>>> WE ARE WELCOME K TARAJI P. HENSON TO STUDIO 1A.
SHE’S KNOWN FOR HER STAR ROLE ON
THE HIT SERIES "EMPIRE."
TARAJI JUST RECEIVED HER STAR ON
THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME.
LOOKING GOOD.
LOOKING GOOD. >> IF THAT IS NOT ENOUGH, SHE’S
STARRING IN A NEW MOVIE OUT THIS
WEEK CALLED "WHAT MEN WANT."
SHE PLAYS A SPORTS AGENT WHO
SUDDENLY REALIZES SHE CAN HEAR
MEN’S THOUGHTS.
MEN’S THOUGHTS. >> STOP DOING THAT.
>> STOP DOING WHAT?
>> TALKING WITHOUT MOVING YOUR
MOUTH AND SAYING THINGS YOU
SHOULDN’T SAY TO YOUR BOSS.
>> I SWEAR ON MY LIFE I WOULD
NEVER SAY ANYTHING DISRESPECTFUL
OR INAPPROPRIATE TO YOU EVER.
>> WHICH IS MORE THEN I COULD
SAY FOR YOU.
I HEARD YOU SAY IT.
>> CAN YOU HEAR MY INNER
THOUGHTS?
THOUGHTS? >> I CAN HEAR YOUR INNER
THOUGHTS!
THOUGHTS! I’M SCREAMING.
I’M SCREAMING. >> [ LAUGHTER ]
>> TARAJI, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU ARE SO PERFECT, PERFECT,
PERFECT, FOR THIS ROLE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT’S REALLY FUN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE HAVE SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT
THE MOVIE.
THE MOVIE. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOUR
CO-STAR JUSSIE SMOLLETT.
OF COURSE YOU PLAY COOKIE ON
"EMPIRE" AND YOU’RE HIS MOM IN
THE SHOW.
THE SHOW. HE JUST MADE HIS FIRST PUBLIC
APPEARANCE OVER THE WEEKEND.
WE’LL PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF IT.
>> I WAS BRUISED BUT MY RIBS
WERE NOT CRACKED.
JUST BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN A LOT
OF STUFF THAT HAS BEEN SAID
ABOUT ME THAT’S ABSOLUTELY NOT
TRUE.
TRUE. >> HE’S ALREADY BACK AND
PERFORMING.
PERFORMING. I KNOW YOU’VE SAID HOW MUCH YOUR
HEART GOES OUT TO HIM.
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION?
>> YOU KNOW, LIFE IS SPIRITUAL
WARFARE AND WE’RE SEEING IT
RIGHT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES.
YOU JUST HAVE TO STAY CLOSE TO
WHAT YOU KNOW.
JUSSIE IS LOVE.
THAT’S WHO HE IS, AND THAT’S ALL
HE KNOWS, SO IN THIS SITUATION,
HATE WON’T WIN.
IT WILL NOT.
>> WHAT KIND OF WORDS OF
ENCOURAGEMENT DID YOU GIVE HIM?
>> I JUST TOLD HIM TO WALK IN
HIS TRUTH, YOU KNOW.
JUST STAY THE JUSSIE THAT
EVERYBODY LOVES AND YOU SAW THE
OUTPOUR OF LOVE THAT HE HAD, SO
HE HAS TOUCHED A LOT OF PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, IN HIS CAREER.
I JUST TOLD HIM JUST WALK IN
YOUR TRUTH, BABY.
NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT FROM YOU.
>> YOU HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON IN
YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW, AND ALL OF
IT IS GOOD.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS MOVIE,
"WHAT MEN WANT."
I REMEMBER AN OLD MOVIE CALLED
"WHAT WOMEN WANT."
I GUESS THAFRST WAS THE JUMPING
POINT.
POINT. NOW WE GET TO HEAR MEN’S
INTERNAL THOUGHTS.
INTERNAL THOUGHTS. >> TERRIFYING.
>> TERRIFYING. >> IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK.
I THINK WOMEN’S MISCONCEPTION IS
THAT THEY’RE DRIVEN BY SEX AND
MONEY.
MONEY. I THINK THAT’S AN IMPORTANT PART
OF EVERY HUMAN.
YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND
WE LIKE TO FEEL GOOD, RIGHT?
BUT I THINK WE HANDLED IT WELL.
I THINK WE HANDLED THE GUYS
REALLY WELL IN THE FILM.
I DON’T THINK ANYONE THAT WAS
ATTACHED TO THIS PROJECT,
CERTAINLY WE DIDN’T WANT TO MALE
BASH.
BASH. I LOVE THE MEN IN MY LIFE.
I’M THE MOTHER OF A SON, AND YOU
KNOW, WE NEED EACH OTHER, SO I
THINK WE HANDLED THE MEN REALLY
WELL IN THIS STORY.
>> YOU ARE SO FUNNY IN THIS.
YOUR TIMING IS SPOT ON.
I GOT TO SEE IT AND WAS LAUGHING
THROUGH SO MUCH OF IT.
THEN I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN
THAT COMEDY WAS YOUR FIRST LOVE.
THAT’S WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO.
>> THAT’S WHAT I SET OFF TO L.A.
FOR.
FOR. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BOOK A
SITCOM.
SITCOM. I WAS A SINGLE MOTHER, I
CERTAINLY COULD USE THOSE
WORKING HOURS.
WORKING HOURS. THEY’RE
THEY’RE SITCOMS.
SITCOMS. I STARTED OFF ON SISTER, SISTER.
SMART GUY, PARENTHOOD, SAVED BY
THE BELL.
