I like to disappear in my roles because I don't have an assistant. Taraji P. Henson More Quotes by Taraji P. Henson More Quotes From Taraji P. Henson I like to be scared. I don't like feeling like "Oh, this is going to be a walk in the park". If I ever get to that place, I'll just stop acting. Taraji P. Henson parksactingfeelings Sometimes you have to say the words exactly how they are on the page, but sometimes when you improv, it only helps to get across what's on the page, and I just love working with directors who allow that. Taraji P. Henson pageshelpingdirectors Once you're a mom, always a mom. It's like riding a bike, you never forget. Taraji P. Henson ridingnever-forgetmom I'm pretty much the same. I'm consistent. There aren't two mes. There is only one me. I can only be myself, and that's who I always am whether I'm at home or on the carpet. Taraji P. Henson carpetconsistenthome I'm constantly proving myself. I have to always prove myself. There are roles where I feel like, "That should have been a straight offer. Why am I having to call my people and fight for it?" Taraji P. Henson fightingshould-havepeople Katherine Johnson passion for math, the way I light up when I get asked questions about acting is the way her eyes danced when she talked about math and how she wanted people to fall in love with numbers the way that she did. If I had a teacher like that, I could have been a rocket scientist. Taraji P. Henson falling-in-lovepassionteacher I'm really silly. That's the thing that people don't get. I think I'm a stronger comedic actress than I am a dramatic actress. I'm not really pigeonholed, but I'm known for drama. I do comedy so easily, and people relate to my humor. I'll be glad because I don't have to stay sexy and young forever. I don't care if I'm big, as long as I'm funny. Taraji P. Henson sexysillydrama If I were to meet the most incredible man, and he just so happened to not make as much money as I do, I wouldn't hold it against him. Taraji P. Henson incredibleshappenedmen Date a woman with children only if you are ready to man up, because it's a position that comes with responsibility. Taraji P. Henson responsibilitymenchildren A lot of times characters are combinations of people I come across in life. I people-watch a lot. Taraji P. Henson characterwatchespeople So much could go wrong on a date. What if he turns out to be a jerk? [You need] A back-up plan, just in case he doesn't work out, you can move on to the back-up plan. Taraji P. Henson what-ifwork-outmoving When I go home to visit, they never treat me like a celebrity. They still treat me like TJ. If I leave dishes in the sink, they'll let me know. Taraji P. Henson treatsdisheshome I don't think a living being should suffer for the sake of fashion, period. End of story. You don't have to kill an animal just because you want to be hot and fly. And I really stand by that. Taraji P. Henson fashionanimalthinking I don't think about other people. They are not walking in my shoes. They are not paying my bills. What makes me happy is when I do what I like to do, for me. Taraji P. Henson make-me-happypeoplethinking I'm not twentysomething. I'm not trying to find myself - I know exactly who I am and exactly what I want. And I don't want a fan. I want a man who understands me, who challenges me, who calls me on my sh-t instead of letting me get away with it because I'm supposed to be a star. I want a best friend. Taraji P. Henson challengestryingmen I would have to say movies are my favorite. I love doing TV, too, but it's always rush, rush, rush. With a feature film, those moments and scenes get a chance to breathe, because you don't have to accomplish as much in one day. Taraji P. Henson filmone-daychance When you are portraying a person that is very real, in my case, Katherine Johnson is still alive, she is 98-years old; there is a responsibility to get it right. I guess the biggest thing that I took away from Katherine was her humility. When you talk about superheroes there are selfless, they don't think about themselves, they put humanity first. Taraji P. Henson humilityrealresponsibility When I get that question, about diversity, I don't go, "Yeah, well you know they don't pay me." That's not my story. I own six properties; Hollywood has been damn good to me. Now you can ask me, "Have they paid you what you deserve?" That's the question, but you'd have to go to the studios, I don't know. I do the work! Taraji P. Henson propertyask-mediversity In my mind I'm like, "No, Katherine Johnson it was you. It was your mind alone that got John Glenn to orbit the earth." He didn't say, "Go get so in so." He said, "Go get that smart girl." But that fact that that she sees the "we" in "I," blew me away. Taraji P. Henson smartgirlmind I talked to Katherine Johnson, and I tried to make it weighty by asking things like, "How as a Black woman did you do your work in NASA? They were misogynistic, and I'm sure you got called the n-word." She was just like, "Well, that was the way it was. I just did my job. I wanted to do my job." She was just so humble. Taraji P. Henson black-womenblackhumble
