Empire star Taraji P. Henson gets her claws out for Harper's Bazaar photoshoot

Home Top

The pictures killer dentist 'tried paying $20,000 to stop you seeing': How Dr Walter illegally shot this bear and then 'tried bribing the guides to cover it up' - 10 years before slaughtering Cecil the lion
'There were six other cars that passed my son... but world's 'best' NASCAR driver ended up hitting and killing him': Parents of Kevin Ward Jr. insist Tony Stewart IS responsible for his death
GODZILLA El Niño is 'heading towards California this winter': Forecast suggests mega-weather event could be biggest since records began and bring with it some epic rain
Will Al Gore run in 2016? Allies of former Vice President say he is 'considering' another tilt at the White House
Troopers baffled by mystery man who wears BEAR costume to harass grizzlies as they feed on salmon in Alaskan river
EXCLUSIVE: Tech company which maintained Hillary's secret server was sued for 'illegally accessing' database and 'stealing White House military advisers' phone numbers'
'You're embarrassing the nation!' Sassy 13-year-old girl pens and performs brilliant ballad slamming presidential candidate Donald Trump as a 'bully' and a 'chump'
Fox News chief threatened Trump with all-out feud amid Megyn Kelly flap and warned him: 'Resolve this now, or we can go to war'
Obama unveils his 6-book summer reading list that covers Nazis, racism and mass extinction (but how will he read them with all that golf?)
Clinton aide Huma Abedin STILL hasn't sworn under oath that she's turned over all her State Department emails
'Not on my watch': Trump posts incendiary video accusing Obama and the Clintons of 'having fun on our dime while world burns' and uses Jihadi John to prove his point
'It is a parent's choice': Fiorina says of vaccinations - but backs public schools on barring kids at risk for measles and mumps
2008 caucus winner Huckabee draws large crowd at Iowa State Fair after tasting a pork chop that his wife wouldn't let him finish
'I was told what a girl is supposed to be': Miley Cyrus reveals playing Hannah Montana gave her body image issues
EXCLUSIVE: NFL murderer Aaron Hernandez's $1.3 million house and Hummer will be sold to pay compensation to mother of the friend he gunned down
Man, 63, is freed after 34-years in jail for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl after new DNA evidence cast doubt on conviction
GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush says he won't rule out resuming government's use of torture in certain circumstances
Three Marines who lowered American flag at U.S. embassy in Cuba are 'excited' to return 54 years later to raise it again
Brady's back (but only because it's a friendly): Loyal Patriots fans give their unwavering support to suspended 'Deflategate' quarterback ahead of appeal
Sesame Street fans will have to pay for new episodes - or wait nine months - as show moves to HBO
Your genes WON'T make you wealthy: Becoming rich is more about nurture than nature, study finds
Christian baker who refused to make a gay wedding cake cannot use his religious beliefs as a defense, court rules
Father of PGA Tour player Billy Hurley III dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound
Schoolteacher is struck in the head and killed by roller coaster while he searched for lost iPhone at Ohio amusement park

The 44-year-old star, famous for her role as Cookie Lyon on Empire, posed in a series of animal print outfits for a sultry shoot in Harper's Bazaar
The single star revealed to the magazine that she is after a man who is 'funny, confident' and who 'lets me shine'
The 18-episode second season of Fox's Empire premieres on September 23

Published: 17:02 EST, 13 August 2015 | Updated: 19:20 EST, 13 August 2015

View
comments

Taraji P. Henson plays one of TV's fiercest female characters – and she really got the cat claws out for her latest feline-themed photoshoot.

The 44-year-old actress, known for her role as the devilish Cookie Lyon on the hit Fox series Empire, donned a series of leopard print outfits for a sultry series of photos included in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar.

The actress also sat down for an interview with the magazine's Fall Fashion Issue to dish on life as the much-memed matriarch of the Lyon family and on her current single status - specifically, what she is looking for in the perfect man.

Scroll down for video

Feline femme: Empire star Taraji P. Henson, 44, stars in a new leopard print-themed photo shoot for Harper's Bazaar's September issue

Feel sexy and feline in a leopard print silk top by Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli Animalier silk top from Fall 2015

Buy a sweater from the same collection with the same design at LuisaViaRoma

Buy now

ROWR! Taraji P Henson shows her wild side in a animal print ladden photoshoot with Harper's Bazaar. A mix of 1960's glam and leopard spots makes for one hot minx!

