Turns out Taraji P. Henson is great at drama but loves comedy, and she’s got the perfect co-star in Tracy Morgan — but they’re both telling Deco that being this funny is hard work.
Tracy Morgan (as Joe “Dolla” Barry): “Yo, lady, what you doing at the big boy’s table?”
Taraji P. Henson “Two grand.”
They say doing comedy is a lot harder than doing drama, but in the new comedy “What Men Want,” Taraji and Tracy are making it look easy.
Tracy Morgan (as Joe “Dolla” Barry): “Then I add more chia seed on top of that. I care about this boy.”
They’ve both been around a while, and they told Deco they love what they’re doing.
Tracy Morgan: “People walk out, and they just feel so good.”
In addition to movies like “What Men Want,” Tracy has been a TV hit on “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock,” and he sells out arenas for his stand-up.
We wanted to know: Which is his fave?
Tracy Morgan: “They’re three different muscles, so there is no favorite. You’re just stretching different muscles. You go to the gym, you might work on lats. You might work on arms.”
Like working out? Well, when it comes to comedy, he’s shredded, ’cause he’s had some excellent trainers.
Tracy Morgan: “Learning my instrument, is what Lorne Michaels used to say. ‘Tracy Morgan knows his instrument. I learned that from Carol Burnett.'”
And his biggest influence? TV’s first queen of comedy.
Tracy Morgan: “You study Lucille Ball. How I became physical? The physical part of my comedy, whether it’s movies, shows? I learned that from Lucille Ball stuffing chocolates in her mouth, not caring how it looked as long as it was funny. You can’t be cool and funny at the same time. It don’t work.”
Taraji P. Henson (as Ali Davis: “I can only hear men’s thoughts.”
As for Taraji, we’re used to seeing her on dramas like “Empire” or “Hidden Figures,” but now we’re seeing her hidden talent.
Taraji P. Henson: “I love comedy. I’m a really quirky girl. I don’t think a lot of people know that about me.”
And like Tracy, she learned by having a Ball.
Taraji P. Henson: “All of that studying of Lucille Ball with the faces and the sounds.”
And she’s at the start of a big year. With this movie, “Empire” returning next month and her Oscar-bait movie “The Best of Enemies” in April, the 10-Year Challenge is so January, so we asked her to do the 10 Month Challenge, as in: What’s she hoping to be doing 10 months from now?
Taraji P. Henson: “I would love to do a fantasy role. Just a villain, just somebody who I make you love to hate, like you’re torn. Like she’s bad, but you want her to get away.”
That’s a tough order. We don’t think anyone will be hatin’ on Taraji anytime soon.
It shouldn’t be too big a surprise to see Taraji in a comedic role. She was also the voice of Yesss in “Ralph Breaks the Internet.”
“What Men Want” is now showing in theaters.
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