Taraji P. Henson reveals why she’s never landed a blockbuster franchise after nearly 30 years in the industry.
Taraji P. Henson just revealed the harsh reality that Hollywood treats actors and actresses differently, and the numbers don’t lie.
During an appearance on Hoda Kotb’s “Making Space” podcast, she reflected on her 2001 breakthrough with Tyrese Gibson on John Singleton’s “Baby Boy” and how their careers took completely different paths from the exact same starting point.
While Tyrese went on to play numerous franchise roles in Transformers and The Furious, Henson has been waiting nearly three decades for the same opportunity.
“Following ‘Baby Boy,’ Tyrese booked two blockbuster franchises: ‘Transformers’ and ‘Fast and Furious,'” she said. “I haven’t booked my series yet. It’s been almost 30 years since I’ve been in the game. No series.”
The contrast is impossible to ignore, especially when you consider that both actors got their big breaks from the same director at the same time.
Hansen remembers everyone telling her she would be furious after working with Singleton, but something inside her knew it wouldn’t happen that way, and unfortunately, she was right.
What makes this all the more real is that Hansen no longer feels bitter about it.
She’s actually on the other side of the table now, which means she understands the politics involved.
“You can’t hurt my feelings anymore because now I know there’s politics involved,” she explained.
This is not the first time she has called the system. She has been outspoken about the pay gap for years and even took a month off to relocate to Bali last year after becoming frustrated with the industry machine, Variety reported.
The actress has discussed how she stayed classy for years while being paid less than her peers, and she’s no longer buying into that narrative. Instead of waiting for Hollywood’s next move, she’s building her empire through her beauty brand TPH and other business ventures.
She’s also preparing to make her Broadway debut later this month in a revival of August Wilson’s “The Coming and Gone Joe Turner” with Cedric the Entertainer, marking another big move of her own.
