Taraji P. Henson Almost Had to Drive Herself to 'The Color Purple' Set

Taraji P. Henson is now taking shots at her own new film "The Color Purple," claiming she was relegated to second-class treatment while in production ... that is, until she fought back.

The actress gave a scathing critique over how she says she was dealt with as talent (at first) on the set of 'TCP' -- a WB film -- and how she had to demand better working conditions ... including getting a lift to and from the set itself.

In a new NYT interview, Taraji reveals she had to advocate not just for herself, but for her castmates as well ... saying, "They gave us rental cars, and I was like, 'I can’t drive myself to set in Atlanta.' This is insurance liability, it’s dangerous. Now they robbing people. What do I look like, taking myself to work by myself in a rental car?"

TPH adds, "So I was like, 'Can I get a driver or security to take me?' I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, 'Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.' Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for. I was on the set of "Empire" fighting for trailers that wasn’t infested with bugs."

Taraji had more grievances to air about 'TCP' ... including the claim that the studio, apparently, wasn't interested in bringing the cast out internationally for a press run -- as well as complaints about the fact she had to audition and bust her ass for her role in the flick.

She explains ... "What else do I need to do to prove my worth? Now that I’m singing and dancing for you, and I climbed up on the table 88 times with my knobby knees and had to ice my knees in between takes, what else do I need to do?"

All this follows several weeks of Taraji and other stars of the film discussing their low pay in Hollywood ... and it's been eye-opening to watch -- especially with such big names attached to this film, including Oprah ... who's a producer and has been a key part of promotion.

Taraji says Oprah actually had to step in on her behalf a handful of times over these complaints of hers -- and eventually, everything got sorted out ... but it seems to have been an uphill battle for a while. Again, Taraji is a Golden Globe winner/Oscar-nominated actress.