>>> SLEAZE AS FIERCE OFF SCREEN AS ON, AND --
>> Both: TARAJI P. HENSON. >> HER CURRENT ROLE SCORED
TARAJI A GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST ACTRESS AND NOW PLAYS COOKIE
LYON RUNNING A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR RECORD LABEL WITH HER
MUSIC MOGUL EX, GOT THAT? HER HUSBAND.
EX-HUSBAND. ON THE HIT SEASON "EMPIRE" ABOUT
TO KICK OFF ITS FIRST SEASON.. HODA, SHE FIRST SAW IT, I'M IN.
I'M IN. CAN'T STOP WATCHING THIS.
>> YEAH. >> AND TO IMAGINE THAT YOU
ALMOST TURNED DOWN THIS ROLE? >> YEAH.
BECAUSE SHE SCARED ME. SHE SCARED ME.
>> SCARES A LOT OF PEOPLE. >> I KNOW.
BUT I JUST -- I THOUGHT THE NAACP WOULD COME AFTER ME.
AN IMAGE OF A BLACK WOMAN CALLING HER KIDS THE F BOMB AND,
YOU KNOW, BEATING ONE KID WITH A BROOM.
I WAS LIKE -- >> I CAN'T -- THAT STUFF HAPPENS
TO PEOPLE OF ALL CREEDS AND COLORS.
>> OF COURSE, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT RID OF THE FEAR I
HAD TO DEAL WITH IT. FEAR COMES UP, FACE IT.
WHAT'S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?
I CAN CHANGE THIS. ONCE I DECIDED, YOU CAN DO THIS.
YOU CAN HUMANIZE HER, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON WHY.
>> RIGHT. >> WHY PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO.
I FOUND THE WHYS AND THANK GOD PEOPLE CONNECTED.
>> COOKIE IS YOUR NICKNAME FROM COLLEGE.
DID YOU ASK FOR THIS TO BE HER NAME OR JUST WORKED OUT?
>> I DID NOT. I GOT THE SCRIPT, CALLED MY
GIRLFRIEND, GIRL, GUESS WHAT THIS CHARACTER'S NAME IS.
WHAT? COOKIE.
ISN'T THAT LIFE COMING FULL CIRCLE.
>> HOW LONG DO YOU LIKE COOKIE, WITHOUT THE BROOM INCIDENT?
>> WELL, I AM FIGHTER. I DON'T TAKE NO STUFF.
YOU KNOW? I'M A MOTHER.
I BELIEVE IN FAMILY FIRST. YOU KNOW?
THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT I'M A LITTLE MORE DIPLOMATIC THAN
COOKIE, LIKE -- >> CAN YOU GIVE US -- A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT YOU. DROP ONE HINT WHAT'S COMING UP
IN THE NEW SEASON. ANY BITS OF INFO?
>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU COOKIE IS BECOMING A MORE EVOLVED
COOKIE, IF YOU WILL. OKAY.
SHE'S NOWS NOW HAVING TO TAKE O THE EMPIRE.
LUCIUS YOU KNOW HOW THE SEASON ENDED.
HE STILL CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING.
SO YOU KNOW, SHE'S HAD TO STEP IN.
ALWAYS WANTED HER COMPANY. NOW SHE HAS IT.
YOU WILL SEE A MUCH MORE -- >> WATCH OUT WHAT YOU WISH FOR
KIND OF THING? >> EXACTLY.
YOU WILL -- ALSO THEY WERE GOING TO DIG MORE INTO THE PAST.
HER LIFE IN PRISON. I ALWAYS FOUND INTRIGUING.
WHAT WAS HER LIFE LIKE IN PRISON?
>> YOU DO FLASHBACKS? >> A LOT OF THESPIAN THIS YEAR.
BLOWING MY MIND. I GET TO WORK WITH FOR ET
WHITAKER AGAIN. DEMI MOORE, GEM TO WORK WITH.
SHE'S EVERYTHING YOU THINK SHE IS.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS -- >> WE'VE INTERVIEWED HER.
>> BEFORE SHE'S EVERYTHING. FUNNY, SHE'S EVERYTHING I
THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE. YOU KNOW?
>> HMM. >> IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
>> THAT'S ALL YOU CAN TELL US? >> THAT'S ABOUT --
>> THAT WAS NOTHING. THANKS A LOT.
>> DID YOU SEE THAT? >> THAT'S A LOT OF NOTHING!
>> ZERO. >> YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING YOU
WANT TO TALK ABOUT, A SPOKESPERSON FOR -- WHAT ARE YOU
DOING WITH SPECIAL K? >> I LOVE SPECIAL K.
WHAT HAPPENS IS, YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL THINGS ARE PUT INTO
NUMBERS AND STATISTICS. RIGHT?
I KNOW I THINK ABOUT FOOD A LOT, AND I DOUBT MY FOOD CHOICES.
WE'RE WOMEN. YOU KNOW?
>> RIGHT, AND SO WHEN SPECIAL K CAME TO ME I JUST ACTUALLY HAD A
HEALTH SCARE MYSELF, AND SO NOW I'M FORCED TO MAKE BETTER
CHOICES. >> OKAY.
>> SO SPECIAL K WAS RIGHT ON TIME.
AND -- >> ACTUALLY IT'S DELICIOUS.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD. HOW ABOUT THAT?
SPECIAL K, I'LL DO IT JUST FOR THE FREE BOXES OF CEREAL.
THANK YOU! [ LAUGHTER ]
BUT -- >> KEEP YOU WITH SPECIAL K THE
REST OF YOUR LIFE. >> RIGHT.
THE THING ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW ME.
I DON'T SIGN ON TO ANYTHING UNLESS I'M PASSIONATE AB.
I THOUGHT GOD BROUGHT THIS TO ME DO TO MY HEALTH SCARE.
>> EVERYTHING'S FINE. NEVER FELT BETTER.
>> RIGHT. >> WHEN YOU DO BETTER YOU GET
BETTER. 90% OF WOMEN SPEND 61 MINUTES A
DAY DOUBTING FOOD. DOUBTING FOOD.
WE CAN BE THINKING ABOUT SHOES, WHAT'S THE NEXT DRESS,
HAIR-STYLE, WHAT WILL I PUT ON MY NAILS AND INSTEAD WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT FOOD. DOUBTING YOURSELF.
DOUBTING IT. >> YOU'RE RIGHT?
>> WHY? WE DON'T DOUBT WHAT WE WEAR.
>> SOMETIMES WE SHOULD! >> WELL, SOMETIMES.
IF YOU'RE CONFIDENT, DON'T DOUBT IT, HONEY.
LET THEM DOUBT T. I'M AFRAID TO WRAP COOKIE UP.
COOKIE, GOT TO GO, HONEY. >> NO.
I DON'T WANT TO. >> YES.
>> IT'S GIRLFRIEND TIME! >> AND "EMPIRE," THE NEW SEASON.
>> TALKING ABOUT MAKING BETTER CHOICES WITH FOOD.