Taraji P. Henson, the break out star of the hit series “Empire,” is gracing the cover of ESSENCE magazine’s November 2015 issue.

Taraji told ESSENCE that “even though people are just now finding me as Cookie, thank God for Netflix because people are so moved by my performance they’re like, ‘Where has she been?’ I’ve always said I want to do the type of work that people study.”

“These kids are thinking they can do reality TV and come and do this craft that I studied, sweated and grinded,” says Henson. “People forget it’s a craft because it’s so pop now…Can they make me believe the words coming out of their mouth?”

The issue hits newsstands October 16th.