“But I need you,” I begged him in a phone call from my home office.
“I know, darling, but I just can’t do it,” Idris said firmly, in that British accent that makes the ladies swoon. I was undistracted and undeterred.
“But I set it up so that there are zero conflicts,” I insisted. “We’ll get it done quick. I’m talking we’ll work on the weekends and pull twenty-four-hour days if we have to to get you to your next set on time. I already talked to your studio, and my studio is on board and it’s a go. All you have to do is say yes.”
When he started in with yet another no, I went into Taraji Single Mom Hustle mode. “Look, man,” I said, “I really need this gig, okay? I got a son back home and that tuition is kicking my ass and I can’t afford to miss out on this opportunity. I can’t do this without you, literally. Come on, work with me on this thing.” Yes, I played the mom card.
That was some of the best acting I’ve ever done, I promise you that. Finally, Idris said yes, and all the stars aligned for our project to film without a hitch, finishing up in just the nick of time for Idris to film Mandela, just as I, as the executive producer in charge of bringing in the stars and working with the studio to make the project work, had promised.
I employed a similar hustle when I conceived and executive produced Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays, the 2015 Christmas variety show that aired on Fox, the home of Empire. My vision of the show was born of two loves: my adoration for all things Christmas, and for Carol Burnett. Something that has not and never will change about me is my fascination with the holidays—the warmth shared between family, the joy of giving gifts and watching faces light up when the wrapping comes off and the boxes are open, the magic that twinkles in the Christmas tree lights, the happiness that even the hardest heart embraces when the season kicks in. The moment I hear Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” I hop right into holiday mode, plotting and planning with my family over where we’ll celebrate together, who will cook which dishes, whom I’m looking forward to catching up with after long bouts away from the ones I love. It’s this sentiment that I was tapping into when I dreamed up the idea to do a variety show, styled like that which I enjoyed watching as a child fan of The Carol Burnett Show. I had only one mission: to spread Christmas cheer straight through the television, with good music, dancing, and, best of all, laughter. The beauty of my success on Empire is that it has opened up some serious opportunities for me to spread wide my talents outside of acting, and Fox was quick to say yes to my idea. The moment I got the go-ahead, I sat at my phone and got down to the nitty-gritty of producing, gathering a group of friends to help me bring Christmas stories, music, and cheer, intertwined with a nod to pop culture and a distinctly African American flavor, to the small screen. The success of the show—tucked in the viewership numbers—makes clear that I was onto something. Executive producing is all right by me.
? ? ?
None of this would have been possible if, on the set of Benjamin Button, I’d held on to that initial bitterness. As always, God was right, and so was my daddy: all I had to do was be patient, shut out the noise, and stay focused, and joy would come in the morning.
12
My Squad
Draped in a fierce black custom Alexander Wang gown on the Microsoft Theater stage, with all eyes on me, my Empire costar Terrence Howard, and that glossy white envelope trembling in my hands, nothing else mattered but the raised bold letters that would announce the 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. The winner’s name sent me into a tailspin; my gasp, buoyed by pure adrenaline and unadulterated excitement for my girl, was as audible as my heartbeat was fast. In that very moment, swallowing my excitement and doing the prim and proper thing was not an option. I needed to scream her name: Regina King.