When life imitates artwork, taking part in a job can fire up echoes of the previous — a lesson Taraji P. Henson revisited in her newest movie.
Henson, a Washington, D.C. native and a proud Howard College graduate, not too long ago portrayed Janiyah, a struggling single mom in Tyler Perry’s new movie “Straw.” It’s a story Henson is aware of intimately, having been a single mom herself — a connection she spoke candidly about throughout a Wednesday episode of “The View.”
“She’s a single mother. She can’t get ahead to save her life — and I’ve been in that situation before,” Henson stated. “But the difference between me is that I had an incredible support group.”
Jamie McCarthy through Getty Photos
The “Empire” actor went on to replicate extra on her personal journey, crediting the presence of a powerful “family” and “great sister circle” that helped lighten her load. The character of Janiyah, against this, is remoted — and Henson acknowledged that too many ladies reside in that actuality daily.
“I want them to feel seen,” she stated.
Earlier within the interview, Henson elaborated on why she felt compelled to tackle the position.
“I love roles where I get to give a voice to the voiceless — because people who feel unseen need to know that they’re not alone, and that people do see you,” Henson defined.
She added that she’s drawn to roles that “will force the audience to lead with more grace and understanding — because you can never truly judge a book by its cover.”
