THANK GOD. Thank you, W Magazine, for putting Taraji P. Henson on the July cover. I have been disturbed by the lack of major magazine covers and mainstream coverage of Taraji’s success in the past year. Taraji has been around for a while, working steadily and even earning an Oscar nomination, but in the past year, she’s reached a new level of stardom and it finally looks like magazines are starting to notice. The Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott editorial is really great too – you can see the slideshow here (there is one NSFW photo, so beware). The photos are sexy as hell and I will take Taraji looking sexed-up ANY DAY over the endless array of interchangeable white “starlets” looking damp and boring. As for the interview, it’s mostly about Empire, but there are some really interesting quotes. Some highlights:

She wanted to play Precious in ‘Precious’: “Lee wanted me for the thin, pretty teacher in Precious. And I was like, ‘Well, I want to play Precious—because that’s the role in this piece.’ Lee thought I was nuts. I was like, ‘Look, they turned Charlize Theron into a monster! I could be this girl!’ When I think about that now, it was such a Cookie move.”

Being asked to audition for Empire: “I was like, This is stupid. Hip-hop—dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. But then I started to think, Cookie is going to piss so many people off! She hits her son with a broom; she talks back. Clearly, this was a challenge.”

The social media love for Cookie Lyon: “They want Cookie. They see her heart. They see her intentions. And they love her style—her style is 17 years behind the fashion curve, which makes the clothes a character on the show. As Cookie grows, you’ll see her fashion grow. And people love that—she’s a work in progress. The only thing that never changes is her spirit: To me, Cookie is living, breathing, walking truth.”

The criticism Cookie gets for not being an appropriate role model: “When I hear that Cookie is a bad representation of black women, I don’t get involved. Maybe Cookie makes you uncomfortable because she reminds you of yourself. People miss the bigger picture when they start judging.”

Being a young mother & working in LA: “It was a struggle. But my son grew as my career grew. I never had a nanny—I did TV so I could be home with him. I wasn’t making my millions, but I was able to fulfill my dreams and be a mother.”

Being asked to audition for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: “I didn’t take it seriously. I mean, they had Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt—why would they want me? I thought it was a runaround, and I decided to hold an epic garage sale that day instead. I had mannequins. I had glasses with wig heads. I had champagne ready. And then my agent called and said, ‘Shut that garage door! Fincher wants to see you.’?”

Being nominated for an Oscar: “I lost, but it was the best time of my life. Brad and Angelina rushed up to me and said, ‘Are you okay?’ I was like, ‘Yes! Can I get some more wine?!’ They were more concerned about my name not being called than I was.”

The roles for black actresses: “Not only would I never be offered a character like Cookie in a movie, but she doesn’t exist. Cookie is bold and crazy, and she loves the struggle. She started from nothing, and now she’s at the top. In that way, we’re alike: Cookie is the American Dream.”

[From W Magazine]

I love the Brangelina story, of course. As for all of the talk about Cookie Lyon – I enjoy the fact that Taraji and Cooke are getting all of the best press out of Empire. Terrence Howard is an abusive a—hole and the best possible scenario is that people just ignore him completely and focus on Taraji.

Photos courtesy of W Magazine.