t paid for out of his own pocket. Henson interspersed a heavy discussion about overcoming obstacles with hilarious anecdotes.

Many audience members were in tears laughing during one of Henson’s most dominant parts of her talk. She described her brief attraction to costar Tyrese Gibson in one of her earlier films, “Baby Boy.” She remembers Juanita (Adrienne-Joi Johnson), who played Gibson’s mother in the film, sitting her down and blatantly saying, “If you sleep with him, they’ll never have the need to work with you again.”

It was a short conversation, but Henson said she still carries with her that message of self-respect throughout her career. She added that she doesn’t want men coming in and out of her apartment so that she doesn’t lose the respect of her son.

“How can I raise my son to respect women if he doesn’t respect his own mother?” Henson said.

As a teenager, Henson applied to a performing arts high school but was rejected. She later attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, majoring in electrical engineering. After failing pre-calculus, Henson called her father crying, who encouraged her to transfer to Howard University to earn her acting degree.

Though she said was broke when she first moved to Los Angeles and living in what she described as a “roach dome,” Henson was never fazed by the fast-moving Hollywood lifestyle.

“Big deals don’t happen at the club,” she said. “They happen in business meetings.”

Henson ended the night with a discussion of the male-dominated movie industry and said she wanted to see more female directors.

“Not every black woman in America can relate to me,” Henson said. “ All little girls aren’t going to identify with me — we need more of us. We need an accurate representation of America.”





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