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Screen queens! Taraji P. Henson, Gina Rodriguez and Emma Roberts star on Glamour's TV issue weighing in on race, gender and struggling to achieve a dream

Published: 11:25 EST, 8 September 2015 | Updated: 13:17 EST, 8 September 2015

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The three of television's most successful and talented but it has not always been that way.

Glamour Magazine has hailed Taraji P. Henson, Gina Rodriguez and Emma Roberts this season's leading ladies giving each a separate cover of the October TV Issue.

All three women lead some of fall's most buzzed about shows and while they stun in a fashion spread, the actresses also get deep about what it means to not just make it in Hollywood, but also do so as a woman.

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Cover stars: Glamour Magazine has hailed Taraji P. Henson (pictured), Gina Rodriguez and Emma Roberts this season's leading ladies giving each a separate cover of the October TV Issue

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Just like her beloved - and feared - character Cookie on Empire, Taraji has had to ignore what others think she should do and listen to her own voice.

The Empire star - who had her son Marcel, 21, when she was still in college - was not going to let that define her but instead used being a young single mom to inspire her.

The 44-year-old told the magazine: 'When I got pregnant in college, people said, ''This is it for her.'' But I did not stop. I never missed a class. I was in the school musical when I was six months pregnant - we just made the character pregnant.

Doing it her way: Just like her beloved - and feared - character Cookie on Empire, Taraji has had to ignore what others think she should do and listen to her own voice

'I wanted to be an actress; I moved out to L.A. with him. People were like, ''Are you crazy, moving to California with your son?'' My father was like, 'Leave him home.'' I said, ''I can't leave my son at home.'' [And eventually] my father said, ''That's your baby. That's your blessing. He's going to be your strength.'' And you know what? He was. I didn't have time to go to the club to 'network.' That's B.S. No business deals go down at the club. So I didn't get caught up in that. I had a mission. I had to make my dream come true. If I didn't, what was I proving to my son?'

Her determination, of course, paid off with her Cookie earning her an Emmy nod and is one of the most popular characters on television.

Her inspiration: The actress (seen here as her character) says, 'After 17 years in prison, Cookie feels there is nothing to fear. She made it out alive. In her mind that's how strong she is. We all have that strength inside us. We just have to choose it'

'She is everybody's alter ego. She crosses cultures.

'[Last year] we went to Paris and screened the pilot for a thousand people. Lee Daniels [the series' co-creator] brought me onstage. The audience stood up on their feet and clapped. I cried because, for so long in Hollywood, I've been told that black women don't do well overseas, that they can't open a film overseas. That moment for me was the best moment of my life.'

Cookie also inspires her to keep going: '[I feel most like Cookie] when I don't feel fear. Fear will cripple you, fear will kill you, fear will make you believe you're not worthy. After 17 years in prison, Cookie feels there is nothing to fear. She made it out alive. In her mind that's how strong she is. We all have that strength inside us. We just have to choose it.'

Smouldering on the cover of the magazine, the star said that dating still is not on her radar as she is a mom first - Marcel's father was her high school sweetheart but was stabbed to death in 2003.

'I'm not trying to bring this guy and this guy around. I'm raising my son, and he's gonna respect women, and that starts with me. [Dating] in the spotlight - I have to consider my son. I don't want to make it uncomfortable for him when he goes to school with his peers.'

If someone still wants to try to be the star's beau, he better bring his A game: 'I'm not twentysomething. I'm not trying to find myself - I know exactly who I am and exactly what I want. And I don't want a fan. I want a man who understands me, who challenges me, who calls me on my s**t instead of letting me get away with it because I'm supposed to be a star. I want a best friend.'

Being part of such an acclaimed show that has an almost all-black cast is something Taraji is very proud of and says she believes Hollywood is starting to make progress.

'I think we are making strides in Hollywood. It's the world that I'm more concerned about [Once my son] came home crying, like, ''Why do white people hate us? Why can't we fix this?'' This can be fixed. I'm gonna try my best to make change.'

'People would treat me like human scrap!': Gina was determined to make it and worked as a waitress to support her dream of becoming an actress

Gina is also tackling issues of race through her show Jane The Virgin.

The 31-year-old told Glamour: 'People say this is a Latino show. But this is just a show that happens to have people with ancestors who come from other countries.

'None of us wants to be defined anymore. We're human, dude. I feel like I was meant to do something - and nothing about me, genetically, is gonna stop me from doing that. Jane feels the same way.'

Moving forward: The star says her show Jane The Virgin is not simple just a 'Latino show' its about being who you are

Jane, a pregnant virgin, is also helping Gina and others not feel like they are stuck in a certain box.

'She's taught me that you can be many different things at once. Yeah, she doesn't have sex, but she's not uncool. She ain't two pounds, but she's sexy.

'And playing a character who realizes she has no control over her future helped me understand my journey.'

Gina's journey has, like Taraji's, not been straight forward and she has often had to put all her faith in her father's advice, 'I can, I will', which became a catchphrase after her Emmy win last year.

Working as a waitress as he she tried to break the big time, the star struggled at times.

'Yeah, and there were times when people would treat me like human scrap.

'There were times I would pull up to a table and think, ''I'm an educated woman. You know nothing about me. Would you speak that way to your mama?'' But it's the mirror thing: The way somebody treats you is really the way they feel about themselves.'

Emma has, of course, had a slightly different route, growing up on set with her famous 'Aunt Julia' aka icon Julia Roberts and landing the first role she ever went for at age nine opposite Johnny Depp.

Different route: Emma's famous last name may have got her foot in the door but growing up in the spotlight also has pitfalls especially on a personal level when it comes to finding real connections with people

While the struggle to get to the top has not been as bumpy, showing people she is more than just her last name and capable of adult roles has been a learning curve.

Emma, who is about to debut her new less than lovely character Chanel Oberlin on Scream Queens, said she knew what she wanted early: 'My mom and I would stay with my Aunt Julia when I was really young, so I grew up on sets.

'I just found this old Polaroid of me on the set of Erin Brockovich, in one of my Aunt Julia's super-padded dresses from the movie, with the biggest smile on my face. I'd cry when I had to leave. I loved that it felt like camp.'

But going from child star to adult actress can be a hard transition, and the 24-year-old has tried her best on-screen to do so with maturity.

'Instead of trying to be like, ''Look how mature I am - I'm going to take off my clothes!'' I pick roles based on what I love. I'm not picking roles based on what's going to prove to people that I'm older.'

Off-screen it has not been so smooth, with the star's at-times volatile relationship with currently ex-fiance Evan Peters seeing her in trouble with the police, while she did not speak about that, the young star did talk about how having female friendships in Hollywood has been trying.

Her desitny: The star, who is about to debut her new less than lovely character Chanel Oberlin on Scream Queens, said she knew what she wanted early

'To me loyalty is the biggest thing. My best friends are the kind of girls who, if I have something important to do, will come over and help me pick out an outfit while we drink a glass of champagne.

'I think I've cried more about breakups with girlfriends than I ever have about boyfriends. But can I tell you: It's changed my life. I only have girlfriends now who make me a better person

'My sister is 14, and I'm so protective over her. I tell her that if someone doesn't make her feel good, she doesn't need to be friends with them. I have four friends in the world I can call and tell anything, and that's all I need. In the past year I've done a serious clearing of people who didn't treat me the way a friend should treat you.'