Nearly three decades into her career, Taraji P. Henson says there’s one box she’s still never checked — a major franchise film.
Speaking on Hoda Kotb’s Making Space, Henson reflected on her breakout role in Baby Boy and how differently her career unfolded compared to co-star Tyrese Gibson.
“That was huge for me… I was a female lead, new to Hollywood,” she said, recalling how people told her she was about to “blow up.” But she said she sensed early on that her trajectory would look different. “Something sat on my heart… I don’t know that that’s gonna happen like that overnight for me. And I knew deep down it would for Tyrese.”
That instinct proved accurate. “After Baby Boy, Tyrese booked two franchise movies, huge: Transformers and Fast & Furious,” Henson said. “I still have not booked my franchise film. Been in the game almost 30 years. No franchise film.”
She added that she’s no longer surprised by it. “I’m not gonna cry about it… I know what it is now. I’m on the other side of the table now… there’s politics involved.”
Henson noted she has appeared in franchise projects before, including voice roles in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Minions: The Rise of Gru and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, as well as a supporting role in The Karate Kid. But her comments referred to not having a major live-action role anchoring a franchise.
The actress has been vocal about industry disparities in recent years, particularly around pay and opportunities for women of color. During her The Color Purple press tour, she said, “I’m just tired of working so hard… getting paid a fraction,” adding that each achievement often resets her bargaining power.
She also stepped away from work for a month in 2025, saying she felt “discouraged” by the industry before returning with a new perspective and expanding into business ventures outside acting.
Henson is next set to make her Broadway debut in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone opposite Cedric the Entertainer — a move that signals a shift in focus, even as questions around representation in blockbuster franchises continue to follow her career.