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Taraji P. Henson to Receive Honorary AARP Purpose Prize

Taraji P. Henson arrives at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
Taraji P. Henson arrives at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Taraji P. Henson to Receive Honorary AARP Purpose Prize

Taraji P. Henson arrives at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)
Taraji P. Henson arrives at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP)

Taraji P. Henson will receive an honorary AARP Award for eradicating the stigma around mental health within marginalized communities through her foundation that was created in honor of her father.

The organization announced Tuesday that Henson will receive the honorary AARP Purpose Prize during the ceremony on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The Oscar-nominated actor will be recognized for her work through the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.

Henson said she is honored by AARP's recognition of her foundation's efforts. She hopes the organization's platform will put a spotlight on mental health and encourage people to be “open about discussing their struggles and ultimately receiving help.”

Henson's foundation, which launched in 2018, honors the legacy of her father, who battled untreated mental health issues after returning from the Vietnam War. The foundation focuses on providing mental health resources and encouraging members of marginalized communities to seek help and support without fear and shame.

The actor said her foundation's mission has been to “eradicate the stigma around mental illness.”

Last year, Henson's foundation partnered with Alabama State University on mental health wellness. She was honored by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation in 2000 for her work to end the stigma around mental illness.

Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” She co-starred in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” which followed three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the US space program. Henson won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in television’s “Empire” series.

Seven individuals will be awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, which honors people ages 50 and older who are making a difference through their “knowledge and life experience.” Each of their organizations will receive $50,000.

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Entertainment

‘The Brutalist’ Cast Beams over Breadth of Film’s Story

This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
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‘The Brutalist’ Cast Beams over Breadth of Film’s Story

This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)
This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody in a scene from "The Brutalist." (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP)

The cast of the film “The Brutalist” is giving their director Brady Corbet all the credit when it comes to the strong acclaim for the movie.

“He's a special filmmaker because he focuses on psychology and behavior and those things that we as actors are genuinely interested in,” said Guy Pearce, who plays wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren.

“So, it was a real treat from start to finish,” he added.

The movie is an epic tale of a Hungarian immigrant who flees the horrors of World War Two to rebuild his life in the United States, and stars Oscar-winner Adrien Brody in the leading role of the architect Laszlo Toth.

"The Brutalist", which has a three-hour and 35-minute runtime and comes with a 15-minute intermission, was co-written by Corbet's wife, Mona Fastvold.

It was successful at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this year, with Corbet winning the best director prize.

The film, distributed by A24, arrives in movie theaters on Dec. 20 in the United States.

Brody, who had read the script nearly six years ago, expressed his deep connection to the story and his character through both his Hungarian-born mother and grandfather.

“Her [his mother’s] journey as an artist, her pursuits as an artist are deeply profound and linked to this,” he said.

For Brody, the role connected him with his mother’s yearning to leave something of great meaning behind, which was enhanced when contrasted with an understanding of hardship.

He also thought of his own grandfather's struggles with language and assimilation as a foreigner without work opportunities or respect.

“That (respect) was lost and taken from him,” Brody added.

His grandfather, fleeing from home due to the war, largely shaped the actor’s perspective of his role.

For “The Theory of Everything” actress Felicity Jones, who portrays Toth’s wife in the film, Erzsebet Toth, some of the most compelling aspects of the film are its characters and unique storytelling style.

“These characters, particularly Laszlo and Erzsebet, you know, they're doing everything they can to preserve their integrity and their self-worth,” she said.

Brody was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for best performance for a male actor in a motion picture drama and is receiving Oscar buzz for his role.

For “The Pianist” actor, having a strong team was key to the power of the film.

“In order to do work on this level, you need all of those to conspire with you and not against you,” Brody said.