Taraji P. Henson cried while describing the inequality black actors and actresses are facing in Hollywood when it comes to returne.
The Color Purple is set to take over the theaters on Christmas Day with some of Black Hollywood best of the best. But, they still struggle with being paid the exact amount of obey as their white peers.
King questioned the Oscar and Emmy-nominated actor if she was still thinking about quitting acting, which King had heard rumors of Henson earlier stating. Henson reacted by disclosing she has hit her breaking point in Hollywood since she continues to be underpaid.
“I’m just attempt of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson told.
“I’m attempt of hearing my sisters say the exact stuff over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’
Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. When you begin working hard, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this itself. It’s a entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”
“When you know someone go, ‘Such and such made $10 million,’ that didn’t make it to their account,” Henson added.
“Off the top, Uncle Sam is getting 50%. Now have $5 million. Your team is getting 30% of what you gross, not after what Uncle Sam took. Now do the math.
I’m just human. 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 attempted. I’m so tired. It wears on you.
What does that mean? What is that telling me? If I can’t fight for them coming up behind me then what the fuck am I doing?”
Henson was get emotional at this point in the interview. She went on to deatil that in spite of her various successes, she still gets told there’s not a lot of money on the table because Black actors and stories “don’t translate overseas,” among other excuses.