To calculate an actor/actress’s score Star News Online took into account the number of awards they have been nominated for, IMBD reviews for films TV shows they have appeared in, and Wikipedia page views. “Each state has produced at least one star it is proud to call its own,” writes Kelsey Warner, noting that there’s no conventional route to Hollywood in particular one’s birthplace. “While it certainly helps to be born in the epicenter of the entertainment industry, the path to Hollywood is not always a direct one.”
More on the Buzz: Top HBCUs for Careers in Entertainment
“Taraji P. Henson, known for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Hustle & Flow” and “Empire,” didn’t receive her big break until the age of 26 in the television series “Smart Guy,” according to MSN. The Howard University graduate also landed on TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” list, and she is very deserving of the award. Check out what her friend Lee Daniels says about her below.
The moment Lee Daniels knew Taraji P. Henson was Cookie Lyons
“What I love most about Taraji P. Henson is that she’s fiercely loyal. During her audition for Empire, she told me she wouldn’t take the role unless Lucious was Terrence Howard. She didn’t have the job yet, but she was standing there fighting for Terrence. That was the moment I knew she was Cookie.”
On Taraji being the modern Bette Davis
“Taraji is the modern-day Bette Davis, touching audiences with her honesty and intensity. When you are on set with Taraji, she listens, but she also questions. She challenges everyone to go the extra step to get it right. She has a deep understanding of the human condition, and she displays it with her eyes—the pain, the happiness, the love, the laughter. She probably would have been a great silent actor, but then the world wouldn’t have had Cookie.”
Read more here at TIME.
