Taraji P. Henson is everywhere these days, enjoying her status as the hottest star on TV’s hottest show Empire. The 44-year-old actress is now July’s Allure Magazine cover girl and in the accompanying interview she has some revealing things to say. Here are some selections from the interview:
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Like Cookie, She Stays Hustling:
“I come from a family of hard workers. Oh, yeah, I knew how to hustle and make money. [In college, she did hair for $20 a head]. We used to do wet sets…. I bought a hooded dryer, and I had my box of rollers. I could have gone to jail; I had no license whatsoever. But it was just my friends. They were like, ‘Girl, hook me up.’”
Why She Doesn’t Mix Business With Pleasure:
“I always wanted to be known for my work. Not who I dated. Not who I slept with…. I have a gift, and my gift is acting. I started in the business at 26 with a kid, so I was smart enough to know reality from fantasy. I didn’t want to blur the lines. This is a job that I have to do. I cannot get caught up in it. And if I sleep with these guys, why would they want to work with me again? The conquest is up. Now I’m just used-up p&*%y…”
On her personal struggles:
“I’ve had so many false starts. If it’s easy, what story are you going to tell? Nobody wants to hear about how easy it was. That doesn’t inspire anyone.“
