Playing Porsha on Fox’s breakout hit “Empire” is Ta’Rhonda Jones’s first big acting role, but you’d never know it based on her standout performance as Cookie’s loyal assistant. And with Taraji P. Henson as a frequent scene partner, Jones told HuffPost Live she’s soaking up every lesson she can.

Jones explained to host Nancy Redd that she and Henson have deep chemistry, and she quickly grew to admire Henson’s adaptability on set.

“One thing I love about her [is] no matter what you throw at her — I can throw a line in that wasn’t even in the script — I don’t care what you throw at her, she’s gonna catch it,” Jones said. “She’s real quick on her feet.”

The rapper-turned-actress added that as soon as she got the job, she took the initiative to observe Henson’s progress as much as possible.

“Honestly, I watched her. And I’m a big fan of Taraji, before ‘Empire’ and everything. I really look up to Taraji. And the very first week I was on set, I just watched,” Jones said. “I went in on my own spare time and I watched and I said, okay, I want to be that. I want to be just like her. I want to do that.”

So what kind of advice does one get from a mentor as inspiring as Henson?

“This is the same conversation we have all the time — she’s just like, ‘Do you,'” Jones said. “Because I’ll be like, ‘Wait, what do I do?’ And she’ll be like, ‘Nothing. Nothing! Do you, baby. That’s what got you here this far. Just do you. Do whatever you feel.'”

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Ta’Rhonda Jones here.

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