Taraji P. Henson Biography
Taraji P. Henson is an American actress of African descent who has won multiple awards including a Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and six Emmy Awards including 4 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. She rose to fame for portraying a prostitute inHustle & Flow in 2005 and a single mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008. She gained more fame for portraying Cookie Lyon in FOX’s Empire from 2009 to 2015.
Taraji P. Henson Education
Henson finished her studies at Oxon Hill High SchoolinOxon Hill, Maryland, in 1988. Next, she joined Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, planning to study Electrical Engineering. However, she transferred to Howard Universityto study drama. To fund her college expenses, she worked as a morning secretary at The Pentagon and sang, danced, and was a waitress on theSpirit of Washington, a dinner cruise ship, in the evenings.
Taraji P. Henson Career
Henson has won multiple awards including a Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and six Emmy Awards including 4 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Time included her in its list of the100 most influential people in the world in 2016 and 2024.
In the early 90s, Henson earned her SAG membership card for doing three roles as a background performer. Following her graduation from Howard University, she debuted in the film, Streetwise in 1998. She secured her first role in 2001 in the film, Baby Boy portraying Yvette opposite Tyrese Gibson. Next, she made guest appearances on multiple TV shows like WB’sSmart Guy, FOX’sHousein 2005, andCBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigationin 2006. Moreover, she appeared in an episode of Sister, Sister.
Henson portrayed Shug in Hustle & Flow in 2005, DJay’s (played by Terrence Howard) love interest. She launched her singing career in the film, winning the film twoAcademy Award nominations and winning one. In 2008, she starred opposite Brad Pitt inThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Queenie. Her performance in the film won her a nomination for an Academy Best Supporting Actress Award.
2009 to present;
Henson starred in two Tyler Perryfilms,The Family That Preysin 2008 andI Can Do Bad All By Myselfin 2009. In 2010, she starred in the remake of The Karate Kidopposite Jaden SmithandJackie Chan. She has also been cast member on multiple TV shows including Lifetime’sThe DivisionandABC’sBoston Legalfor one season. Additionally, she has starred in the recurring role of Angela Scott on ABC’sEli Stone.
Henson was cast as Joss Carter in CBS’ Person of Interest in 2011. After starring in the show for 2 and a half years, her character, Joss, died as part of the storyline on the November 20, 2013 episode, “The Crossing.” Additionally, she portrayed Tiffany Rubin in Lifetime’s Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story in 2011. Her performance in the film won her praise and multiple award nominations including Primetime Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Award. The following year, she starred as Lauren Harris in Think Like a Man, reprising her role in the film’s sequel,Think Like a Man Too, released in June 2014.
Henson also starred in Hidden Figures in 2016, Acrimony in 2018, What Men Want in 2019, and The Color Purpleand Abbott Elementary in 2023. Between 2015 and 2020, she starred as Cookie Lyon in FOX’s Empire. Her performance in the series won her a Golden Globe Best Actress – Television Series Drama Award and a nomination for Primetime Emmy Awardsin 2015 and 2016. In 2016, she published the New York Timesbest-sellingautobiography, Around the Way Girl.
Other work
Henson debuted her singing career inHustle & Flow, giving the vocals for Three 6 Mafia’s It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp. In 2006, the son received anAcademy Award for Best Original Song. She alongside the group performed the don’t on March 5, 2006, at the live Oscar ceremony. That same year, she sang In My Daughter’s Eyes on the charity album,Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars.
Henson has appeared in multiple music videos and TV such as in Common’s music video for Testify in 2005. In the video, she played the role of the wife of a soon-to-be-convicted murderer. Additionally, she appeared as the love interest of Tyrese Gibson in his music video for Stay. On March 16, 2015, she filled in for Kelly Ripa as a guest cohost on Live! with Kelly and Michael.
She joined PETA for their 2013 campaign, Be an Angel for Animals where Henson posed with her family dog Uncle Willie. She appeared in an ad for NOH8’s Campaignthat supported theLGBT community in February 2015.
In collaboration with MAC Cosmetics, Henson created the Taraji P. Henson makeup collection in late August 2016. She debuted the collection in the following month. They worked together again in November 2016 when she worked as the spokesperson for their Viva Glam Campaign alongside Jussie Smollett to profit the MAC HIV/AIDS fund. They released their collection in February 2017.
