Taraji P.: People thought I was crazy!

Taraji P. Henson knows people thought she was “crazy” for moving to Hollywood.

The 44-year-old actress grew up in Washington D.C. and at the age of 26, she decided to move herself and her son across country to Los Angeles.

At the time, she had just graduated from Howard University and landed a nice job as a supervisor on a five-star boat cruise.

Many in her milieu thought it was irrational for her to leave such steady employment for a dream, but her father Boris always encouraged his daughter.

"People thought I was crazy,” she told People magazine.

"My dad knew that acting was my calling. One day, he looked at me and said, 'How do you expect to catch fish on dry land?' So I moved out here with my son with $700 in our pocket."

However, her decision to migrate turned out to be a stunning success.

Taraji received an Academy Award nomination for her role opposite Brad Pitt in 2008 release, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

She is now receiving acclaim for her portrayal of character Cookie on hit new TV show, Empire and Taraji believes a tenacious mindset helped her score all these professional wins.

"You just have to stay the course and not getting distracted or compare yourself to others," she noted. "You have to really stay focused and stay grounded.

"I wasn't in California to party and go to clubs. I just kept myself immersed in the craft of acting so that when opportunity struck, I would be ready.”

When Taraji first read the script for Fox drama Empire, she felt instantly it would be a hit.

"I just knew we had something special," the star shared. "This is what happens when you have great material and a studio that's behind it and ready to take a risk – it was the perfect storm."