Who else to go to but the king of leopard prints, Roberto Cavalli for this amazing silk blouse with bow and fluted sleeves. Known throughout the world for his ample and sensual use of animal prints, we all go wild for Cavalli! It's his signature print and instantly recognizable.

Pair yours with some skinny leathers for fall or while it's still hot out, a pair of black ripped denim shorts is the perfect way to cool down this hot hot hot top. Sadly this exact top is not available yet but head over to LuisaViaRoma to check out the sweater version now. If you're looking for something silky, check out our edit below. The one from Equipment is a steal!

* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED

...NOW GET ONE LIKE IT FOR LESS

'He is funny, has personality; he doesn't take himself too seriously,' she told the magazine. 'He needs to be confident in who he is, confident to let me be who I am. And let me shine, you know? My life is only going to enhance his light.'

The Washington, D.C. native certainly looks ready to pounce in the new photos for the magazine, which seem to be heavily influenced by the style of Taraji's animal print-loving character.

Sporting a massive backcombed bob and kohl-slicked eyes, Taraji is seen in some of the photos posing like the Sphinx on her belly, rising ahead with her ringed fingers stretching out from beneath her.

In one image she wears a billowing leopard blouse and in another a high-collared coat - in Cookie's standards, leopard and reptile print respectively.

Shot to fame: Taraji looks to be taking influence from her own character, Cookie Lyon, in the shoot with the heavy use of animal print

Over the top: Taraji channels Jackie Onassis with a Cookie twist in this pillbox hat and high-necked outfit

Taraji P. Henson wears plunging dress promoting Empire

In another image Taraji seems to be channeling a touch of Jackie Onassis with a high-neck, sleeveless leopard top and pillbox hat paired with a pair of massive tortoiseshell sunglasses.

Yet as for the actress' favorite of the many looks of Cookie, she singled out an 'Alaïa black catsuit, hands down'.

'I've even worn some of my own stuff, like my Balman leather,' she added to the magazine, who featured Katy Perry on their cover for the fall fashion season. 'I have to meet [Balmain designer] Olivier Rousteing; I need to be his friend.'

However, she was also quick to add that didn't used to be the fashionista that is today.

Taking the plunge: Taraji revealed in the new interview that she took some time developing her own style after coming from the 'ghetto fabulous' era of Lil' Kim and Mary J. Blige

Detecting a pattern: Taraji's character Cookie is famously a fan of animal prints, be them feline or reptile

'It took me a while to get on the chic bus,' she said. 'I was coming from the era of Lil' Kim and Mary J. Blige, you know, ghetto fabulous. I came from nothing, I was deprived all my life, so when you get money, you go big!'

On top of the differing styles, she is also not quite so over-the-top straight-talking as the character that she plays on Empire. However, certain characteristics of Cookie do hit close-to-home for Taraji. In fact, she based the character's raw personality on that of her own father.

'He had no buffer. He spoke the truth. It's heroic because in this society we have been trained to be politically correct. Political correctness is bulls***,' she added. 'If I ask you a question right now, the first thing that comes in your mind is the truth. But we've all be been trained to breathe, digest the question, and manipulate the answer. Cookie doesn't do that.'

All in the family: Taraji, pictured here with her onscreen ex-husband Terrance Howard, revealed that her father was part of the inspiration for her Empire character

Covering the issues: Taraji's shoot and interview are included in the Fall Fashion Issue of Harper's Bazaar, which features Katy Perry on the cover

Empire's season 2 teaser trailer released

Cookie will be making her official return to the screen next month as Empire's upcoming 18-episode season premieres on September 23 on Fox.

Taraji recently appeared in an extreme plunging little black dress for a FOX TCA event to celebrate the upcoming second season of the show on August 6. During the evening, Fox released a new 70-second trailer for the series and creator Lee Daniels, 55, revealed that there will be a spin-off based on Cookie's younger years.

'Without question. There's so much ripe story that we've talked about already, about Cookie's family, what makes her her. That in itself is fascinating to me,' Lee said.