Oscar nominated actress Taraji P Henson is all truth in the July 2015 issue of W Magazine.  The Empire lead actress had a lot of interesting things to say in the interview especially about the black communities perception of Cookie, and how the two characters have stuff in common.  Check out some excerpts from Taraji P. Henson’s interview below and the gorgeous photos from her W magazine spread.  

Taraji on the black community’s criticism of her Empire character Cookie,

“When I hear that Cookie is a bad representation of black women, I don’t get involved. Maybe Cookie makes you uncomfortable because she reminds you of yourself. People miss the bigger picture when they start judging.”

Taraji on how the fans view Cookie,

“They see her heart. They see her intentions. And they love her style—her style is 17 years behind the fashion curve, which makes the clothes a character on the show. As Cookie grows, you’ll see her fashion grow. And people love that—she’s a work in progress. The only thing that never changes is her spirit: To me, Cookie is living, breathing, walking truth.”

Taraji on how she and Cookie are alike,

“Cookie is bold and crazy, and she loves the struggle. She started from nothing, and now she’s at the top. In that way, we’re alike: Cookie is the American Dream.”

Check out the full article HERE.