From red carpet to reality check: Taraji P. Henson opens up about being underpaid and potentially walking away from her dream.
Recently I posted about navigating the casting maze as an African American woman. Beyond the initial win of securing a role, the struggle for equitable pay as a POC artist underscores the systemic inequalities that cast a long shadow on our careers.
Taraji P. Henson's recent interview resonated deeply, as she openly shared her experiences with pay disparity as a black actress in Hollywood. While her career success might lead some to believe otherwise, her story highlighted a persistent issue that many talented actors of color face.
Henson has numerous accolades in which I recommend familiarizing yourself with. However her persistent experiences with pay inequity led to a thought-provoking question during the interview: does she ever consider leaving acting?
"I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost," Henson responded, visibly emotional.
"I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t mathing. And when you start working a lot, you know, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, it’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid."
"When you hear someone say, ‘Oh, such and such made $10 million,’ know that didn’t make it to their account," she said in the joint interview, which also included "Color Purple" co-star Danielle Brooks and director Blitz Bazawule.
Henson, who is also proud alumna of Howard University's drama program, Henson remarked "off the top, Uncle Sam is getting 50%."
"Now we have $5 million. Your team is getting 30% off what you gross, not after what Uncle Same took. Now do the math," Henson communicated.
"I'm only human," she continued. "It seems every time I do something and break another glass ceiling, when it's time to renegotiate, I'm at the bottom again like I never did what I just did, and I'm just tired."
A wave of validation followed Henson's interview, as Black actresses across the industry found common ground in her story.
"Not a damn lie told. Not. A. Damn. Lie. We go TO BAT for the next generation and hell even our own generation and above." -Gabriel Union
"Do the math of all of it and it’s often still living check to check and not creating generational wealth... Especially living in LA/NY. All the while watching non-Black actors get paid WAY more. This woman is OSCAR NOMINATED - imagine the struggle for 99% of the rest. Maybe folks won’t relate but that’s also the issue - being misunderstood and people just assuming they’re ‘rich.’ So next time yall see an actor working at Trader Joe’s, maybe it will hit differently." - Robin Theade
Henson has previously discussed her experiences with pay disparity in Hollywood, including an interview in 2019 in which she described having to "continuously prove" that she is "bankable.".
Proving our worth, again and again. It's a wearying dance, but within us lies a flame that refuses to be extinguished.
Keep fighting Taraji! We need you!
"The Color Purple" hits U.S. theaters on Christmas Day.