Taraji P. Henson: I'm Not Jealous of Viola Davis' Historic Emmy Win

— -- Taraji P. Henson can't lie -- she would have liked to have won an Emmy Sunday.

That said, she's glad that the best actress in a drama award went to fellow nominee Viola Davis.

"It was bittersweet, you know what I mean, because we all want to make history and be important to society and everything," Henson said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Tuesday. "But then I thought about it. I was like, 'It's 2015 and we have a black president and no black woman has ever won in this category. Like, this is weird.' So, when I went into it and I knew I was being nominated alongside of Viola, I just thought to myself, 'God, just please give it to one of us so we will never have to say that again. You know, let's just break this barrier down and keep on pushing.'"

In the end, Henson, who gave Davis a standing ovation when her name was announced, thinks the right woman won.

"I think the universe is happy. Viola deserved that award. And, honestly, I would have felt weird if I would had gotten it over her. You know what I mean?" Henson said. "She's been doing it longer. You've just got to give respect and know when your time is."

Davis' speech was also timely, Henson said.

"Had I won it wouldn't have been that message. I mean it would've been good. Don't ya know!" said Henson, who was previously nominated for an Emmy in 2011 and an Oscar in 2008. "It woulda been great! I just think the universe orders up what it needs when it needs it. And I think the world needed to hear what she had to say last night."

Despite not taking home the Emmy Sunday night, Henson still feels like she won by having her family -- including her 91-year-old grandmother, her mother and son -- attend the ceremony with her.

"That to me was the win, the fact that I could do that for my family," she said.