“Baby, I Felt It”: Taraji P. Henson Gets Raw and Real in Netflix’s “Straw”

Have you seen “Straw,” the latest Netflix film from Tyler Perry? If you have, then you already know just how emotional and compelling it is. At some point, you probably found yourself wiping away a few tears — and maybe even more. That’s how powerful the story was. Taraji P. Henson’s performance hit so hard, she had viewers crying.

And if watching it stirred up all those feelings, just imagine what it was like for those behind the scenes. In a recent interview, Taraji opened up about the emotional depth she had to tap into for the film, especially in the scene where her character attempts to rob a bank. She shared that she knew she was doing something truly impactful when the man behind the camera was nodding and wiping away tears.

Speaking about that powerful monologue in the scene, Taraji revealed that part of it was scripted while some of it was improvised. That ability to blend both so seamlessly is one reason she’s known for delivering such rich, meaty monologues throughout her career.

“Forget about the words, the words will come,” she advises fellow actors. “You just have to know who the person you’re portraying is, where you are in the story, why are you saying this monologue, why did the writer choose this moment in the script?”

Reflecting on what it took to bring “Straw” to life, she wrote in her caption: “Bringing Straw to life was a whole experience. I had to go there — emotionally, spiritually — to do this story justice. I don’t take it lightly when a character asks me to feel everything… and baby, I felt it.”

Watch the interview below