ENGLISH?
>> Reporter: IT MUST BE A FUN
CHARACTER TO PLAY, BUT AS I
WATCH THE SHOW, IT MUST BE
EXHAUSTING.
>> IT IS.
>> Reporter: SHE IS ALL OVER THE
PLACE.
>> ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY.
LITERALLY I HAVE A TICK WHEN
PEOPLE CALL ME COOKIE AND I'M
NOT AT WORK, THE FANS.
I KNOW.
I UNDERSTAND IT.
I GET IT.
BUT IT DOES SOMETHING TO ME.
COOKIE!
NOT MY NAME!
>> Reporter: HENSON GREW UP IN A
ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD OF SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON, D.C.
HER MOTHER WORKED AT A LOCAL
DEPARTMENT STORE.
HER FATHER WAS A METAL
FABRICATOR.
THEY DIVORCED WHEN TARAJI WAS
JUST A BABY.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID YOU DREAM
ABOUT AS A LITTLE GIRL?
DID YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTRESS?
>> MY FATHER SPOKE THAT INTO ME.
I WAS A VERY RAMBUNCTIOUS CHILD.
I HAD A VERY CREATIVE
IMAGINATION AND I THINK THAT'S
BECAUSE I WAS AN ONLY CHILD.
MY DAD RECOGNIZED THAT IN ME
AND SAID YOU'RE THE GREATEST
ACTRESS ALIVE.
THE MORE YOU HEAR IT, YOU KNOW
IT.
>> Reporter: SHE HOPED TO STUDY
ACTING AT THE DUKE ELLINGTON
SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS IN D.C. BUT
SHE WASN'T ACCEPTED.
SHE WAS DEVASTATED.
>> I DECIDED TO HANG UP MY
ACTING HAT.
AND I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.
>> Reporter: TO COLLEGE, RIGHT?
>> BECAUSE MY FRIEND AT THE
TIME, THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS INTO.
I'LL DO THAT.
IT SOUNDS SMART.
MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.
>> Reporter: HOW LONG DID THAT
LAST?
>> I SUCKED AT MATH.
I FAILED WITH FLYING COLORS.
>> Reporter: BUT, AGAIN,
HENSON'S FATHER PUSHED HIS
DAUGHTER TO PURSUE HER TALENT.
HE SUGGESTED SHE TRANSFERRED TO
HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND GET BACK
ON THE STAGE.
>> WHAT THAT DID WAS IT
DEVELOPED A FIRE IN ME THAT WHEN
I GOT TO HOWARD, I GOT INTO MY
COMFORT ZONE, I GOT MY GROOVE
BACK AND I JUST FELT LIKE I
BELONGED.
>> Reporter: DURING HER JUNIOR
YEAR AT HOWARD TARAJI GAVE BIRTH
TO A SON, MARCEL, NOW 23.
EVEN WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT SHE
CONTINUED TO AUDITION AND TO
PERFORM ON STAGE.
>> Reporter: A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE SAID, OKAY, IT'S
OVER.
I'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF MY KID.
>> NO, I COULDN'T DO IT.
YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE I COULD HEAR THE
WHISPERS IN THE BACK SAYING,
SHE'S GOING TO QUIT.
NO, DON'T EVER DOUBT ME OR DO T
PLEASE, I WANT YOU TO BECAUSE
IT'S ONLY FUEL.
>> Reporter: IN 1996, A YEAR
AFTER GRADUATING, HENSON AND HER
2-YEAR-OLD SON MOVED TO LOS
ANGELES TO CHASE HER DREAM.
WITH $700 IN HER POCKET.
>> I KNEW I HAD A VOICE BECAUSE
I JUST DIDN'T SEE ME IN THE
INDUSTRY.
I DIDN'T.
IT WAS HARD BECAUSE I WAS EDGY.
YOU KNOW, I WAS STRAIGHT OFF THE
BUS.
STRAIGHT FROM D.C.
>> Reporter: SHE STARTED TO GET
SMALL PARTS ON TELEVISION
APPEARING ON SHOWS LIKE "SISTER,
SISTER."
>> PLEASE, YOU BE SMILING IF YOU
FINALLY GOT OUT OF THE TENTH
GRADE.
>> Reporter: AND "E.R."
>> WHAT YOU DOING HERE?
>> Reporter: HER BREAK CAME IN
THE ROLE "BABY GIRL."
SHE PLAYED OPPOSITE HER CURRENT
"EMPIRE" CO-STAR, TERRANCE
HOWARD.
HENSON LATER WOULD EARN AN OSCAR
NOMINATION FOR HER ROLE OF
QUEENY OPPOSITE BRAD PITT IN
"THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON."
WHEN SHE HEARD THE DIRECTOR
WANTED HER FOR THE PART, SHE WAS
KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF
SOMETHING.
>> I WAS PREPARING FOR A GARAGE
SALE BECAUSE I WAS ON MY WAY TO
ITALY AND I NEEDED -- I WANTED
SOME SPENDING MONEY.
I GET A CALL AND THEY'RE LIKE,
DAVID FIN CHER WANTS TO ME YOU,
THEY'RE LIKE, WHEN?
THAT'S GREAT TOMORROW.
>> Reporter: DURING THE GARAGE
DAY?
>> I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY
BECAUSE I HAVE THIS KICK ASS
SALE.
>> THE GOAL POINT IS 2990 MILES.
