>> James: WELCOME BACK, TONIGHT OUR GUEST IS A NOMINATED
ACTOR FROM HUSTLE AND FLOW, HIDDEN FIGURES, COVERREE AND
SCAR I'M AND SO MUCH MORE, THE MAGNIFICENT, THE GLORIOUS, THE
ONE, THE ONLY, TIR-- TARAJI P HENSON IS WITH US, HOW ARE YOU,
ARE YOU WELL?
>> I AM AS WELL AS I CAN BE.
>> James: WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
WHO ARE YOU WITH?
>> I AM FINALLY BACK IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I HAD MY SON, MY DOG, MY BROTHER WHO WAS ALSO MY ACTING COACH,
MORE LIKE MY BROTHER, WE WENT TO COLLEGE TOGETHER.
HE WAS HOUSE SITTING FOR ME AND IN THE PROCESS OF ABOUT TO MOVE
AND COVID HAPPEN AND THEY SHUT THE CITY DOWN.
HE GOT STUCK UP HERE.
MY FIANCE IS STUCK IN CHICAGO BECAUSE HE HAD TO FINISH
BUSINESS THERE BECAUSE WE ARE LEASING OUR CONDO.
SO SOMEONE HAD TO STAY AND FINISH THAT UP.
SO YEAH.
>> James: WELL, I GOT TO SAY, ISOLATION IS LOOKING GOOD ON
YOU, I AM LOVING THIS WHOLE LOOK.
DID YOU DO THIS YOURSELF?
>> I DID THIS MYSELF.
TOOK ME THREE DAYS BUT I WILL TIME, I'M LEARNING A LOT.
I DID MY NAILS, MY MAKEUP.
GOOD OLD TIME IN MY GLAM-UP.
>> James: ISN'T IT INCREDIBLE ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T
KNOW YOU WERE CAPABLE OF.
>> ACTUALLY, I WAS CAPABLE OF IT ALL, I JUST, I WANTED TO GO INTO
COSMETOLOGY WHEN I COULD NOT, WHEN I DID NOT GET ACCEPTED INTO
THE PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL.
I WAS LIKE WHAT ELSE DO I LOVE TO DO AND I WAS A YEAR LATE
APPLYING TO COSMETOLOGY SCOOVMENT BUT IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT I ALWAYS HELD DEAR TO ME. AND SO MY LITTLE SIDE HUSBAND
NELL COLLEGE WAS I DID $20 ACRYLICNESS, I DID $20 ROLLER
SETS.
AND THAT IS HOW I ATE IN COLLEGE.
>> James: I JUST NOTICED, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS TATTOO ON
YOUR BICEP BEFORE, THE TRUTH.
>> OH NO, YES.
>> James: IS THAT IN CASE ANYBODY UPSETS YOU IN YOUR LIFE,
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
>> I HAVE BEEN CALLED THE TRUTH A LOT.
I HAVE AM KNOWN BECAUSE I CAN ONLY TELL THE TRUTH.
LIKE I CAN'T TELL A LIE.
I GET PAID TO LIE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, SO IN MY REAL LIFE IT IS
VERY HARD FOR ME.
>> James: NOW TARAJI I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS.
YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING INKREBLED.
YOU LAUNCHED THIS BRILLIANT CAMPAIGN, FREE VIRTUAL THERAPY
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
TELL ME ABOUT IT, HOW IT IS GOING AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO
DO THIS AND HOW PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED.
>> WELL, I GOT, I WAS INCLINED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE AS YOU
KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
WE DON'T DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH IT SAY GENERATIONAL THING THAT
HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN, THE-- IT MAKES YOU LOOK WEAK OR WHEN WE
DO IT, SHOW WE ARE DEMONIZED FOR IT AND WE HAVE TRUST ISSUES, YOU
KNOW, WITH MEDICINE AND STUFF.
SO IT I HAVE BEEN TO CONGRESS, ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS, AND
WHEN THIS WHOLE THING WENT DOWN, I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE ISOLATING OR SUFFERING IN ISOLATION, YOU
KNOW.
I THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE, BECAUSE OF SO MANY REASONS,
UNEMPLOYMENT, THIS JUST LIVING CONDITIONS.
YOU CANNOT AFFORD MENTAL HEALTH.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ALL NEED IT AND IS I'M JUST THINK BEING THOSE
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE, THAT'S THE LAST THING
THAT THEY ARE THINK BEING IS HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF MY MENTAL
HEALTH AND ARE TRAUMATIZED BY THIS.
BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE ALARMING IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
WE ARE BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THIS COVID-19.
AND THAT IS TRAUMATIZING.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO DO MY PART, YOU KNOW.
WE'RE OFFERING FIVE THERAPY SESSIONS FOR FREE.
WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO DONATE.
TO DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN, JUST TRYING TO SAVE LIVES AND MAKE
THIS A BIT EASIER ON PEOPLE.
AN ANOTHER THING, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS THE TIME TO EVEN
TRY THERAPY, IF YOU HAVE EVER HAD ANY KIND OF RESERVATIONS
BECAUSE NOW ARE YOU IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME AND YOU
HAVE NOTHING BUT TIME.
AND WHY NOT WORK ON YOURSELF.
I AM DOING IT.
>> WELL, ALSO OF THERE IS A THING, YOU KNOW, TO GET ACROSS
TO PEOPLE WHICH HAVE I EVEN DEALT WITH SAY WITH MY PARENTS,
FOR EXAMPLE WHO ARE FROM A GENERATION OF LIKE HEAD DOWN,
PULL YOURSELVES UP, GETS ON WITH IT, YOU ARE A FINE.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
TO PEOPLE THAT WHEN ARE YOU AT YOUR MOST VULNERABLE, WE ARE ALL
AT OUR MOST VULNERABLE WE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE THE STRONGEST WE
KOAFER BE, YOU KNOW.
>> AND SEE THAT IS WHY I AM TAKING THIS TIME NOW, WE CAN GET
A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THE-- WAS SHUT DOWN FOR 30 MINUTES WHEN I DID CNN.
AND THAT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED THIS HELP, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, CHILD ABUSE IS
AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, ALCOHOLISM IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH BECAUSE
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, YOU KNOW, SO I AM JUST TRYING TO
BE A LITTLE HELP, A LITTLE BREATHE OF FRESH AIR IN THE DARK
TIMES.
>> James: GIVE THE NUMBER, NO STIGMA.
>> TO 707007.
>> James: 707070.
NOW WE'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE SERIES FINALE OF EMPIRE.
NOW YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF FILMING, WAS IT THE LAST EPISODE
OR SECOND TO LAST EPISODE WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPENED?
>> IT WAS THE SECOND TO LAST EPISODE SO WE WERE SLATED TO
FILM 20 EPISODES.
WE HAD 18 IN THE CAN.
WE WERE WORKING ON 19 WHEN COVID HAPPENED AND SHUT DOWN
EVERYTHING.
AND SO I HONESTLY, WHEN PEOPLE GO HOW IS THE FINALE.
YOU CAN GIVE US ANYTHING.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY CAREER SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON THIS
SHOARKS I CAN'T GIVE YOU SQUAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GOING TO END.
>> I KNEW HOW IT WAS GOING TO END IF WE HAD CONTINUED BECAUSE
I RAID ALL THE SCRIPTS BUT NOW I JUST KNOW WHAT WE FIMMED AND I
DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MAGIC THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE.
I'M SURE IT WILL BE BRILLIANT BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY GOOD AT
WHAT THEY DO.
BUT IT WILL BE MOVIE MAGIC IN EDITING ROOM.
>> James: SO YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SAY A PROPER GOOD-BYE TO
OFF THESE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKED WITH FOR SO MANY YEARS.
>> AND IT BREAKS MY HEART.
BECAUSE I AM A HUGE CREW PERSON.
I TAKE CARE OF MY CREW.
I TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE THAT TAKE CARE OF ME.
AND LISTEN, I BROUGHT THEM ALL LETTERMAN SWEATER BECAUSE IT WAS
OUR SENIOR YEEMPLET I LOVE TO PLAY SANTA.
AND I COULDN'T DO IT.
I COULDN'T SAY GOOD-BYE.
I COULDN'T HUG.
WE HAVE BEEN FAMILY FOR SIX YEARS.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS HURTS A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE'RE TEXTING EACH OTHER.
I HOPE WE GET A CHANCE TO SAY GOOD-BYE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE
WON'T.
>> James: ALSO THERE IS ONE THINGS, JOBS END AND YOU SAY
GOOD-BYE BUT THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A MONUMENTAL MOMENTS IN YOUR
LIFE, I MEAN I FEEL LIKE MORE THAN ANY OTHER SHOW EMPIRE CAME
OUT AND WAS AN IMMEDIATELY IN THE ZEIT GIET, PEOPLE WERE JUST
TALKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME AND PARTICULARLY TALKING ABOUT
COOKIE.
WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT ABOUT HER AND THAT CHARACTER THAT YOU
THINK JUST MADE ITS WORLD WANT TO TALK ABOUT HER.
AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY TALK BUT, YOU KNOW?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, CUZ COOKIE LIVES THE TRUTH. HER TRUTH.
SHE WASN'T AFRAID.
SHE WAS UNWAVERING.
SHE WAS THE MORAL COMPASS.
SHE SAID THINGS THAT PEOPLE WISHED THEY COULD SAY, YOU KNOW.
AND I MEAN, I THINK IF SHE TAUGHT US ANYTHING T WAS THE
TRUTH AND NOT BACK DOWN FROM THE TRUTH, THE UNAPOLOGETICALLY WHO
YOU ARE.
AND THIS IS COMING FROM A WOMAN WHO WAS A HERO BUT SHE WAS VERY
CLEAR ON WHY SHE WENT TO JAIVMENT HE IS A LIVING WALKING
TRUTH, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, LIKE IT OR NOT BUT SHE IS OKAY
BECAUSE IT IS HER TRUTH.
AND I THINK IF WE ALL DID THAT, WE WOULD LIVE A LITTLE LESS FREE
BECAUSE THE STRESS AND ANXIETY COMES FROM THINGS THAT YOU ARE
AFRAID TO SAY AND DO THAT IS WHEN ANXIETY CREEPS IN, BUT IF
YOU JUST LIVE AS BOLDLY IN YOUR TRUTH AND PLANTED YOUR FEET IN
THE GROUND AND SAY THIS SHOW I FEEL TODAY, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT
OR NOT.
YOU KNOW, MY DAD LIVED LIKE THAT.
HE WASN'T STRESSFREE BUT HE DIDN'T GO TO SLEEP WORRYING
ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
I MEAN FINANCIALLY IS DIFFERENT BUT YOU KNOW, HIS CONSCIENCE IS
CLEAN BECAUSE WHATEVER HE HAD TO SAY, HE WOULD SAY T YOU KNOW.
>> James: I THINK, I THINK AND I'M NOT SURE THE MANY PEOPLE
KNOW COMPLETELY THE JOURNEY THAT YOU TOOK TO GET TO THIS PLACE IN
YOUR KA REEMPLET YOU KNOW, YOU CAME TO L.A., I THINK IT WAS IN
THE '90S.
YOU WERE A SINGLE MOTHER.
YOU TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
TO GO TO L.A. STO TRY AND LIVE YOUR DREAM.
WHAT WAS THAT TRIP LIKE AND HOW DOES IT INFORM YOUR LIFE NOW
TODAY.
>> WELL, I THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT KNEW I WASN'T GOING
BACK.
MY MOM WAS LIKE OH, SHE'S GOING TO GO AND COME BACK.
WHEN I PACKED MY BAGS I WAS LIKE PEACE OUT.
I NEVER LOOKED BACK.
I KNEW I WAS GOFNLT I JUST KNEW THAT HAVING A CHILD SO YOUNG
ESPECIALLY A BOY, IF I DON'T LIVE OUT MY DREAM F I'M NOT OLD
ENOUGH TO TACKLE AND GO AFTER THEM, I AM GOING TO SEE, SO IF I
COULD JUST, IF I CAN LOOK INTO MY KID'S EYES AND SAY YOU CAN DO
ANYTHING, AND I HAVE, HE IS NOT GOING BELIEVE YOU, RIGHT.
SO YOU KNOW, I GUESS WHAT IT TAUGHT ME IS THAT FACE YOUR
FEARS BECAUSE LITERALLY I WILL A TODDLER HE WAS ONE, I HAD $700
IN MY POCKET AND I HAD A WHOLE LOT OF FAITH AND HI TALENT.
SO I HAD ALL THESE-- I WENT TO SCHOOL, I DID MY BIT, I GOT MY
DEGREE, I TRAINED ALL I COULD TRAIN.
SO NOW I GOT TO GO PUT IT TO WORK. AND I JUST KNEW I HAD A
GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM, A TESTIMONY TEAM AROUND ME THAT
WHENEVER I WANTED TO QUIT, HE WHAT BE LIKE NO TARAJI, YOU HAVE
COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE SOWING GOOD SEEDS INTO YOU AND YOU KNOW YOU
HAVE DONE ALL THE WORK, FEAR IS NOTHING.
FEAR CAN CRIPPLE YOU, AND SO THAT WHAT I LEARNED.
YOU HAVE TO FACE THE FEAR AND THEY CANNOT COEXIST.
>> James: AND THANK GOD YOU DID