Just when it seemed like the time had run out on blacks being cast in lead prime time TV roles, critically acclaimed actress Taraji P. Henson enters the fray.
Henson is once again making the leap from the silver screen to television this fall, having been cast in the lead female role of J.J. Abrams new CBS drama “Person of Interest.”
As reported by Vulture at nymag.com, “Person of Interest” centers on an ex-CIA officer, played by Jim Caviezel, who is presumed killed in the line of duty. Caviezel resurfaces in New York City where he is recruited by an eccentric billionaire, played by Michael Emerson, to fight crime in the city’s violent streets.
Henson is set to play a detective named Carter who will team up with the ex-CIA officer.
The Academy Award nominated actress, who’s better known for her big screen roles in films like Hustle & Flow and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, last made forays in primetime TV with stints on the ABC dramas “Boston Legal” and “Eli Stone.”
Henson isn’t the only black actor making a splash on CBS’s new fall primetime lineup. Both Kerry Washington and Columbus Short will star in the network’s upcoming drama “In Crisis,” which will focus on the lives of a professional crisis management consultant and her dysfunctional staff.
Will you be tuning into these new shows in the fall, building the confidence of the industry that blacks can carry prime time shows? –nicholas robinson
