Taraji P. Henson wants to "work smarter".
Taraji P. Henson
The 'Empire' actress feels it is important that she works "smarter not harder" in Hollywood and has called for more representation in the industry.
She said: "Here's the deal: When you talk about money, don't you want to make money? I want every walk of life [in my films]. If I could put an alien in, I would. I want their money too. Come on, it's what the world looks like. That's what people want to see, representation. That's all. You can make money doing it. It's a no-brainer. The older I get, I want to work smarter, not harder. DC, Marvel, you all can call me!"
And the 48-year-old actress has recalled how, before she landed the role in 'Empire', she was never taken abroad for promotion because she was told "she didn't have fans all the way over there".
Speaking to the January issue of InStyle magazine, she added: "Hollywood executives would tell me that I don't have fans all the way over there. I said, 'You're lying because they can reach me any time. I'm a finger tap away, and they let me know every day.' Then we go to Paris [to promote Empire], and it's standing room only in a room with 1,500 seats. I cried. If you believe what people tell you ... you can't let people tell you s**t."
Meanwhile, Taraji previously claimed to have lost movie roles because she is black.
Writing in her autobiography 'Around the Way Girl', she admitted: "Time and again, I've lost roles because someone with the ability to green-light a film couldn't see black women beyond a very limited purview he or she thought 'fit' audience expectations."