rewrite this content and keep HTML tags As she returns to the big screen in one of this year’s most anticipated films, Taraji P. Henson is getting candid about the pay inequity she faces as a Black woman in Hollywood.The actor became visibly emotional in footage that went viral Wednesday following her recent conversation with Gayle King on SiriusXM, alongside fellow “Color Purple” star Danielle Brooks and the film’s director, Blitz Bazawule.When King asked about a report that claimed Henson was considering quitting acting altogether, the Academy Award nominee began tearing up. “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”The actor also pointed out that her profession required her to have a team of people supporting her behind the scenes.“I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing,” she said. “Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, there’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”Henson endeared herself to a generation of television views as Cookie Lyon on “Empire,” for which she received a Golden Globe. She made her film acting debut in 1998’s “Streetwise,” and nabbed an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt. In 2016, she starred with Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer in the smash film “Hidden Figures,” which received three Oscar nominations.From left: Danielle Brooks, Blitz Bazawule, Gayle King and Taraji P. Henson.Cindy Ord via Getty ImagesIn “The Color Purple,” Henson is part of all-star cast that also includes Fantasia Barrino. Early reviews of the film, a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, have called it an “exhilarating, larger-than-life journey” and “a joy to watch.” Yet despite the many accolades she’s received, Henson told King that she’s treated like a novice when it comes to negotiating contracts for film and TV roles.“It seems every time I do something and I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again, like I never did what I just did,” she said. “And I’m just tired. It wears on you, you know?”Henson has touched on her experiences with pay disparity in a number of previous interviews. In 2019, she told Variety that she’d asked for “half a million” before signing on for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” only to ultimately receive $150,000 for the role. And in an interview published earlier this month, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she’d been “fighting tooth and nail every project” for adequate pay.“Listen, I’ve been doing this for two decades and sometimes I get tired of fighting because I know what I do is bigger than me. I know that the legacy I leave will affect somebody coming up behind me,” she told the outlet, before going on to reference other Black female actors.“My prayer is that I don’t want these Black girls to have the same fights that me and Viola [Davis], Octavia [Spencer], we out here thugging it out.”Among those to express support for Henson this week was her “Think Like a Man” co-star Gabrielle Union.“Not a damn lie told. Not. A. Damn. Lie,” Union wrote Wednesday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “We go TO BAT for the next generation and hell even our own generation and above.” “The Color Purple” is set to hit U.S. theaters next week.Watch video of Henson’s interview with King below. Support HuffPostThe Stakes Have Never Been HigherAt HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.Our News, Politics and Culture teams invest time and care working on hard-hitting investigations and researched analyses, along with quick but robust daily takes. Our Life, Health and Shopping desks provide you with well-researched, expert-vetted information you need to live your best life, while HuffPost Personal, Voices and Opinion center real stories from real people.Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost’s journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls.We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why we keep our journalism free for everyone, even as most other newsrooms have retreated behind expensive paywalls.Our newsroom continues to bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes on one of the most consequential elections in recent history. Reporting on the current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly — and we need your help.Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.
Taraji P. Henson Says She’s Considered Quitting Acting
Denial of responsibility! Swift Telecast is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – swifttelecast.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.