She may have earned one of Hollywood's greatest honors, but family still comes first for Taraji P. Henson.
The 48-year-old Oscar nominee got tearful as she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk-Of-Fame on Monday.
The high point of the joyous ceremony came when she dedicated the accolade to her grandmother, mother, and son.
She mentioned that she was emotional because her family was there as she explained: 'Everything I do, I work so hard to make them proud.'
Taraji talked about how her 94-year-old grandmother Patsy Ballard has been a fixture on her red carpet appearances like the Emmys.
The Empire star explained that she knows that her grandmother is praying for her and began to tear up as she said: 'I know she never thought that she would live to see this.'
She took some time to gather her thoughts and wipe her tears with tissues as she looked at Patsy in the crowd and said: 'And grandma I hope that you are so proud because this is your legacy.'
Taraji then told a story from childhood in which she found her mother Bernice crying over bills.
She revealed: 'And I made a promise I said "Ma don't you to cry no more. I'm going to be rich one day and I'm going to be famous and I'm going to take care of you.
'So I had a lot to live up to, because you know, I said it so I had to do it.'
Taraji went on to college at Howard University and became pregnant with son Marcell whom she gave birth to in 1994.
She said that people doubted her especially when she moved out to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of acting with a mere $700 in her pocket.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button star said it was her son - who was a one-year-old at the time - that motivated her to succeed: 'I just made a promise to him, I said "I'm never going to give up, I know things are going to be hard.'
She went on to say: 'When you love that deep and you make promises, you have to keep them.'
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Taraji had many great talents take to the podium to talk about her including John Singleton and Mary J. Blige.
