Taraji P. Henson Says She Fired Her Entire Team For Not Capitalizing On The Success Of Her ‘Empire’ Character

[Loose]

Outside of her looks in her prime, I don’t think she ever been particularly a STAR actress caliber.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

She better give 50 a call before the new season of power book 2 starts filming, Monet needs some competition

 

[MenacingMonk]

I wonder how much say actors do when it comes to their team doing the work to push their client’s name. I know it’s agents, publicists, managers, etc job, but actors shouldn’t chill and let them make moves. I’d be all over their asses to get my name more star power, especially when the iron’s hot.

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Outside of her looks in her prime, I don’t think she ever been particularly a STAR actress caliber.

Cookie was definitely her peak, long with whatever movies she did during that time. She aged out of romantic interest and leading lady type roles

She could continue to do historical dramas

 

[ORDER_66]

I dont understand her and her agent couldnt come up with something to make her tons of money isnt on her and her agent to fight for better wages???

 

[MidwestD]

 

[Brandsdale]

Taraji and Gabrielle are just talking out they ass.

Your qualms with Hollywood are not relative to regular people and they both don’t have resumes to lead high budgeted films, and they damn well know this and trying to get public opinion on their side. I ain’t give a fukk when Monique came hooting and hollering and I don’t give a fukk now either

i don’t get what these brauds want folks to do. You want people to petition or sum?

 

[Adonis]

She better give 50 a call before the new season of power book 2 starts filming, Monet needs some competition

 

[Red Shield]

I'd also add (or inquire) what the benchmark even is for a black actress (or actor) tryna capitalize off the success of a hot tv character? Which isn't to say her team couldn't have done better but that it likely would've been an uphill battle regardless.

I never watched Empire but i did watch the first couple seasons of it's premium channel equivalent (as far as popularity) in Power, and of the four actors who became overnight pop culture sensations as Ghost, Tommy, Tasha, and Angela... none of their IMDBs are exactly scorching since. Naturi is essentially out of sight out of mind in the mainstream, outside of playing Tasha. Omar Hardwick is probably the best of them, and he just shows up on the occasional Netflix movie as 3rd billing.

And giving that he's 49 years old, that's probably his ceiling; he's not getting picked over Michael B Jordan, Damson Idris, John David Washington, etc for big movies. or Daniel Kaluyaa, LaKeith, etc for more serious/artsy films. Given that Taraji is in her early 50s, whatever limited roles Hollywood provides for old(er) black women, they gon just give to Viola Davis or Angela Basset.

Damn... but yeah I agree.

Most black actresses don't even start popping until their in the late 30s/early 40s.

 

[nieman]

She just doesn't have enough support from her miniscule fanbase. Empire was always gonna be her ceiling, and that was a very low niche ceiling to begin with. And after Proud Mary flopped, she was not gonna get another shot as a lead.

It would seem to be that she doesn't understand that she's a character actress. Her success will hinge on quantity of supporting roles, 3rd to 5th billing types for movies She just has to steal the show whenever she's on screen. But a huge star was never in the cards for her.

She also missed out on having a TV show when networks were giving out bags left and right. She needed a dramedy on CBS, ABC or even NBC to expand her audience, but even that would've confined her to TV at that time.

 

[Rayzah]

Oxon Hill’s finest

I thought she was from Clinton

 

[Justise M]

man, ever since she started doing that mental health podcast, it seems like hers have been getting worse and worse.

can't be happy with all the blessing she already has

 

[mag357]

I told y'all I feel nothing for this chix "struggles".
And I'm sure the more she keeps talking everybody will start to feel the same way

 

[Primetime]

Damn... but yeah I agree.

Most black actresses don't even start popping until their in the late 30s/early 40s.

Yup. think of all the mainstream black actresses under 40 and not many who get steady/top 3 billing work immediately come to mind without google. zendaya (disney kid), zoe (celebrity daughter), zaza, tenoyah, lashana? alexandra shipp i guess? and most of these are biracial/light skin.

The industry is nasty work. I recall it was cited on here that even Michael B was about to retire from acting before Fruitvalle Station happened because he just wasn't finding steady work. Hell, Danai Gurira (45) is pop culture certified twice over (TWD, BP), yet how often do we see her. It is what it is.

 

[mastermind]

I thought she was from Clinton

She graduated from Oxon Hill High School and grew up near Eastover.

She lived in Clinton with her dad for a second when she went to Howard.