Taraji P. Henson Says Playing Shug in ‘The Color Purple’ Stretched Her ‘Beyond My Imagination’

TheWrap magazine: “I was nervous as hell,” the Oscar nominee says. “So many incredible women have played Shug”

Taraji P. Henson (Photo by Erika Bracey)
Taraji P. Henson (Credit: Erika Bracey)

Did you know that the “P” in Taraji P. Henson stands for Prolific? Just kidding. It actually stands for Penda, which in Swahili means “hope/love.”

But prolific might actually be too small a word to contain the wealth of Henson’s ambitious, wide-ranging career: Oscar-nominated blockbusters (“Hidden Figures,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the latter earning her an Academy Award nod), must-see TV (Fox’s “Empire,” CBS’ “Person of Interest”), a primetime musical (NBC’s “Annie Live!”) and movies known for their eminent re-watchability (“Baby Boy,” “Hustle & Flow”).

Now, as the tantalizing, tender-hearted Southern belle Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Henson is capping a banner year in which she could have become an EGOT recipient with her 2023 work alone: her Emmy-nominated performance as Quinta Brunson’s cash-strapped mom on “Abbott Elementary”; being a principal on the “Purple” soundtrack; and making her first foray as a Broadway producer with the critically acclaimed “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”

Comments

One response to “Taraji P. Henson Says Playing Shug in ‘The Color Purple’ Stretched Her ‘Beyond My Imagination’”

  1. Just sayin Avatar
    Just sayin

    Didn’t really like Color purple saw parts of it, like Henson as an actress, she was good in “Person of Interest“ also “Hidden” liked her cameo in “ Abbott Elementary” she’s definitely talented but unfortunately Hollyweird doesn’t have real meaningful,dignified roles for women let alone women of color.

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