Taraji Henson

Taraji Henson: (On playing Tiffany in the Lifetime movie Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story) I had never played a real-life person up until that point. All of my characters had been fictional, so there was an excitement to playing a real person and then her story is amazing... ...I've always liked playing women who are victims but who don't settle for being a victim.

Taraji Henson: (On inspiration for playing the role of Tiffany in the Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story) Being a mother made me totally understand her struggle and why she fought so hard. It just made me understand her emotional roller coaster. I really didn't have to do too much acting because I just put myself in her shoes and what I would do if my son was in another country and I didn't know anything about it.

Taraji Henson: (On how the Lifetime movie Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story is a wake-up call for abductions) You kinda know when a situation happens and it's in the media and it's big and then it goes away. It made me remember how many kids-how many families-are going through this. It reminded me that it's still an issue.

Taraji Henson: (On her favorite role she played as of January 2011, Vernell in the movie "Talk to Me") I love that because I'm a child of the 70s. I love the wardrobe and costumes. I love her range: she was funny, she was crazy, she was vulnerable, she was quiet, she was loud. I just thought that was a great display of my range of acting.

Taraji Henson: (On advice she has for single parents) Stay focused on your child; the more energy and time you put into them the more prepared they are for the world. It really pays off, but you can't parent them forever, you have to raise them to be independent.

Taraji Henson: (On identifying with her character Tiffany in Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story) I love what she stood for and identified with her struggle- she wasn't a victim. I would give my life for my child and I drew on that emotionally for the character. I use my personal experiences in all my work and that fear of losing a child was really easy for me to tap into.

Taraji Henson: (On her biggest struggle as an African American actress in Hollywood) For me, it's about getting the studio execs to realize that I'm bankable. Black movies make money but they have to be done the right way and they have to be promoted properly.