Taraji P. Henson says she went into her 'The Color Purple' audition with 'a chip on my shoulder' because she wasn't the studio's first pick

Olivia SinghJan 6, 2024, 01:39 IST

Insider

Taraji P. Henson stars as Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule's "The Color Purple."Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP; Lynsey Weatherspoon/Warner Bros.

Taraji P. Henson said she had to audition for "The Color Purple" because she wasn't the studio's pick.
Henson said that she walked into her audition for Shug Avery "with a chip on my shoulder."

Taraji P. Henson said that she walked into her audition for "The Color Purple" with a steely determination to prove that she was the right choice to play Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule's reimagining.

"Oftentimes in the industry, you can be the director's choice but not the studio's, so I had to audition," Henson explained in a new interview with The New York Times, released on Friday.

Henson is known for her Oscar-nominated role in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" as well as parts in films like "Hustle & Flow," "Hidden Figures," and "Proud Mary." But she's also recognized for her Emmy-nominated performance as Cookie Lyon on Fox's "Empire."

Despite her notable work — and previously turning down the role of Shug on Broadway — Henson said that she wasn't immediately offered the same part in the latest film adaptation of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple."

Taraji P. Henson's Shug Avery makes a few grand entrances in "The Color Purple."Ser Baffo/Warner Bros.

"I had to check my ego because I was like, 'Why am I auditioning?'" she said. "I mean, I get the singing, because there's nothing out there that shows me singing like that. But I had to sing, dance, and they read me. I was like, 'Ouch.'"

Henson said that she couldn't recall the last time she had to audition for a part, given her status in Hollywood.

"At this point I'm a Golden Globe winner and Academy Award-nominated," she said. "So I went in there with a chip on my shoulder because I was like, 'You will never second-guess me again.'"Henson said she showed up for her audition dressed like Shug and "literally kicked the door down," ready to go.

Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery in "The Color Purple."Courtesy Warner Bros.

Throughout the press tour for "The Color Purple," Henson has been outspoken about being frustrated by ongoing fights for pay equity in Hollywood and efforts to prove her worth.During a recent appearance on the podcast "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard," Henson recalled "ugly-face crying" during a live Q&A when she found out from Bazawule that she wasn't on the studio's ideal cast list for "The Color Purple."In an interview with Variety reporter Angelique Jackson for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the actor said she almost exited "The Color Purple" due to her salary."I haven't seen a raise in my income since 'Proud Mary,'" she said, referring to the 2018 film. "And I almost had to walk away from 'Color Purple.'"Henson told The New York Times that even though Bazawule has said that she nailed her audition, regardless, she's wary of the constant uphill battle."I'm really getting tired of fighting, I'm tired of proving myself," she said. "It seems like every time I break a glass ceiling, when it's time to renegotiate for another job, I'm right back like I did nothing."

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Taraji P. Henson says she went into her 'The Color Purple' audition with 'a chip on my shoulder' because she wasn't the studio's first pick