As she returns to the screen in one of the most anticipated films of the year, Taraji P. Henson is opening up about the pay inequality she faces as a black woman in Hollywood.
The actress became visibly emotional in footage that went viral on Wednesday after she recently chatted with Gayle King on SiriusXM, alongside her “Color Purple” costar Danielle Brooks and the film's director Blitz Bazawule.
When King asked about a report that claimed Henson was considering quitting acting altogether, the Oscar nominee broke down in tears.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being generous with what I do and only getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I'm tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over again. You'll get tired.”
The actress also pointed out that her job requires having a team of people to support her behind the scenes.
“I hear people say, 'You work a lot.' I have to. “The math isn’t math,” she said. “There are big bills associated with what we do. We don't do this alone. The fact that we're up here means we have a whole team behind us. They need to be paid.”
As Cookie Lyon in “Empire,” Henson endeared herself to a generation of television performances, for which she won a Golden Globe. She made her film acting debut in 1998's Streetwise and received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt. In 2016, she starred alongside Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer in the hit film “Hidden Figures,” which received three Oscar nominations.
Open image ModalFrom left: Danielle Brooks, Blitz Bazawule, Gayle King and Taraji P. Henson.
Cindy Ord via Getty Images
In “The Color Purple,” Henson is part of the all-star cast that also includes Fantasia Barrino. Early reviews of the film, a musical adaptation of Alice Walker's 1982 novel, called it a “thrilling, larger-than-life journey” and “a joy to watch.”
But despite the many accolades she has received, Henson told King that she was treated like a novice when negotiating contracts for film and television roles.
“Every time I do something and break another glass ceiling and it’s time to renegotiate, I feel like I’m back at the bottom, like I never did what I just did.” , she said. “And I’m just tired. It annoys you, you know?”
Henson has discussed her experiences with pay disparities in several previous interviews. In 2019, she told Variety that she asked for “half a million” before signing on for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” only to ultimately receive $150,000 for the role.
And in an interview published earlier this month, she told that she “fought with all her might for every project” in order to receive fair payment.
“Listen, I've been doing this for two decades and sometimes I get tired of fighting because I know that what I'm doing is bigger than me. I know that the legacy I leave behind will have an impact on someone who has my back,” she told the outlet, before referring to other Black actresses.
“My prayer is that I don’t want these black girls to have the same struggles as me and Viola [Davis]Octavia [Spencer]We’re out here fighting it out.”
Among those who expressed their support for Henson this week was her “Think Like a Man” co-star Gabrielle Union.
“There wasn’t a damn lie told. Not. A. Damn. Lie,” Union wrote Wednesday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “We are betting on BAT for the next generation and heck even for our own generation and above.”
“The Color Purple” is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters next week.
Watch video of Henson's interview with King below.
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