Taraji P. Henson & Cedric the Entertainer Talk Broadway Play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer recently stopped by The Tonight Show to talk about their new Broadway play, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, while also reminiscing about their longtime friendship and past work together. The two previously played a married couple in the 2011 film Larry Crowne alongside Tom Hanks, and host Jimmy Fallon had a little fun revisiting an old interview from that time. During the segment, Fallon asked them to guess each other’s answers to questions they were asked back then. When asked what he would splurge on if he won the lottery, Taraji correctly guessed Cedric would say a sports car and she was right.

Cedric admitted he now actually owns a Ferrari. Meanwhile, Taraji revealed that her answer at the time was that she would spend the money on shoes. The playful banter continued as they guessed alternate careers they might have pursued if acting hadn’t worked out. Cedric joked that Taraji might have been a strict fifth-grade teacher, but her real answer was that she would have worked in hair, makeup, or fashion. Cedric’s answer back then was landscape design, something he said he was briefly interested in while working on his yard years ago.

The conversation eventually turned to their Broadway production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, currently in rehearsals at the historic Barrymore Theatre the same venue where the original Broadway production ran. Set in 1911 during the Great Migration, the play centers on a boarding house that welcomes Black travelers moving north from the South in search of opportunity and a new identity after the hardships of slavery and the Civil War era. Taraji and Cedric described the production as an exploration of people trying to discover who they are and who they want to become.

They also praised the incredible cast and the direction of the legendary Debbie Allen. For Taraji, working with Allen represents a deeply personal full-circle moment. While attending Howard University and pregnant at the time, Taraji won a scholarship created by Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad that allowed her to finish school after performing a monologue, song, and choreography during the audition process. Years later, Allen directed her on television and is now directing her in her Broadway debut. Cedric also shared how inspiring it is to work with Allen, joking about the intense movement and choreography rehearsals she brings to the production.

Both actors expressed how meaningful it is to perform an August Wilson play, especially for Taraji, who studied his work while attending an HBCU and even had the opportunity to meet him early in her acting journey. The pair also revealed exciting news that the show has already been extended for an additional week ahead of its March 30 opening at the Barrymore Theatre.