The power of true sisterhood is knowing when to stand in the gap for your sister. Playing the role of a character who experiences trauma can be a very dark experience for some actors. During the roundtable discussion for our November/December cover shoot, Oprah revealed that Tina Turner turned down the role of Shug Avery in the original ‘The Color Purple’ movie because the character hit too close to home. Fantasia, who plays Celie in the new movie, experienced that heaviness in her role. We love that Taraji was able to identify the heaviness Fantasia was taking on in the role, and step in and offer sisterly joy. This entire discussion is so good! Tune in tomorrow to watch the full video. #ESSENCE Disclaimer: We recognize Black creatives are still fighting for their respect and equity; this fight has been displayed through this year’s labor strikes. It is important for us to let our readers know that ESSENCE conducted these interviews and photo shoot for our cover story in May 2023.