Why Taraji P. Henson Ditched the Weave For This Magazine Spread

Updated on Oct 17, 2015 at 9:00 PM

We've come to know Taraji P. Henson as the glamorous Cookie Lyon on Fox's Empire. Her character is hardly ever seen without hair flowing down her back — it's her signature look. So, it was a bit surprising to see the actress without her weave in the latest issue of CR Fashion Book. The star revealed that rocking cornrows wasn't the original plan, but photographer Bruce Weber convinced her to let loose.

"So I'm trying on the clothes and the silk scarf I have on my head slips off, and I say, 'Hey, look at my cornrows, aren't they beautiful?' Bruce Weber is standing there and he goes, 'We'll shoot that.' And I go, 'What? We'll shoot what?' And he says, 'We'll shoot your hair just like that, it's beautiful.' And part of me was like, No, no, no, NO! This is the hair no one is supposed to see. This is like behind-closed doors hair. I feel naked. I feel like a plucked chicken…or a wet one. A baby chicken! But Bruce says to me, 'It's not about the hair, it's your face.' So I just decided to trust the artist's vision. As an actress that's what we do."

We love that Taraji let her natural hair loose on set! The tightly woven braids are typically hidden under wigs or extensions, but showing off the style complements her beauty. Keep reading to see more photos from the shoot, where Taraji cuddles up with some fine male specimens.