Taraji P. Henson Unleashes a New Side as Vivian Thomas in 'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist' | News

Taraji P Hensonknown for powerful roles like Cookie in Empire and Shug Avery in 2023's The Color Purple, now plays Vivian Thomas in Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. She plays the role of a smart businesswoman and Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams' (Kevin Hart) Mistress who moves through the male-dominated world with calculated precision, demonstrating her strength and intellect along the way. Henson describes this character as “very different” from her previous roles as Vivian navigates gritty streets and shady dealings while avoiding typical tropes.

“She doesn't use sex to get ahead,” Henson explains, adding that her character is driven by her ambitions, not romance or family life. “She's clear about what she wants and it has nothing to do with a man,” she tells BET. “That's what fascinates me about her because I'm the exact opposite. I wear my heart on my sleeve; Whatever I think, you'll hear it, and that's how it is. But she can't do that if she wants to get ahead with all these men. She has to keep her emotions in check and be very calculating.”

The new Peacock series is loosely inspired by a 1970 robbery Muhammad Ali Comeback fight night in Atlanta, where prominent city figures were held hostage. After Ali's title was stripped for refusing to serve in Vietnam, his return attracted celebrities, politicians and gangsters. When Chicken Man throws an afterparty, robbers break in, steal valuables and take guests hostage.

Henson says she loved the role because of its deep connection to the '70s era. “The '70s is actually one of my favorite eras in history…As an adult, I would choose the '70s because it was just incredible where we were as black people…until crack was introduced into the neighborhood,” she says. Growing up, she embraced the culture in college with a group called Soul Nation, where she first adopted the nickname “Cookie.” She adds: “Give me bell-bottoms and platform shoes and I’ll jump straight into them. Do you like this? I just love it. This part was easy for me. A lot of the '70s dialect was kind of left out of the script, and I thought, 'Guys, we've got to put that in there.' It's the '70s.'”

Although “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” is the first limited series of the series produced in Washington DC, she has already worked with many of the cast, including Hart, Terrence Howard, And Don Cheadle – except Samuel L Jackson. When speaking about Hart, Henson expressed her admiration for his ability to transition into drama: “I always told Kevin years ago that I can't wait for him to get into drama because comedians are really good dramatic actors… “They laugh at their pain.” Steve Carell, Richard Pryor, And Whoopi Goldberg as examples. “Often dramatic actors just get caught up in the drama and overlook the fact that there is something funny in it. And I think that's what a lot of comedic actors do. They bring that to their dramatic role that really makes them three-dimensional,” she explains.

As Henson continues to challenge herself with a variety of roles, her ambition shines through and hints at the exciting possibilities in her career. She spoke about her hopes for the future of her career, particularly her desire to finally play a villain. “I really haven’t done that before,” she reveals. “Getting it out there. Oh my God. And the villain who doesn't die. Let me set this up. You need to be safe.”