--- title: Taraji P. Henson, Amy Adams Hollywood Roundtable Interview description: Taraji P. Henson addresses the issue of race in Hollywood and her solution for it in an actor roundtable. canonical: https://time.com/4578749/taraji-p-henson-race-producers/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-21T20:04:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:38:52.169Z og:title: Taraji P. Henson Hopes Her Acting Work 'Will Change Things' og:description: "Have we seen enough representation of African-American stories? No." og:url: https://time.com/4578749/taraji-p-henson-race-producers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Taraji P. Henson Hopes Her Acting Work 'Will Change Things' twitter:description: "Have we seen enough representation of African-American stories? No." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Taraji P. Henson on Representation in Hollywood: 'Hopefully the Work That I'm Doing Will Change Things' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 21, 2016 8:04 PM UTC  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 21, 2016 8:04 PM UTC In an actor roundtable interview for [_The Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/actress-roundtable-emma-stone-natalie-portman-taraji-p-henson-4-more-stage-fright-onscreen-?utm%5Fsource=t.co&utm%5Fmedium=referral), [Taraji P. Henson](http://time.com/4555430/taraji-p-henson-jussie-smollet-mac-viva-glam/) addressed what her experience has been like working as a black woman in the entertainment industry. Henson, who’s beloved by fans everywhere for her [feisty portrayal of matriarch Cookie Lyons on the hit show _Empire_](http://time.com/3685593/empire-cookie-taraji-p-henson/), is currently getting plenty of awards season buzz for her role as [NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson in _Hidden Figures_](http://time.com/4573320/pharell-crave-hidden-figures/). When asked about whether or not the industry was doing enough for black actors, Henson has a nuanced response. “Have we seen enough representation of African-American stories? No. But has Hollywood been horrible to me? No. I’ve worked,” she said. “Did I get paid what I deserve? That is the question we should be talking about. But I can’t take that on because I have worked and I’ve seen my career do this. So I never wallow in the muck and say, “Oh, it’s hard.” That’s a given. I can’t take this skin off. We know what the deal is. You understand? So I’m not going to make it an issue. I’m going to work my a-s off and hopefully the work that I’m doing will change things, will make it better for the next one coming behind me. You let me in, give me an inch, I’ll take a mile. I’ve come a long way.” Fellow roundtable member Amy Adams chimed in, suggesting that producers have the power to change how the industry works regarding inclusion and the gender gap. “Who you should be asking is the producer round table: ‘Do you think minorities are under-represented? Do you think women are underpaid?’” Adams said. “\[Actresses\] are always put on the chopping block to put our opinion out there, and that question is never asked. I’m like, ‘Why don’t you ask them and then have their statements be the headlines in the press?’ I don’t want to be a headline anymore about pay equality.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4578749/taraji-p-henson-race-producers/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4578749/taraji-p-henson-race-producers/"},"headline":"Taraji P. Henson on Representation in Hollywood: 'Hopefully the Work That I'm Doing Will Change Things'","datePublished":"2016-11-21T20:04:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:38:52.169Z","description":"\"Have we seen enough representation of African-American stories? No.\"","url":"https://time.com/4578749/taraji-p-henson-race-producers/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Entertainment","Race","celebrity","Culture","Taraji P. 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