E-mail a friendTaraji P. Henson
airdate December 19, 2008
Taraji P. Henson's versatility can be seen in such films as Baby Boy—her feature debut—Hustle & Flow and the upcoming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Not Easily Broken. She's also had recurring roles on the small screen. The Washington, DC native studied electrical engineering, but ultimately changed her academic focus to theater, while working as a secretary at the Pentagon and a cruise ship performer. Essence magazine has honored Henson as one who's helped inspire positive images of Black women in Hollywood.
Actress talks about her strengths as a comedian, though she is known for her dramatic roles. (2:03)
Full interview. (9:19)
Taraji P. Henson
Tavis: Taraji P. Henson is a talented actress whose film resume includes "Hustle & Flow," "Talk To Me" and "Smokin' Aces." Her latest project is one of the most anticipated films of the year, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The film opens Christmas Day and also stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette. Here now a scene from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
[Clip]
Tavis: (Laughter) Too bad the camera couldn't zoom in close enough to really, really see that face. Hey, Taraji, how are you?
Taraji P. Henson: I'm great. How are you?
Tavis: I'm well. Nice to have you on.
Henson: Thanks for having me.
Tavis: I'm gonna let you explain this. So Taraji in this film plays the mother of Brad Pitt. Now I know it's hard to imagine, looking at Taraji, she's somebody - she really is a mother in real life. She has a son.
Henson: Yes.
Tavis: But she plays Brad's momma in this movie. I'm gonna let you explain this.
Henson: Well, the character that Brad plays is Benjamin Button and he is left on my doorstep because he's born in his 80s, so he looks like -
Tavis: - he's born in his what?
Henson: 80s.
Tavis: He's born in his 80s.
Henson: Like 80 years old.
Tavis: Okay.
Henson: It's the size of a baby, looks like a baby, but an old man.
Tavis: Okay.
Henson: So instead of having a bald little crisp head, it has old, aging spots on his head and droopy ear lobes and saggy, wrinkled skin. My character, Queenie, stumbles on him literally and she takes him in and raises him.
Tavis: And you say that so simply. She takes him in and raises him. That's it.
Henson: (Laughter).
Tavis: So the movie then, obviously, is the reverse aging process?
Henson: Right. So what happens is, they hired - actually, what I was acting opposite of in the beginning in this scene you just saw was an animatronic baby that they built, and it took three puppeteers to operate it off-screen.
Tavis: Just like remote control.
Henson: Remote control.
Tavis: They were operating the baby.
Henson: Exactly.
Tavis: Okay.
Henson: And then they hired three actors to play his various sizes and ages as he's getting older/younger and they had blue socks on their heads and their faces were cut out so I could see them and interact. The blue socks represented the green screen so that, in post-production, Brad Pitt would look at the parts, you know, that he wasn't physically in and he would re-enact everything, just his face, and they CGI'd his face onto the blue heads.
Tavis: So in the film - wow, we love Hollywood. So in the film, Brad is getting younger even though he's a baby growing older.
Henson: Right.
Tavis: And you playing his mother, Queenie, you are aging in the process.
Henson: Right.
Tavis: So tell me - I assume you have a new appreciation for Eddie Murphy now.
Henson: I do, and Jim Carrey. All of the guys who, you know, put the fat suits on and become women. I mean, it's a tedious process, that prosthetic makeup. I'm four hours in the chair I sat because my character ages from 26 to 71. Of course, 26, I didn't need any help (laughter).
Tavis: (Laughter) That's why I love her.
Henson: (Laughter) Because I'm really 19.
Tavis: If you take care of yourself, you might not need much help at 71, if you stay, you know -
Henson: - I won't. My grandmother is 84. She doesn't look like how they aged me. Yeah, not at all.
Tavis: When you saw the script, what did you see in Queenie that made you want to play her?
Henson: I just saw this woman who had an extreme sense of what love is. You know, love is unconditional. I don't know how you love with restrictions. I just don't know how. I guess because I'm a mother.
Tavis: Right.
Henson: She's a nurturer. She's a woman who is used to taking in the unwanted. It just reminded me so much of myself, you know. I was a substitute teacher before I hit and I chose -
Tavis: - wait, wait, wait. You were teaching somebody's kids?
Henson: Yeah.
Tavis: Okay, just asking (laughter).
Henson: Well, listen. I chose to work with physically and mentally disabled children.
Tavis: I'm about to ask you what you taught, so I'm glad you answered that.
