Empire star Taraji P. Henson has created a monster in giving such life to her character, Cookie Lyons.
"I hate that bitch. She's stolen my identity!" Henson, 44, joked during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable that had her talking television alongside Viola Davis, Jessica Lange and other stars.
"My friends don't want to talk to me unless it's about Cookie," Henson said.
Henson also explained that she felt great trepidation taking on the role.
"Cookie scared the hell out of me. … [I was] like, 'Hip-hop? Oh my God, what are they trying to do? Fox is going to pick this up? This isn't HBO?' And then I got nervous and started pacing the floor. 'Oh my God, Cookie is bigger than life. You will love her or hate her,' " Henson recalled.
"Empire has forced people to have conversations that they were afraid to have. And that is what art is supposed to do. I just didn't know it was going to shake things up this much!"
Cookie has become known for snappy comebacks and well-barbed insults, many of which Henson herself improvises. In the interview, however, Henson credits her father with inspiring Cookie's sharp tongue.
"A lot of people think those came from a woman I know, but actually Cookie is based on my dad. You either loved him or you hated him because he was always speaking truth," she said.
"The one line I said in the show about someone's hair smelling like 'goat a--' was his. Once I didn't wash my hair for two weeks because it kept the curl better when it was dirty. We were on a public bus, and he grabbed my head and asked, 'Why does your head smell like goat a--?' in front of everybody. I learned the lesson. I washed my hair. Thanks, Dad."
Early on, Henson actually attempted to embark on a wholly different professional path: electrical engineering.
"High school was the only time I ever can remember [thinking about] quitting. I auditioned for Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and didn't get accepted. At that age, their word was law. It meant I couldn't act," Henson explained.
"So I went to college to be an electrical engineer. I don't know why I did that – I still count on my fingers, and I failed calculus with flying colors. But then I rerouted my life – enrolled at Howard University, took up theater and studied the craft. I felt like I was armored enough to come out to Hollywood," she said.
"And I knew that I would get told 'no' a million times."
"I hate that bitch. She's stolen my identity!" Henson, 44, joked during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable that had her talking television alongside Viola Davis, Jessica Lange and other stars.
"My friends don't want to talk to me unless it's about Cookie," Henson said.
Henson also explained that she felt great trepidation taking on the role.
"Cookie scared the hell out of me. … [I was] like, 'Hip-hop? Oh my God, what are they trying to do? Fox is going to pick this up? This isn't HBO?' And then I got nervous and started pacing the floor. 'Oh my God, Cookie is bigger than life. You will love her or hate her,' " Henson recalled.
"Empire has forced people to have conversations that they were afraid to have. And that is what art is supposed to do. I just didn't know it was going to shake things up this much!"
Cookie has become known for snappy comebacks and well-barbed insults, many of which Henson herself improvises. In the interview, however, Henson credits her father with inspiring Cookie's sharp tongue.
"A lot of people think those came from a woman I know, but actually Cookie is based on my dad. You either loved him or you hated him because he was always speaking truth," she said.
"The one line I said in the show about someone's hair smelling like 'goat a--' was his. Once I didn't wash my hair for two weeks because it kept the curl better when it was dirty. We were on a public bus, and he grabbed my head and asked, 'Why does your head smell like goat a--?' in front of everybody. I learned the lesson. I washed my hair. Thanks, Dad."
Early on, Henson actually attempted to embark on a wholly different professional path: electrical engineering.
"High school was the only time I ever can remember [thinking about] quitting. I auditioned for Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and didn't get accepted. At that age, their word was law. It meant I couldn't act," Henson explained.
"So I went to college to be an electrical engineer. I don't know why I did that – I still count on my fingers, and I failed calculus with flying colors. But then I rerouted my life – enrolled at Howard University, took up theater and studied the craft. I felt like I was armored enough to come out to Hollywood," she said.
"And I knew that I would get told 'no' a million times."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment