Taraji P. Henson Admits: Losing Emmy to Viola Davis Was ‘Bittersweet’
On Sunday night’s Primetime Emmy Awards, it was Viola Davis who made history by becoming the first African-American woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
But as it turns out, the same honor could have just as easily gone to fellow actress Taraji P. Henson, who was also nominated in the category.
Henson sat down for an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday and admitted that – while the moment was bittersweet – she’s proud of Davis for her stellar accomplishment.
“It was bittersweet because we all want to make history and be important to society,” Henson explained. “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.”
Image via Instagram/theellenshow