Taraji P. Henson is opening up about missing out on a major franchise role — and admits she kind of saw it coming.
Speaking on Making Space podcast, Henson, who’s currently starring in the Broadway play Joe Turner’s Come In Gone alongside Cedric the Entertainer, reflected on her early Hollywood days. She revisited her breakout moment in Baby Boy, directed by John Singleton, and the expectations people had for her at the time.
“That was huge for me. I was a female lead,” she shared. “I was new to Hollywood, and I just remember everybody coming to me going, ‘Oh my God, you’re gonna blow up. Do you understand what John Singleton does to people’s careers?'”
Still, Henson trusted her instincts, saying her discernment told her things would play out differently for her compared to co-star Tyrese Gibson — who she believed would land a franchise role.
“After Baby Boy, Tyrese booked two franchise movies, huge: Transformers and Fast & Furious,” she explained. “I still have not booked my franchise film. Been in the game almost 30 years. No franchise film.”
Despite that, she’s not dwelling on it. “I’m not gonna cry about it. I mean… I know what it is now. I’m on the other side of the table now. You can’t hurt my feelings anymore because now I know there’s politics involved.”
Henson has still built an impressive career, starring in the hit series Empire and lending her voice to animated films like Ralph Breaks the Internet and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. She also appeared in the 2010 reboot of The Karate Kid alongside Jaden Smith, though it didn’t evolve into a long-running series.
While Baby Boy helped launch her career, Henson has previously shared how it almost boxed her into certain roles.
“They just couldn’t figure me out, I guess. And I think they’re still trying to,” she said during a 2025 appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.
