Movies and TV can make us laugh, cry and even shape who we are. Our watchlists can be surprisingly revealing. We’re teaming up with entertainers, artists and cultural icons on a newWatch With Meseries on Google TV to share their top picks and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the TV and movies that inspired them.

You may know Taraji P. Henson from her iconic roles in “Baby Boy,” “Empire,” “Hustle & Flow,” “Hidden Figures” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” While she dominates the big screen, she’s been using her platform to promote representation. “I didn’t get into acting for fame. I do it for the lives that I can touch because representation is very important and helps build empathy for others.”

Taraji is also passionate about eradicating stigmas around mental health and believes entertainment can help bring awareness to the pain that people may be facing silently. “When I found myself doing work in the mental health field, I realized how much movies and TV help depict the struggles that others go through for us to relate to and how we should all be a little more empathetic when we’re dealing with others.”

We sat down with Taraji to learn more about her work and what she watches.

What does your watchlist say about you?

Taraji P. Henson: My watchlist says that I’m someone who loves to laugh and I’m always rooting for the underdog. My picks should hopefully give you insight into people’s lives and how we should open up our hearts and minds.

What’s your favorite holiday ritual?

Taraji P. Henson:My holiday ritual is watching “The Christmas Story” on repeat.

What’s your top choice genre?

Taraji P. Henson:Comedy is my top choice. I always want to laugh! And I think the best way to teach is through Comedy because you get to laugh, but you also don’t feel like you’re being preached to.

Do you have a favorite guilty pleasure?

Taraji P. Henson:I love watching reality TV, especially any of the Real Housewives franchises!

What’s one rule you have for watching TV or movies with a group?

Taraji P. Henson:Shut up and be quiet! I don't want to hear you next to me talking or crunching on your popcorn.

Who’s your favorite person to nerd out about shows and movies with?

Taraji P. Henson:My best friend since the seventh grade. She was also an art student with me, and we grew up watching the movies on my watchlist together like “Sixteen Candles” and “Beaches.”

What’s the best way to watch your watchlist?

Taraji P. Henson:Wear some comfy sweats or PJs on the sofa with the lights off. Be sure to turn the sound on loud!

So get comfy and settle into Taraji’s watchlist on Google TV, rolling out over the next few days. Be sure to share with us your favorites using #WatchWithMe!

There’s more streaming entertainment than ever — and if you want to watch it all, the cost of subscriptions can add up quickly. In fact, our research showed that 67% of TV streamers are concerned about how much they’ll pay for streaming in the future.

With Google TV, you don’t have to limit your watchlist — or break the bank. Just in time for the holidays, here are a few ways you can watch more, for less, with Google TV in the U.S.

1. Watch free live, linear streaming TV channels on the Live tab. Starting today, we’re partnering with Pluto TV so you can access more than 300 free live TV channels on Google TV. Visit the Live tab to see what’s on now or check out the Free Live TV recommendations in the For You tab. This new integration with Pluto TV will be available on all Google TV devices in the coming weeks.
2. Check out movies on YouTube. Access thousands of feature-length movies for free with ads from the Movies & Shows tab in the YouTube app. Don’t miss holiday favorites like “Jingle All The Way,” “Serendipity” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”
3. Try out more free Google TV apps. Head on over to the Apps tab to find a row of “Free movies & TV” apps to download, including Tubi, Xumo and Red Bull TV.
4. Enjoy six months of Peacock Premium, at no extra cost. For a limited time, when you activate a new Google TV (or other Android TV OS device) in the U.S., you can get Peacock Premium at no extra cost. (After that, it’s $4.99 a month plus tax, but you can cancel at any time — check out all the details for more information.) You'll get everything Peacock has to offer — hit movies and shows, exclusive originals, WWE, live sports and more. Visit the For You or Apps tab after you set up your device to redeem the offer.
5. Redeem Google Play Points for movies, shows, apps and more. If the movie or TV show you’re looking for isn't available from your services or free providers, you can rent or buy over 200,000 movies and TV episodes directly from Google TV, starting at $2.99. Whether it’s a new release or an old favorite, just search for it with your voice and click “Rent.” And with the Play Points loyalty program, you can earn points for every dollar you spend and redeem them for free Play Credits, which you can use to buy more movies, shows, books, apps and games.

And in 2022, we’ll be bringing you more ways to watch for free. In the meantime, kick back with free live TV, premium shows from Peacock and on demand movies on your Chromecast with Google TV and TVs from Sony andTCL.

Movies and TV can make us laugh, cry and even shape who we are. Our watchlists can be surprisingly revealing. We’re teaming up with entertainers, artists and cultural icons on a new Watch With Meseries on Google TV to share their top picks and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the TV and movies that inspired them.

Actor and writer Simu Liu loved movies and TV from a young age -- he liked losing himself in a story. He loved it so much, he wanted to pursue acting, and he broke new ground when he was cast as the first Asian American Super Hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the title character in Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.” Even after playing a superhero himself, he still enjoys watching epic tales. “I’m someone who loves escaping into completely new and different worlds through watching movies and TV. Whether it’s a world of wizards, orcs or Greco-Roman gods, I’m just somebody that loves being whisked away.”

Also important to Simu Liu is seeing Asian representation on the big screen. We recently sat down with Simu Liu to learn about his Google TV watchlist and what his top picks mean to him. “My watchlist says I’m somebody who cares deeply about Asian representation and telling our stories, because they haven't been told yet in Hollywood in a deep and meaningful way or they are just starting to be told,” he says. “All these films have deeply impacted me in some personal way, and I'm so excited to share them with you.”

Before diving into his top picks, we asked Simu a few questions to get to know him and his love for movies and TV.

What’s your go-to movie snack?

Simu Liu:Essential movie snack is the butter popcorn with the liquid butter drizzle topping. How many pumps of butter is best? That's a very good question that I think about. There's basically two schools of thought: One is to pump all the butter at the top and let it seep down. And the other one is to pump as you fill the bucket to evenly distribute.

What’s your favorite genre?

Simu Liu:My favorite genre is superhero movies. I mean, come on. It’s the best.

What makes a great date-night movie?

Simu Liu:A great date night movie needs a fantastic “meet cute” moment. We all know that moment in the romantic movie where the main characters chases the other down and professes their feelings in this beautiful, perfect monologue.

Do you love watching movies at home or in the theaters?

Simu Liu:I like watching at home, but there's nothing better than sitting at a theater in a dark room, experiencing a movie on a massive screen with a bunch of strangers and just munching on popcorn.

You come from the world of sitcoms and love watching them. What makes a good sitcom for you?

Simu Liu:The characters are really what makes a great sitcom. You have to have a balanced cast of wacky characters that you love to love and love to hate... it's got to have the perfect balance.

Why are movies and TV important to you?

Simu Liu:I believe in the transformative power of storytelling. Movies and TV have the capacity to change people's lives or at the very least, show them something about their lives that is relatable, that is poignant and that makes them think. My life was so affected by the movies and TV that I saw, and was how I taught myself language and culture when my family immigrated to Canada when I was a young child.

Explore Simu’s watchlist and uncover more fun facts about Simu, like his love for musicals, on Google TV, rolling out over the next few days. Tell us your favorites using #WatchWithMe.