Taraji P. Henson made quite a stir during awards season.
Her outsized turn as Blues singer Shug Avery in “The Color Purple” earned solid reviews but no official love from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Henson, 53, still generated headlines with interviews supporting the project.
The “Empire”alum complained about the lack of drivers on the set for herself and fellow cast members. She bemoaned how hard it is for black actresses to thrive in Tinsel Town. And she threatened to quit acting if she didn’t get treated better by the industry.
Now, she’s taking a different kind of stand, one that could potentially backfire.
Henson opened up about herself, “The Color Purple” and more to W Magazine. The video essay got personal on a few fronts, but it also let her connect some of the film’s themes with today’s society.
In short, she hopes “The Color Purple” nudges Cancel Culture out of the frame.
“I hope this movie gets rid of Cancel Culture. It’s a beautiful story of humanity and redemption, and if you’re human you’re gonna fall. You’re gonna f*** up sometimes,” she said, her voice falling to a whisper.
“We didn’t get born and somebody handed us a Golden Rule book. You live and you learn. How do you know the stove is hot if you don’t touch it? But don’t cancel me because I veered out to touch it on my own without you telling me, ‘Don’t touch it!’”
“You can fall. You can f*** up. But if you wake up the next day with breath in your body you have a chance to turn it around, to change the course, to own your narrative, to be a better person,” she added.
Most actors stay silent when it comes to Cancel Culture.
A few speak out, but only after they’ve been personally touched by the woke mind virus. Stars like Kevin Hart and Sarah Silverman felt its sting and later started criticizing the movement.
“The Color Purple” didn’t earn an Oscar on Sunday but it’s currently streaming on Max.