For Taraji P. Henson, her epic performance as a woman facing the worst day of her life in “Tyler Perry’s Straw,” meant a relentless full speed ahead.

The title “Straw” correctly refers to “the last straw” for Henson’s Janiyah Wiltkinson, a single mother with Job-like obstacles that begin with her medically challenged young daughter, sadistically cruel boss and imminent eviction for non-payment of rent.

Add a road rage attack by an unhinged cop and a ticket for her expired license by another.

Janiyah (pronounced Jan-EYE-yah) needs $40 for her daughter’s lunch money. Caught in a robbery-homicide at work, she’s falsely accused of being part of the heist.

In shock, she enters the bank to cash her desperately needed paycheck with a pistol in her hand. The teller freaks. The silent alarm goes off. Within minutes there’s a police response, a hostage situation with a “bomb” that’s actually a toy.

“Straw” offers a nightmare that demands Henson, 54, be super stressed every minute.

“I won’t say it’s the most difficult role but one of the most difficult. The reason I say that is because I was in the middle of filming ‘Fight Night’” – last September’s Peacock series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” with Kevin Hart – “and they worked out my schedule to have two days off.”

That meant just one long, four-day weekend to bring Janiyah to blistering life.

Did Perry – who produced, wrote and directed – write this with her in mind?

“Well, the way he says it is that he had some things that he was going through, and he wanted to get it out by writing the script. As he started writing, he saw me and called.”

Perry, she added, “continues to challenge me. He will say that I’m the type of actor that’ll bring some things he never saw writing the script or creating the character.”

Are we meeting Janiyah on absolutely the worst day of her life when she finally snaps?

“I think so. I think she snapped a long time ago. When you see the ending of the film she literally was on autopilot. Half the time she didn’t even know she had the gun – it was just an extension of her hand at times.

“When you find out a person’s life, you are allowed to show grace and empathy. Because as humans, we’re all trying to be good and certain circumstances in our lives have us making difficult choices sometimes. That’s why you can’t really judge.

“When someone’s in public having an episode, you have to understand that something drove this person there. I’m not excusing the most heinous crime. But we can all agree that something drove the person to that point.”

“Tyler Perry’s Straw” is now streaming on Netflix.

Tyler Perry attends the Netflix special screening of Tyler Perry’s “Straw” at The Plaza Hotel on Tuesday in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)