Taraji P. Henson is speaking candidly about Hollywood. The actress shared her thoughts on franchise films and why she believes they often overlook actors like her.
According to Variety, Taraji P. Henson recently opened up about the challenges she faces in Hollywood, particularly when it comes to major franchise films. The Oscar nominee got her movie breakthrough in John Singleton’s 2001 coming-of-age movie “Baby Boy,” which also happened to mark the feature film debut of Tyrese Gibson. But only one of them became a franchise star.
“That was huge for me. I was I was a female lead. I was new to Hollywood, and I just remember everybody coming to me going, ‘Oh my God, you’re gonna blow up. Do you understand what John Singleton does to people’s careers? Look at this person and this person,’” Henson remembered. “But I don’t know, discernment told me something different. And I just knew it wasn’t gonna be that way. Something sat on my heart, and it was like, ‘I don’t know that that’s gonna happen like that overnight for me.’ And so, sure enough… but I knew deep down it would for Tyrese.”
“After ‘Baby Boy,’ Tyrese booked two franchise movies, huge: ‘Transformers’ and ‘Fast and Furious,’” she continued. “I still have not booked my franchise film. Been in the game almost 30 years. No franchise film. I’m not gonna cry about it. I mean… I know what it is now. I’m on the other side of the table now. You can’t hurt my feelings anymore because now I know there’s politics involved.”
The actress expressed that large-scale projects often fail to cast actors like her, highlighting ongoing issues around representation and opportunity in the industry.
Her comments reflect a broader conversation about diversity and inclusion in Hollywood, especially within blockbuster franchises.
