Taraji P. Henson says she nearly missed out on hearing about being cast in the upcoming film, The Color Purple, after ignoring Oprah Winfrey’s phone call to break the news. Henson will be playing the character, Shug Avery, in the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel of the same name. Speaking with Essence, Henson explained she’ll “never forget” the day she learned she got the part.
“I saved my recording. I don’t answer calls from numbers that I don’t know, and Oprah’s number comes up unknown,” Henson shared. “Tyler Perry hit me and was like, ‘Are you answering your phone?’ I was like, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Girl, just answer the phone!’ I’ll never forget the day. I was so nervous. What do you say to Oprah? I was practicing my, ‘Hi! Hello! Yes, Oprah!’ And finally, she came on the phone and told me, ‘Shug Avery is coming to town!’ It was the best moment ever.”
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Henson also revealed she previously shot down being involved in a Broadway adaptation out of fear she “was going to blow out [her] vocal chords.” This time around, she felt she could handle the burden. She explained: “You go in the studio, you sing the song, and then they play it on the set. So you don’t have to really sing full-out. It’s the difference between singing that one time in the studio (and) singing eight nights in a row on Broadway.”
Outside of Henson, the film stars Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and Fantasia Barrino. The Color Purple will hit theaters on December 25, 2023. Be on the lookout for further updates on the movie on HotNewHipHop.
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