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Cape Town – Taraji P Henson is on everyone’s mind as none other than the legendary Cookie Lyon from the hit TV series Empire.
But while the Think Like A Man actress has become the queen of TV she shows her true colours on the cover of W magazine and we’re liking it so much more!
When asked about wanting to accept the role as Cookie, Henson’s initial response was a definite no!
Recalling the first time she met Lee Daniels - the director / producer of Empire - she said: "Lee wanted me for the thin, pretty teacher in Precious [the film about a 350-pound black teenager who is HIV-positive and pregnant by her father for the second time] and I was like, 'Well, I want to play Precious—because that’s the role in this piece.'
"Lee thought I was nuts. I was like, ‘Look, they turned Charlize Theron into a monster! I could be this girl! When I think about that now, it was such a Cookie move."
After some convincing Henson finally agreed to audition but insisted that if she was going to be Cookie, Terence Howard had to be Lucious Lyon.
"I say to him [Lee Daniels] ‘I really like the script, I think it’s amazing but I think if I can’t do it with Terence then I’m not interested."
Aside from being nervous to play Cookie, Henson calls her "the American Dream" stating that’s how her and Cookie are the same.
She added: "Cookie is the American Dream, she started from nothing and now she’s at the top…
"Just like I’m the American Dream, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth you know. I had a passion, I had a dream and I dived in and I went for my dream."
Watch the full interview here:
