by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Taraji P. Henson has been on a years-long winning streak, starring in Oscar-nominated movies, racking up awards for her work in TV and film, launching collections for MAC, and slaying every time a camera is put in front of her.
On W Magazine’s latest cover, hailed as “a salute to 5 powerful women”, the 46-year-old Henson stands amid Jennifer Lopez, supermodel Kate Moss, actress Jessica Chastain and designer Donatella Versace. And she slays. She slays it effortlessly and she slays it all.
In the accompanying interview Henson reflects on how she spun an incredible career out of $700 and sheer will.
“Henson’s path to becoming the big dog she is today—household name, Golden Globe winner, age-defying pop phenomenon, proud owner of a new home in Los Angeles she has likened to a resort—has been a convention-shattering study in tenacity. A mother before she graduated from Howard University, she set out for Los Angeles at 26 with $700 in her pocket and a young son, Marcell, to support. “And I spun that $700 into an empire, didn’t I?” noted Henson, who over the past year published a memoir, Around the Way Girl, and released a line of cosmetics with MAC, in addition to shooting Empire and Hidden Figures. “People thought I was crazy, but being a mom early enhanced my talent. It opened up a side of me that I didn’t know I had, that sense of duty and protection, and it kept me grounded in Hollywood.” While other actors her age were out networking at clubs, she was prepping for PTA meetings and shuttling her son to soccer and basketball games, all while securing steady work in TV and film. Now that Marcell is an adult, Henson has “pushed play” on certain aspects of a life she had put on pause.”
Like her peers Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, Henson has received critical acclaim and meaty roles later in her career, bucking the Hollywood trend for women.
“Suddenly, Henson grew quiet, as if for the first time recognizing how extraordinary it is to have made such fantasies a reality. “It is quite groundbreaking, isn’t it? It’s supposed to be over for me at 46, but here I am. I’m a late bloomer, and I’m okay with that. Know why?” She paused once more, narrowing her eyes into a catlike glower: “Late bloomers last looong.””
Incredible. What do you think of Henson’s shoot and interview?
3 Responses
Great job T!
She looks extra photoshopped… I had to say it. If someone didnt tell me it was her I wouldnt know.
Jennifer Lopez doesn’t look like herself either.