THE BELL. I WAS LIKE YES, I’M GOING TO
BOOK A SITCOM.
AND THEN I BOOKED BABY BOY.
AFTER THAT IT WAS SERIOUS ROLE
AFTER SERIOUS ROLE.
ONE DAY I’LL BE FUNNY, I GUESS.
20 YEARS LATER.
>> YOU’RE LIKE LITERALLY HAVING
THE LAST LAUGH NOW.
IT’S SO COOL, I WAS SAYING TO
YOU DURING THE BREAK THAT I SAW
WHAT YOU SAID AT THE HOLLYWOOD
WALK OF FAME WHEN YOU GOT YOUR
STAR, AND WHAT A MOMENT TO KIND
OF SIT AND TAKE MEASURE OF
EVERYTHING THAT YOU’VE
ACCOMPLISHED AND THINKING ABOUT
YOU COMING OUT TO HOLLYWOOD WITH
A 1-YEAR-OLD LITTLE BOY AND JUST
GOING FOR IT.
THAT TOOK A LOT OF GUTS.
>> IT DID, BUT YOU KNOW WHEN
YOU’RE 20, YOU’RE FEARLESS.
IN YOUR 20s YOU’RE LIKE
FEARLESS.
FEARLESS. IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN NOW, I
PROBABLY WOULD.
PROBABLY WOULD. IT’D TAKE ME A LOT OF
ENCOURAGEMENT FROM FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. BACK THEN I HAD THE WHOLE WORLD
AHEAD OF ME.
>> WEREN’T PEOPLE SAYING TO YOU,
TARAJI WHAT ARE YOU DOING,
YOU’RE GOING TO L.A. YOU HAVE A
BABY.
BABY. >> PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS DO THAT.
MY DAD GAVE ME -- MY PARENTS --
I KNEW I HAD A SAFETY NET SO I
WASN’T AFRAID TO TAKE THAT LEAP.
I JUST WASN’T.
I WAS TRAINED.
I WENT TO COLLEGE.
I FELT LIKE I HAD ALL THE TOOLS
FOR SUCCESS, AND THEN I HAD THIS
KID LOOKING AT ME LIKE MOM, YOU
KNOW, SO IT’S LIKE I HAVE TO
SUCCEED FOR HIM BECAUSE IF I
FAIL, THEN WHAT AM I TEACHING
HIM, YOU KNOW?
>> AND DID IT COME EASY?
DID YOU GET THE FIRST GIG?
>> NO, NOTHING IN LIFE IS EASY.
>> HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU?
>> IT TOOK AWHILE.
LIKE I WAS WORKING ODD YOU KNOW,
JOBS HERE AND THERE.
I WAS A TEMP AGENT.
I WORKED FOR A TEMPORARY AGENCY,
AND THEN I TURNED INTOTHAT INTO
FULL-TIME POSITION AT AN
ACCOUNTING FIRM, AND THEN AFTER
THAT I WAS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
AND SO IT WASN’T EASY.
ONE YEAR I MADE CANDLES.
THAT WAS MY INCOME, YEAH.
>> I WAS READING THERE WAS A
MOMENT WHERE YOU’D BOOKED A
ROLE.
ROLE. YOU HAD DONE WELL, AND IT GOT A
WILL THE OF ACCLAIM, AND YOU
WERE LIKE THIS IS THE MOMENT.
THIS IS THE MOMENT IT’S LIKE
HAPPENING FOR ME, AND EVEN THEN
IT TOOK TIME, WHICH I THINK IS
JUST SO TRUE ABOUT LIFE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I DON’T THINK PEOPLE REALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE REALLY IS
NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS.
THERE REALLY ISN’T.
THERE’S ALWAYS A STORY BEFORE
YOU SEE THE BIG BANG, YOU KNOW.
IT’S ALWAYS A STRUGGLE BEFORE
THAT.
THAT. SO YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT SEEMS
LIKE OH, IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT,
BUT IT DIDN’T.
IT REALLY DIDN’T.
>> DID IT JUST SET IN ON THAT
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME DAY WHEN
YOU WERE SITTING THERE WITH YOUR
STAR?
STAR? >> I STILL -- I HAVE TO GO BACK
TO MAKE SURE IT’S STILL THERE.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN I SAT
DOWN TO TAKE THAT PICTURE, THE
FIRST THING I DID WAS I MADE
SURE IT WAS STUCK.
I WAS LIKE IT’S NOT GOING TO
MOVE, IS IT?
EVERYONE LAUGHED.
EVERYONE LAUGHED. I’VE BEEN GETTING A COUPLE FANS
HAVE BEEN GOING BY TAKING
PICTURES STANDING OVER IT, SO
THAT’S REAL.
THAT’S REAL. I NEED TO GO BACK AND SEE FOR
MYSELF.
MYSELF. >> SO "WHAT MEN WANT" HODA SAW
IT OVER THE WEEKEND AND WAS
CRACKING UP.
CRACKING UP. DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE MORE
COMEDY IN YOUR FUTURE NOW THAT
PEOPLE HAVE REDISCOVERED THIS?
>> THAT’S ALL I WANT TO DO,
ANOTHER COMEDY.
ANOTHER COMEDY. THAT’S OKAY I’M NOT COMPLAINING.
I JUST WOULD LOVE TO LAUGH SOME
MORE.
MORE. >> I NEVER THOUGHT THERE WOULD
BE SUCH GREAT COMEDY IN SOME SEX
SCENES, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
TARAJI, JUST WATCH FOR THOSE.
THEY’RE TOO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH