Taraji Henson & Morris Chestnut Video Interview On ‘Not Easily Broken’

Taraji Henson is the Oscar-nominated star of Benjamin Button and the hit film Not Easily Broken. Taraji and her Broken costar Morris Chestnut now take questions from Uinterview.com users.

Q: Hi, Taraji and Morris. What do you think the message of Not Easily Broken is?

A: Morris: I think it’s the overall message of perseverance, you know, there’s a lot of relationships in this movie, lot of relationship issues that go through some trying times. And, you know, in our country right now we’re going through some trying times. People are losing their jobs … people, you know, losing their houses … just an overall message of perseverance.

Taraji: Ditto! [Both laughs] And what it takes to stay in a relationship or walk away.

Q: My follow-up question is: was there a moment that stands out as the most memorable for you in making the movie?

A: Morris: For me while I was, it really is kind of a blur, I felt it went by so fast and there’s not one most memorable moment. I have a memorable scene after seeing the movie, and I’m not in it but it’s a beautiful scene between Taraji and Jennifer Lewis. It’s one of those scene when, you know, there’s award season now and they show there clip from a movie and they say these two actresses were nominated. This would be the scene, it’s just a powerful, powerful emotional scene.

Taraji: Because it’s mother-daughter issues, you know, every human can understand that.

Q:  The cast of the movie is really multi-racial and I’m wondering in light of current political events in our country, is there a special message in that?

A: Taraji: I think so, I think I certainly, when I go see a film, I don’t say ‘Oh, well this is a story about white characters, I’m not gonna be able to identify with that.’ I never think about race when I go to the theaters and I hope, I can’t wait until the conscience level is lifted in a world where it’s like that with black films. I hate when people say ‘this is a black movie, ‘it’s not! It’s just a movie! It’s just a movie, every human understands love and pain.

Q: My follow-up question is for you, Taraji. Now you’re also in one of the biggest movies of the year and I’m wondering, when you were making Benjamin Button, did you know at the time that this was gonna be something special?

A: Taraji: Oh well, yeah, when you get a script with names like David Fincher directing, Eric Roth writing, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, that’s pretty big right there. It has success written all over it. The thing that I’m most surprised about is the buzz that I’m getting, ’cause I’m like, I’m gonna get overshadowed I mean, you got Brad Pitt in this film [laughs] no one’s gonna remember who I am! [laughs] That’s the most surprising element for me but no, I knew it was gonna be successful.

Q: The book that the story is based on was written by a minister. Do you see it as a spiritual story or a romantic comedy?

A: Morris: Well, it’s not a romantic comedy, you know, it’s definitely a drama with some comedic elements. And the one thing Bishop Jakes will tell you, whose it [the film] is adapted by, a Bishop Jakes novel, is it’s not a ‘church or preachy’ type movie. If his name wasn’t on the title and you went and saw the movie, you wouldn’t say, [Taraji:] ‘This is a religious movie. [Morris continues] It’s really a movie that is adapted from his novel.

Q: My follow-up question is for Morris. The story was written from a male perspective. Do you think a lot of men feel like Dave?

A: I do feel like a lot of men are going through the experience that Dave is. I don’t know the exact numbers but there are more women in the African American community making more than men so it’s definitely a real issue so that’s why the issues are in the film and it’s seducing to have a mother, a mother in-law … mother in-law issues are just universal across the planets, so yeah, every man can relate to the issue. But it’s not just husband and wife issues, there's issues between Taraji and her mother, mother-daughter issues. There’s issues in Wood Harris character and his son. There’s several issues in the film.