Taraji P. Henson admits losing an Emmy to Viola Davis was "bittersweet."
Taraji P. Henson
The 'Empire' star, who was nominated alongside the 'How to Get Away with Murder' actress when she became the first woman of colour to pick up the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series prize at the prestigious ceremony last Sunday (20.09.15), would have loved to "make history" by taking home the trophy, but insists she is happy for her friend.
The 45-year-old actress said: "It was bittersweet because we all want to make history and be important to society. But then I was thinking about it, like, 'It's 2015. We have a black president and no black woman has ever won in this category. This is weird!' So when I went into it I knew I was being nominated alongside Viola. I just thought, 'God, please just give it to one of us so we'll never have to say that again!' Let's just break this barrier down and keep on pushing."
Taraji also believes Viola ultimately deserved to win more than she did.
She told the 'Ellen DeGeneres Show': "I think the universe is happy. Viola deserved that reward, and, honestly, I would have felt weird if I had gotten it over her. She's been doing it longer and you just have to give respect and know when your time is."
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