Oscar nominated actress Taraji P. Henson recently sat down with YRB magazine to discuss how she manages to stay grounded while balancing her love life and work in the spotlight.
Taraji has consistently coined herself as one of “the realest ladies in the game.” She not only prides herself on her knack for skillfully shifting from one demanding role to the next, but also her ability to remain grounded while doing so.
“I’m just Taraji from the block. I don’t travel with ridiculous security and a ton of unnecessary people.”
Henson continued by adding;
“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.”
Henson also admitted that she was actually glad she didn’t win the Oscar for her role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, claiming that African Americans had already exhausted winning the award for playing such parts.
“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.”
Many have characterized Henson’s character in the movie Baby Boy, as a role that ultimately catapulted her career. When asked whether she felt the film primarily catered to black audiences, she replied;
“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.”
When Taraji was asked if she had any current love interest, she responded;
“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.”
When asked if former co-star Tyrese may be one of them, she stated;
“He’s like my brother, for real. That would just seem really weird for the two of us to suddenly get together.”
Taraji summed up the interview by expressing an interest in an avenue where many actors later dabble once their careers shift to a slower speed.
“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.”
