Taraji P Henson is tired of working hard and not getting her due

Taraji P Henson broke down while promoting her new film The Color Purple. She appeared on a SiriusXM interview with Gayle King when he asked if she was considering quitting acting. There have been rumours that Taraji is contemplating quitting showbiz.

In response, Taraji said, “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost. I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing 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 start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid.”

“When you hear someone go, ‘Such and such made $10 million,’ that didn’t make it to their account. 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 only 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 tired. I’m 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 f*** am I doing?”

Taraji broke down into tears during this part of the interview. She explained how she has gone on to do great roles, and shatter stereotypes but that has never translated to money in her account.

She said that she is tired of being told that there is not a lot of money on the table because Black actors and stories “don’t translate overseas.”

The actress added, “I’m tired of hearing that my entire career. Twenty-plus years in the game and I hear the same thing and I see what you do for another production but when it’s time to go to bat for us they don’t have enough money. And I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear it. Enough is enough! That’s why I have other [brands] because this industry, if you let it, it will steal your soul. I refuse to let that happen.”