Taraji P. Henson is determined to create a “legacy” for black actresses.
The 53-year-old star – who appears in ‘The Color Purple’ alongside Fantasia, Danielle Brooks, and H.E.R. – has always had to fight “tooth and nail” for her success, but she’s now keen to support the next generation of black actresses.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Taraji explained: “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.
“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. Otherwise, why am I doing this? For my own vanity? There’s no blessing in that.”
Taraji feels she actually has a responsibility to support younger actresses.
She shared: “I’ve tried twice to walk away [from the business]. But I can’t, because if I do, how does that help the ones coming up behind me?”
Taraji previously insisted that celebrities suffer “a lot” of everyday problems.
The Hollywood star pointed out that the rich and famous are still real people, insisting they are not “superheroes”.