12 September 2017
Newsdesk
Taraji P. Henson is seeking a boyfriend who will be accepting of her busy Hollywood career.
The actress rarely speaks about her personal or romantic life, though she has previously been linked to NFL cornerback Kelvin Hayden.
While it appears that Taraji is currently single, it seems that when the time is right, the 46-year-old has a very specific idea of what she is looking for when it comes to a partner.
"I would love to (be in a relationship)," she told U.S. Marie Claire magazine. "But he has to see how I move and deal with it, because I don't have time to explain. I've got work to do."
From her role as Cookie Lyon in hit TV show Empire to her critically acclaimed parts in movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Hidden Figures, Taraji has a constant stream of offers directed her way. But the star is determined to select roles that celebrate a diverse range of women, and is taking notes from veteran actress Meryl Streep's career choices.
"I just knew (I'd be typecast after 2001 movie Baby Boy)," the actress stated. "So I was like, 'Never again a ghetto role. I'm not saying I can't do it later, but right now, I have something to prove.'
"My mission became showing that I'm a character actress. I can give them as many different performances as Meryl Streep - who is the one they look up to? Meryl Streep. Watch this. You think black women can't do it? I'm trained just like she is."
Accordingly, Taraji is hopeful that one day young girls will consider her within the same ranks as Meryl, Bette Davis, and Carol Burnett, all of whom she studied when she was breaking into the industry. And with four films, including action-thriller Proud Mary, lined up for 2018, the Oscar nominee wants to use her platform to promote feminism.
"How can we get ahead if we're feuding and hating on each other all the time? I made a pact years ago that I would never hate on another female, ever, especially in this industry," she added.