Henson: Yes. And I feel like, you know, the unwanted need people who want to be with them. It's things like that that stuck out to me about Queenie. Very strong woman who didn't apologize for her place in life. You know, in the film when it opens, she's barren. She can't have any children and, instead of falling prey to the negative side of that, she just found the joy in life and she still found her purpose, you know.
Tavis: I've asked this question in a variety of ways of people over the years. I'm curious as to your take. Are you, Taraji, drawn to characters, to your point you made now, that you see some parallel with, some similarity to, your own life or do you most often like to go way out?
Henson: I really like to go way out. I think there's a little part - aren't we all multi-dimensional? I mean, you would hope you are. You seem a little one-dimensional. I was gonna wait until after the show (laughter). No, but -
Tavis: - I'm getting my chops busted by Brad's momma, but go ahead.
Henson: No. But that's the beauty of acting, becoming someone totally different from who you are. Of course, you know, I've lived enough to be seasoned, to be able to pull from my own past experiences, but I don't really judge characters. I mean, the script has to be incredible. There has to be something that I'm excited about. I'm driven by passion anyway, so if I'm not passionate about the script or the character, then I'm just not interested.
Tavis: Stuff you won't do?
Henson: No. Like I said, I don't judge the characters. Come on, you know my resume. I've played some pretty stereotypical characters, but I don't judge them. I bring humanity to them so therefore the audience won't judge. They'll empathize.
Tavis: It's a brilliant point, and I think that's what makes us attracted to characters no matter who they are. If we can tap into their humanity, then we can relate to the character. But you never, ever give thought at all to how said character might impact your career, your overall resume?
Henson: No. No, I don't think about that because, like I said, I bring - there's always a why a person is the way they are. Let's talk about "Hustle & Flow." Have you ever met a young lady that said, "I want to be a prostitute when I grow up."? I mean, there was a reason why she chose that path and it's my job as the actor to do the research, you know, the back story as to why this person ended up, you know, on the road.
Tavis: Is it just me or do you like playing these emotionally wrenching characters? You like crying on film, don't you?
Henson: No, actually I do not. I really don't.
Tavis: (Laughter) Why do you play these emotionally - I mean, you do a beautiful job, but what draws you to these characters with -
Henson: - okay, let's just clear one thing up.
Tavis: Right.
Henson: I am not in a position where I can turn down much. You know, it's not like these scripts are being handed to me. Like I audition (laughter).
Tavis: (Laughter) That's how that works.
Henson: That's how it works. Hopefully, it'll change soon. So it's not even like I'm going out saying these scripts are coming to me. You know, we have an appointment for you to go in and audition for this. So that's how it's coming to me. It's not that I'm saying, "Huh," sitting back in my office like, "I won't do that one. I'll do this one." No, that's a myth. You like that (laughter)?
Tavis: Yeah (laughter).
Henson: So I guess they're finding me, I guess. But, you know, it's funny because I'm a comedic actress. That's my strongest attribute. I'm a comedic actress, but somehow I -
Tavis: - you know, people watching this right now are like passing out like, "She knows good and well she ain't telling the truth about that." I do not think your core fans believe that your strength is in your comedy. You've played so many - how you figure that?
Henson: Listen. Okay, I'm gonna give you homework.
Tavis: Give me some homework then.
Henson: Go and rent - or have a Taraji Fest and watch all of my films. I guarantee you that you will laugh - not laugh at, but with - all of my characters.
Tavis: I can see that in "Talk To Me." I definitely can see that.
Henson: You can't teach an actor comedic timing.
Tavis: Yeah.
Henson: That's a gift. That's a true gift. You can teach them how to act. They may not be the greatest, but they'll be able to deliver a performance. But comedy, comedic timing? Um-hum.
Tavis: So we gonna laugh at Benjamin Button?
Henson: Absolutely. Queenie is a barrel of laughs, especially with the fat suit on. She's just a big old barrel (laughter).
Tavis: So Taraji thinks she's funny. We're gonna find out. No, she is. On a serious note, as I've said many times, she is a brilliant actress and I love her work and I've said to her in private conversations that what I love about her work is that she does in fact have a body of work that represents a range of characters and I like seeing people who ain't playing the same character in every film.
I haven't seen it yet either, so I'm excited to go give my - I know Taraji needs the money, so I'm gonna go see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" a few times over the holiday season and check out Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette as well. Congratulations, and nice to have you on.
Henson: Thank you.
Tavis: Happy holidays.
Henson: You too.
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