>> Reporter: A YEAR AGO SHE
STARRED IN THE CRITICALLY
ACCLAIMED "HIDDEN FIGURE."
SHE PLAYED THE REAL LIFE
KATHERYN JOHNSON, A PIONEERING
NASA MATHEMATICIAN.
>> KATHERYN JOHNSON.
>> I LOOKED AT HER AS BEING A
QUIET STORM.
I KEPT SAYING, OH, MY GOD, YOU
DID ALL OF THIS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE KEPT
SAYING?
WE.
YES, WE DID.
WE, US.
SHE NEVER SAID ME BY MYSELF.
SO THAT MADE ME REALLY MORE IN
THE SISTERHOOD, THE MOVIE.
IN THAT TIME THAT'S ALL WE HAD.
I WISH WE COULD GO BACK TO THOSE
TIMES.
>> Reporter: THE HOLLYWOOD
SISTER HOOD WAS OUT IN FORCE AT
LAST WEEK'S GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID YOU MAKE
OF THE NIGHT IN PARTICULAR AND
THE MOVEMENT MORE BROADLY?
WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS IN HOLLYWOOD.
>> NOW WE HAVE A DIALOGUE.
NOW WE HAVE TO FRAME THE
NARRATIVE.
IT DOESN'T STOP WITH WEARING
BLACK AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES.
THAT WAS A GREAT STATEMENT.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
>> Reporter: HOW DOES IT CHANGE?
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
>> THERE ARE WAYS TO FIGHT.
THIS IS NOT NEW TO ME.
THIS IS MY CAREER.
MY CAREER IS A FIGHT TO MAKE
THINGS BETTER FOR THOSE COMING
BEHIND ME, YOU KNOW?
SO THAT'S HOW I CHANGE THINGS,
IN MY WORK, YOU KNOW?
>> Reporter: YOU LIVE IT?
>> I DO.
I'M A NATURAL BORN FIGHTER.
>> Reporter: TARAJI'S NEW MOVIE
"PROUD MARY" IS IN THEATERS AND
"EMPIRE" IS COMING BACK.
>>> WHILE SHE WAS AT COLLEGE AT
HOWARD, SHE WORKED AS A
SECRETARY AT THE PENTAGON AND A
SINGING DANCING WAITRESS ON A
CRUISE SHIP AT NIGHT.
SHE WORKED HARD TO GET WHERE SHE
IS.
TO HEAR HER EXPLAIN WHY HER BIG
PERSONALITY SOMETIMES GOT IN THE
WAY OF GETTING THE PARTS SHE
WANTED CHECK OUT OUR WEB EXTRAS
AT TODAY.COM/EXTRAS.
>>> NEXT SUNDAY A SITDOWN WITH
DANE HELEN.
WE TRIED TO IMPRESS HER WITH A
TEA BUT SHE CORRECTED US BEFORE
WE SAT DOWN.
>>> AND DYLAN IS BACK NOW WITH
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE WEATHER.
HEY, DYLAN.
>> HEY, WILLIE.
BITING WIND CHILLS.
CLIPPER SYSTEM PRODUCING
MODERATE SNOW INTO THE GREAT
LAKES AND TENNESSEE VALLEY.
INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK THAT
SNOW WILL MOVE EASTWARD.
A COUPLE OF FLURRIES UP AND DOWN
THE EAST COAST ON WEDNESDAY.
VERY COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE
GREAT LAKES.
BY THE END OF THE WEEK A BIGGER
STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND SPRENDS
ACROSS THE ROCKIES.
THAT'S A LOOK AT THE WEATHER
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
NOW HERE'S A PEEK OUT YOUR
WINDOW.
>>> AND THAT'S YOUR LATEST
FORECAST.
>> THANK YOU, DYLAN.
DON'T GO FAR.
NEXT ON "SUNDAY TODAY" DYLAN
INTRODUCES US TO THE YOUNG
DOCTOR WHO HAS FOCUSED HIS TIME
AND TALL LENTSZ ON FINDING A
CURE FOR HIMSELF.
AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGHT FOR
SURVIVAL NEXT.
Somehow we always leave
packing to the last minute.
Time to break these bad boys out
No
I have a couple of things to wash
We got this-
Come on.
Even on quick cycle,
Tide PODS cleans great
6x the cleaning power,
even in the quick cycle
Let's go
Did you just get up
Uh-huh
It's got to be Tide
From our cazy delicious family to yours.
Crave Those Crazy Squares
For you, it's always leap over look.
Now over later.
And pause.
Not even in your vocabulary.
So when a cold sore tingle strikes you act on it.
Only Abreva can heal a cold sore
in as little as two and a half days
when used at the first sign.
It starts to work immediately
to block the virus
and protect healthy cells.
Nothing heals a cold sore faster.
And because Abreva acts on it...
You can too.
Act on it, with Abreva.
>>> DOCTORS SPEND THEIR LIVES
HEALING OTHER PEOPLE, BUT WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN PHYSICIANS BECOME
PATIENTS?
WHO DO THEY TRUST WITH THEIR OWN
HEALTH AND THEIR OWN LIVES?
AND WHAT IF THE ONLY DOCTOR CAN
SAVE YOU IS YOU?
DYLAN SHINES OUR SUNDAY
SPOTLIGHT ON A YOUNG DOCTOR
WHO'S NOW SPECIALIZING IN SAVING