LIPA.
>>> TARAJI P. HENSON'S NAME IS
SYNONYMOUS WITH COOKIE LYON, THE
UNFORGETTABLE MATRIARCH ON THE
HIT SERIES "EMPIRE."
A ROLE THAT EARNED HENSON A
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD FOR BEST
ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA.
IN THE MOVIES, THE WASHINGTON,
D.C., NATIVE HAS WON PRAISE FOR
HER PERFORMANCES IN "HUSTLE AND
FLOW," "HIDDEN FIGURES," AND
"THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON" WHICH EARNED HENSON AN
OSCAR NOMINATION.
SHE IS STEPPING TO ANOTHER KIND
OF SCREEN WITH "PIECE OF MIND
WITH TARAJI" ON FACEBOOK WATCH
WHERE HENSON HOSTS RAW, HONEST
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH.
TARAJI AND I GOT TOGETHER OVER
ZOOM THIS WEEK FOR A VIRTUAL
"SUNDAY SIT DOWN."
♪
>> NAME COOKIE --
>> AS COOKIE LYON, TARAJI P.
HENSON WAS A SELF-ASSURED ICON
OF SWAGGER AND POWER.
>> NOW, LET'S TALK BUSINESS,
SHALL WE?
>> IN REAL LIFE, THOUGH, THE
ACTRESS IS, LIKE ALL OF US, A
WORK IN PROGRESS.
>> WE ARE EMBARRASSED TO SAY WE
NEED HELP.
>> WITH HER CONVERSATIONAL NEW
SHOW, "PIECE OF MIND WITH
TARAJI," HENSON HOPES TO CREATE
SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO START
TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HEAL.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAL.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAL --
>> WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?
>> THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN
THE BLACK COMMUNITY FELT LIKE IT
NEEDED SOME URGENCY.
SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN REACH
MORE PEOPLE.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE SEE
THAT THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT A
SESSION LOOKS LIKE WITH A
THERAPIST.
YOU LAUGH, YOU CRY.
THE THING ABOUT IT IS EVERYBODY
THAT COMES ON THE SHOW, AND I
FEEL SO GOOD, THEY SAY THEY FEEL
SAFE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THERAPY IS
BEING IN A SAFE PLACE WHERE YOU
CAN UNLOAD.
>> HENSON IS WIDE OPEN.
>> I LEARNED A LOT --
>> SHARING HER OWN STORIES OF
TRAUMA AND OF HER ONGOING
STRUGGLE.
>> I WATCHED MY MOM GET ROBBED
TWICE.
THE FIRST TIME I WAS 6, AND SHE
WAS HELD AT GUNPOINT.
TRAUMA.
>> UH-HUH.
>> SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE A VOICE
AND A FACE AND A NAME LIKE YOURS
SAYING, HEY, THIS IS PART OF MY
LIFE.
>> I JUST REMEMBER SAYING IT
LIKE PUBLICLY -- I SUFFER FROM
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
AND THEN I REMEMBER A BIG SIGH
OF RELIEF, AND LOOKING AROUND
LIKE, WHOA, I'M NOT ALONE.
HEY, YOU -- YOU KNOW.
>> AT HENSON'S SIDE ON THE SHOW
IS ACTRESS TRACY JADE.
HER BEST FRIEND SINCE THE
SEVENTH GRADE.
>> I SUFFERED WITH ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS
OLD.
HAD I -- I DIDN'T HAVE THE
KNOWLEDGE OR --
>> KNOWLEDGE --
>> WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING.
>> I MADE FUN OF HER.
I TOLD HER TO GET OVER IT.
>> YOU TWO HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER
FOREVER.
YOU HAVE REVERSED ROLES WHERE
SHE WAS MORE OPEN ABOUT HER
MENTAL HEALTH WAY BACK WHEN, AND
YOU DIDN'T GET IT BACK THEN.
IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?
>> YES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE
STIGMA AROUND IT, WE MADE FUN OF
HER.
AND I DID AS HER BEST FRIEND.
AND SHE DIDN'T TAKE OFFENSE.
SHE JUST -- SHE TOOK IT BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT WE DID, YOU KNOW.
SHE STILL TOOK HER MEDICINE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE
BECAUSE IT'S JUST -- IT'S
IGNORANCE.
CUT TO, HI, BEST FRIEND, I
SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION NOW.
SHE'S LIKE, OH, COME HERE.
LET ME HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT,
YOU KNOW.
>> EVERYBODY'S DAMAGED.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE.
EVERYBODY --
>> YOU ACTUALLY STARTED THIS --
DEVELOPING IT BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC.
