In a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, actress Taraji P. Henson reflected on the bitter realities of the film industry. She highlighted the challenges Black actresses face to get recognition in the industry. Known for movies like Empire, The Best Of Enemies, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, she has become an acclaimed actress with her exceptional work and has even earned an Oscar nomination for her 2008 film with Brad Pitt.
However, the actress is now claiming to constantly grapple in pursuit of equitable recognition and compensation as she expressed her disappointment with the lack of an Oscar nomination for her 2016 movie Hidden Figures.
Taraji P. Henson Remains Upset Over Oscar Snub
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-nominated actress known for her powerhouse performances, Taraji P. Henson, opened up about the persistent disparities in pay and recognition faced by Black actresses in Hollywood.
She claimed that the industry limited the achievements of black actresses to supporting roles, even if they were in lead roles. The actress also remains upset over not getting a nomination for the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures, as she stated that she continued to work despite the lack of recognition.
“I have to work because the math ain’t mathing. And I have bills,” she said. Directed by Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures highlights the crucial contributions of three African-American women mathematicians to NASA’s space program during the 1960s. The film was a critical and commercial success and even landed three nominations at the 89th Academy Awards.
However, Henson, who plays Katherine Goble Johnson in the film, did not get a nomination for the movie. It came as a surprise to many as she was one of the potential candidates to get an Oscar nomination for her commendable work in the movie.
Taraji P. Henson On Her Struggles as a Black Actress in Hollywood
In an interview alongside her The Color Purple co-stars, Taraji P. Henson also emphasized the exhausting fight she endured throughout the years in the industry. Talking about pay disparities she faced in the industry, the Empire star said,
“I’ve been getting paid and I’ve been fighting tooth and nail every project to get that same freaking [fee] quote. And it’s a slap in the face when people go, ‘Oh girl, you work all the time. You always working.’ Well, goddammit, I have to. It’s not because I wish I could do two movies a year and that’s that.”
She shared that she has been doing this for decades and sometimes gets tired of constantly fighting. Reflecting on her legacy, the 53-year-old actress said that she aims to raise these concerns for the Black actresses who may follow in her footsteps.
“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,” she said, calling for a reevaluation of industry practices and a more inclusive, equitable future for all talents.
