This Christmas, the film adaptation of the musical The Color Purple hits the big screen. For award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, starring as Shug Avery in the American classic is a full circle moment. Henson first saw Steven Spielberg's film version as a high schooler in D.C., and knew from then on that she wanted to be an actor. "I just remember going to the movies, seeing all those Black people on the screen and I was like, 'Oh my God. I want to do that.' " She spoke with Tonya Mosley about the musical, playing Cookie on Empire, and how her acting training at Howard prepared her for Hollywood. Also, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews two new Christmas albums. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted Radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people.
Where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is the history behind words causing a lot of debate.
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I'm Tanya Moseley.
This Christmas, the film adaptation of the musical the Color Purple hits the big screen.
And for award winning actress Taraji P.
Henson, starring in the american classic is a full circle moment.
Henson first saw Steven Spielberg's film version as a high schooler in DC and knew from then on that she wanted to be an actor.
I just remember going to the movie, seeing all of those black people on the screen, and I was like, oh, my God, I really want to do that.
The Color Purple, which was first a Pulitzer Prize novel written by Alice Walker in 1982, tells the tale of the lifelong struggles of Celie, an african american woman living in the south during the early 19 hundreds and the sisterhood of three women.
She stars as Suge Avery, a jazz singer who becomes the confidant of the main character Celie, played by Fantasia Barino.
In addition to the book and the film, the Color Purple also ran on Broadway and in 2005 and in 2015, garnering two Tony Awards.
This latest film adaptation features an ensemble cast that includes Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Sierra Anjanu Ellis, Jon Patiste, Louis Gossett Junior, and David Alan Grier.
Henson has starred in many movies, including the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Other movies include Hidden Figures, John Singleton's 2001 film Baby Boy, and the 2005 film Hustle and Flow.
Henson is also known for taking on the role of Cookie Lions, the wife of a former drug dealer turned hip hop mogul on the tv series Empire.
Taraji P.