IT JUST SORT OF CAME INTO THIS
MOMENT.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC BEEN FOR
YOU?
SOMEONE WHO WORKS NONSTOP.
>> AT FIRST IT WAS FUN -- YAY, A
BREAK.
THEN AFTER A WHILE, I WAS LIKE,
OKAY -- THEN THAT'S WHEN I
BOUGHT THIS.
>> STARTED DIRECTING YOURSELF.
>> I JUST WAS WALKING AROUND THE
HOUSE GOING -- HA, CUT.
I TRY TO GET A LITTLE -- START
TO GET A LITTLE NUTTY.
THEN I FELL INTO A DEPRESSION.
THAT'S WHEN I LITERALLY HAD TO
SHIFT MY FOCUS.
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE I HAD TO
REINVENT MYSELF.
I LEARNED HOW TO CUT HAIR, AND I
LEARNED HOW TO MAKE WIGS.
I'VE BEEN DOING MY OWN NAILS.
>> REALLY?
>> WHAT I REALIZED THROUGH
THERAPY IS THAT I'M A CREATIVE.
SO I COULDN'T CREATE THE WAY
THAT I WAS USED TO CREATING IN
FRONT OF A CAMERA.
I FOUND ANOTHER WAY.
>> YOU KNOW, I NOTICED THOSE
NAILS.
I WAS GOING TO SAY -- WE GOT
ANOTHER CAREER FOR YOU.
>> YOU KNOW, I'M A SURVIVOR.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
I'M GOING TO SURVIVE.
>> FOR SIX SEASONS, HENSON
PLAYED ANOTHER SURVIVOR ON THE
HIT FOX SERIES "EMPIRE."
>> DON'T EVER TOUCH MY SON.
UM GET THAT?
>> THERE HAS BEEN TALK RECENTLY
OF A SPINOFF SERIES FOR COOKIE.
>> JUST BECAUSE I ASKED JESUS TO
FORGIVE YOU DON'T MEAN I DO.
>> DO WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW?
>> IT'S VERY MUCH WHAT THEY DID
WITH MARY TYLER MOORE WHEN SHE
HAD HER OWN SHOW.
AND CAN THIS WOMAN MAKE IT ON
HER OWN?
COOKIE DID SO MUCH FOR HER
FAMILY AND FOR THESE MEN, AND
NOW SHIE'S TRYING TO BUILD HER
OWN EMPIRE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AND NOW
WE'RE IN THE AGE OF THE WOMAN.
AND COOKIE DESERVES HER SPOT.
>> IN THE MEANTIME, HENSON IS ON
TO THE NEXT CHALLENGE --
DIRECTING HER FIRST MOVIE CALLED
"TWO FACED" IN WHICH SHE ALSO
WILL STAR.
>> I DIDN'T WANT TO DIRECT AT
FIRST.
I REMEMBER ON "EMPIRE" THEY KEPT
TELLING ME, YOU NEED TO DIRECT,
YOU NEED DIRECT.
I'M LIKE, NO, YOU GUYS DON'T
SLEEP.
I LIKE MY SLEEP.
THEN I FINALLY -- I SAID, OKAY,
I'M GOING TO DIRECT, IT'S THE
LAST SEASON, I MIGHT AS WELL DO
IT NOW.
SO I LOVE IT.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
THE BUG BIT ME.
I WANT MORE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,
I DIDN'T HAVE A YOUNG LADY TO
LOOK UP TO.
I DIDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY THAT
LOOKED LIKE ME.
AND THOSE LITTLE GIRLS WHO
DIDN'T HAVE THIS IMAGE, YOU
KNOW, REPRESENTATION AND
EVERYTHING, VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO DREAM AND TO
SEE YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF THIS
LITTLE BOX THAT YOU'RE IN.
>> IS IT A CRAZY THING FOR YOU
TO BE IN THIS POSITION NOW WHERE
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO
YOU?
>> I DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT EYEBALLS ARE
ON ME.
AND YOUNG, LITTLE HUNGRY EYES.
AND I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> "PIECE OF MIND WITH TARAJI"
AIRS MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS AT
NOON ON FACEBOOK WATCH.
BY THE WAY, IN 2018, TARAJI
ESTABLISHED THE BORIS LAWRENCE
HENSON FOUNDATION THAT PROVIDES
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
THE ORGANIZATION IS NAMED FOR
HER LATE FATHER.
DON'T FOR GET TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THE PODCAST TO HEAR THE
FULL-LENGTH INTERVIEW WITH
TARA