Will Smith & Tyler Perry Celebrate the NAACP

"The Insider" was at the 40th Annual NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday and we spoke to Tyler Perry, Will Smith, Diddy, will.i.am, Rosario Dawson, Taraji P. Henson and many other stars who opened up about the special evening and the influential organization.

Taraji P. Henson tells "The Insider" that although she's nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 'Benjamin Button,' the NAACP awards are still very significant to her.

"If there were no NAACP would I even have a career?" She says. "Where would I be? This one is a little more endearing to me."

Tyler Perry was the host of the event and he spoke to "The Insider" about working with Will Smith, and reveals that the actor opened his eyes to new possibilities.

"This guy took me to Europe and showed me that there's another world out there and that I'm thinking too small," Tyler says. "He's that kind of guy. He's fantastic."

Watch the video for more with the stars at the NAACP Image Awards.

Published 2/13/09 by