One thing we can be certain of is that we’re going to be seeing a lot more covers featuring Taraji P. Henson in the next few months. The Empire actress, who is the stuff GIFS are made of, covers W’s August issue for their annual Pop issue and chats to Lynn Hirschberg about life as Cookie. “They want Cookie,” Henson says about her massive fan base due to the breakout Fox show. “They see her heart. They see her intentions. And they love her style—her style is 17 years behind the fashion curve, which makes the clothes a character on the show. As Cookie grows, you’ll see her fashion grow. And people love that—she’s a work in progress. The only thing that never changes is her spirit: To me, Cookie is living, breathing, walking truth.” YESSSSSSSS! She also admits that she had a few initial qualms about taking on the role. “I was like, This is stupid,” Henson says. “Hip-hop—dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. But then I started to think, Cookie is going to piss so many people off! She hits her son with a broom; she talks back. Clearly, this was a challenge.” Edward Enninful styled Henson in a Theory shirt and J Brand jeans for the cover, with Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott behind the cameras. Now the guessing games begin. With W out of the running, what title nabbed Henson for their September cover? Empire returns to the telly September 23rd. Bring it.
