In truth, there is no Empire without Henson. From the first episode, where Cookie emerges from a 17-year prison stint in a three-quarter-length white fur coat over a skintight jaguar-print mini, she is instantly riveting.
Lynn Hirschberg | W Magazine
Fresh off a juggernaut of a premiere season, Taraji P Henson is still being recognized for her role as Cookie Lyons in FOX’s Empire. Going into the series, no one would have thought that Empire would break records, beat opponents and become the ratings champ that it did–or that Taraji would be the breakout star–but here we are. In the months leading up to the second season and amidst of a contract renegotiation dispute with FOX, W magazine decides to profile the veteran actress as well as give her the cover of their pop issue.
In real life, Henson has similarities to her character. She grew up in a working-class family in Washington, D.C., and, from the age of 5, she knew she wanted to be an actress. After a failed foray into electrical engineering (“It sounded like I was going to make a lot of money”), Henson majored in theater at Howard University. During her junior year, she became pregnant. When her son was still a toddler, they moved to Los Angeles so she could pursue acting. “It was a struggle,” Henson remembered. “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.”
The straightforward, sultry, studio images were taken by fashion and entertainment industry titans Mert + Marcus. Their style is at once recognizable and refreshing. Taraji dons a wet hair look in mostly casual, blue collar ensembles. There is a timelessness about these images–one black and white photo of Taraji, flirtatious in blue jeans, recalls a young Janet Jackson from her Love will Never do Without You days (shot by Herb Ritts).
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empire, henson, Herb Ritts, janet jackson, marcus, mert, series, taraji, television, tv
