The leading lady also discusses her challenging upcoming role.
Taraji P. Henson has become a part of Hollywood history.
On Monday, the Empire star received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During her speech, the acclaimed leading lady discussed her grandmother, who was in attendance, and how she has inspired her throughout her career. She even broke down in tears while celebrating the enormous achievement.
Afterward, ET’s Courtney Tezeno spoke with the 48-year-old thespian about her grandmother.
“You put me on the spot! But, what I love about my grandmother is her unconditional love,” she explained. “She taught the family how to love, and she keeps us very close. All my cousins and I are really, really close. But of course, she prayed. She did a lot of praying and she continues to pray for me, and like I said in my speech, her prayers definitely brought me here. So, my grandmother's my everything.”
Henson also discussed her next project in which she’ll once again team up with Baby Boy director John Singleton (shown below) to make a film about the horrific death of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman by whistling at her in a grocery store.
“It's going to be bittersweet, because yes, it's a story that absolutely needs to be told,” she shared. “But you know, when I play those dark -- I'm such a bright person, you know?"
But, she concluded that she's more than up to the challenge despite how taxing the project will inevitably be.
"I'm, like, dreading a little bit having to stay in those places for however long it takes us to film it, but I'm ready for it," Henson added. "I'm ready for the challenge, because, again, I do work that hopefully affects and moves humanity forward in a positive way.”
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