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Taraji P. Henson on Love and Dating: 'I'm No Spring Chicken'

The actress says she knows what she's looking for, but it's slim pickings.

(Photo: Upscale Magazine, April 2014)

Taraji P. Henson might joke that she's "no spring chicken," but the 43-year-old actress has still got her groove. While her role in Person of Interest has wrapped, she's busy working on four films including Think Like a Man Too and Term Life. Yet somehow she's found that time to show off a whole lot of sexy on the cover of Upscale magazine's May issue, wearing a Nicolas Jebran jeweled romper. Inside, she opens up about the lack of good roles for Black actresses and her dating prospects.
"Here's the deal. I'm no spring chicken," Henson said. "I'm not in my 20s dating around. I'm looking for happily ever after. So, once you get clear on what it is you're looking for, the pickings are slim, honey. I've left the whole continent of North America. I'm looking abroad."
Henson also opened up about her thoughts on Hollywood and how Black women have to struggle more than their white colleagues.
"It's always a battle for Black women; we're totally at the bottom of the totem pole," she explained. "Look at the white girls. How many times have you seen Amy Adams in a period piece with a great actor like Meryl Streep or Christian Bale? And look at Jennifer Lawrence! Hits out the wazoo! How come we're not nominated every year? Because the scripts and the roles aren't there. It's not rocket science."
Luckily, the Oscar-nominated star has her besties to keep her grounded through the ups and downs of her career.
"I've got my road dogs who were with me before all other fame. My best friend in the whole wide world I've known since the seventh grade. My other girlfriend was my roommate at Howard. They are my backbone. They know me. When they see me, they look behind the eyes into my soul to see if I'm really alright."
The May issue of Upscale magazine is out on newsstands now, but take a peek at Henson's Instagram account for a behind-the-scenes look at her fashion shoot.
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