Taraji Henson Still Lacks Franchise Role After 30 Years
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- Taraji Henson appeared on Hoda Kotb’s “Making Space” podcast (via People) and discussed how male and female actors are treated differently.
- Taraji Henson credited her breakthrough to the 2001 John Singleton film “Baby Boy,” which also introduced Tyrese Gibson in his feature‑film debut.
- Tyrese Gibson booked two major franchise films—“Transformers” and “Fast & Furious”—after “Baby Boy,” while Taraji Henson has not secured a comparable live‑action franchise role in nearly 30 years.
- Taraji Henson has voiced characters in animated franchises (e.g., “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie”) and had a supporting part in the 2010 “The Karate Kid” franchise, but she emphasized the lack of a sizable live‑action franchise part.
- Taraji Henson took a month‑long break in Bali after feeling “discouraged” by the industry, then returned and expanded her non‑acting ventures, including launching her beauty brand TPH.
- Taraji Henson publicly highlighted pay disparity for women of color, breaking down in tears during a December 2023 SiriusXM interview on the “Color Purple” press tour.
- Taraji Henson is set to make her Broadway debut opposite Cedric the Entertainer in a revival of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”
Why it matters: The contrast underscores that Hollywood’s franchise pipeline still favors male actors, granting Tyrese Gibson lucrative blockbusters while Taraji Henson, a seasoned Black actress, remains without a comparable live‑action role, reinforcing pay and visibility gaps for women of color and limiting their bargaining power in negotiations.
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