This article originally appeared on people.com.
When you’re Taraji P. Henson, you’re pretty much out of everyone’s league.
The Golden Globe-winningEmpire actress is the cover star of Marie Claire‘s October “Next Big Thing” issue, on newsstands Sept. 19. As she gears up for season 4 of the hit Fox drama, the star — who plays one of the fiercest women on television, Cookie Lyon — opens up about supporting other women in the industry, what keeps her humble and what she’s looking for in a partner.
“I would love to [be in a relationship], but he has to see how I move and deal with it,” says Henson, 47, who is mom to 23-year-old son Marcel. “Because I don’t have time to explain. I’ve got work to do.”
Henson, who has four films slated for 2018, says women should be supporting women everywhere — and especially in Hollywood.
“How can we get ahead if we’re feuding and hating on each other all the time?” she says. “I made a pact years ago that I would never hate on another female, ever, especially in this industry.”
As for what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind?
“I love black people. I love telling stories,” she says. “I want these little girls to study me like I studied Meryl [Streep] and Bette Davis and Carol Burnett. I want them to study my work, because I put a lot of work in, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.”
And last but not least, Henson reveals that yes, she still does all of her own laundry.
“That keeps me normal,” she says. “That keeps me feeling like, ‘Yeah, I’m not too Hollywood.’”
Empire returns Sept. 27 on Fox.