Henson starred in a few stage performances like a production ofAugust Wilson’sJoe Turner’s Come and GoneandAbove the Fold at the thePasadena Playhouse. Named after her father, she began the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation which deals with cultural mental illness. On April 1, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden chose her as the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Awards and Nominations
During her career, Henson has won several awards including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award, and aScreen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations including for an Academy Award, threePrimetime Emmy Awards, and twoDaytime Emmy Awards. For her participation in the motion picture industry, she was awarded a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
Her performance in Hustle & Flow won her the firstnomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award. She won a nomination for anAcademyBest Supporting Actress Award for her performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Henson’s performance in Empire won her a Golden Globeand aCritics’ Choice Television Best Actress in a Drama Series Award. This made her the first African-American actress to win those awards. Her role in Hidden Figures won her anNAACP Image Outstanding Actress Award and an MTV Movie Best Hero Award.TheNational Board of Review chose her and her co-stars as the Best Cast. They also won the Screen Actors GuildBest Cast Award and aSatelliteBest Cast Award. In 2024, she won aTony Best Play Award nomination for her work producing Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.
Taraji P. Henson Age
Henson was born Taraji Penda Henson on September 11, 1970, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. She is 54 years old as of 2024. Henson celebrates her birthday on September 11th.
Taraji P. Henson Height
Henson stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 4 inches.
Taraji P. Henson Family
Henson was born to Bernice (néeGordon) and Boris Lawrence Henson in SoutheastWashington, D.C. Bernice worked as a corporate manager atWoodward & Lothrop while Boris worked as a janitor and metal fabricator. Often, Henson has commented on the impact of her maternal grandmother, Patsy Ballard. Patsy accompanied her to the Academy Awards the year she was nominated.
Taraji P. Henson Husband
Henson is very private about her personal life therefore it is not known if she is in any relationship. She was previously engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden. They became engaged on May 13, 2018, and split in 2020. She shared news of their split during an episode of The Breakfast Club on October 19, 2020. A Christian, she considers acting a spiritual experience. Before Kelvin, she dated from February 1987 to November 1994.
Taraji P. Henson Son
Henson had her son Marcell with her high-school sweetheart, William LaMarr Johnson, on May 10, 1994. He is 30 years old as of 2024. William was killed in 2003. William and Johnson dated from February 1987 to November 1994.
In 2014, she shared that her son was racially profiled by the police and that his car was unlawfully probed during a traffic stop in Glendale, California, during an interview with Uptown magazine. However, a dashcam video procured by the Los Angeles Timesrevealed that he had driven through a lighted crosswalk while a pedestrian was crossing. The video also showed that he verbally consented to the search and confessed to smoking marijuana two hours before driving.
After his car was searched, hashish oil and marijuana were found in his car. 40 minutes after the video was publicized, Henson apologized to the officer and the Glendale Police Department via an Instagram post, captioning the post “…A mother’s job is not easy, and neither is a police officer’s…”
Taraji P. Henson Net Worth
Henson has an estimated net worth ranging between $5 Million – $20 Million which she has earned through being an actress.
Taraji P. Henson Hustle & Flow
Henson starred as Shug in Hustle & Flow in 2005 opposite Terrence Howard(starring as DJay). Shug is a pregnant prostitute and the love interest of DJay. After participating in a recording process by singing hooks, she develops a romantic link with DJay. Her performance in Hustle & Flow won her the firstnomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award.
Taraji P. Henson The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Henson starred as Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button opposite Brad Pitt(starring as the adult Benjamin Button). Queenie works as a caretaker at the nursing home where Benjamin is left as a baby. She gives spiritual and emotional support to Benjamin, often reminding him that he is a child of God and that his life has a purpose. According to IMDB, she received a salary of $150,000 for her work in the film.
Taraji P. Henson Empire
Henson gained more fame for portraying Cookie Lyon in FOX’s Empire from 2009 to 2015. One of the series’ main characters, Cookie, is Lucious Lyon’s ex-wife, and the mother of Andre, Jamal, and Hakeem. She and Lucious were involved in drug dealing, leading to her arrest after a drug deal went bad. As a result, she spends 17 years in jail, leaving her kids in the care of Lucious. During her stay in prison, she and her family became estranged, more so, her last born, Hakeem who wants nothing to do with her. Jamal was the only one who kept in touch with her.
Lucious uses the drug money to build his career leading to the establishment of the record label, Empire Entertainment, where he works as the CEO. Upon her release from prison, she demands that Lucious give her half of Empire which he refuses and offers her a seven-figure income and living arrangements. Lucious learns that he has ALS(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and of his imminent death, forcing him to choose his successor among his kids. This pits his three sons against each other with dreams of owning the record label. On the other hand, Cookie wants to reunite the Lyon family and reclaim her share of Empire Entertainment. The younger version of Cookie Lyon is played by Ajiona Alexus. Henson’s performance in Empire won her a Golden Globeand aCritics’ Choice Television Best Actress in a Drama Series Award. This made her the first African-American actress to win those awards
Taraji P. Henson Ethnicity
Henson’s names, Taraji and Penda, have Swahili roots meaning hope and love, respectively. Her mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed that her mother’s lineage can be traced back to the Masa people of Cameroon. Henson said that North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was the brother of her great-great-grandfather.
Taraji P. Henson Nude
In support of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA), Henson appeared nude in an ad for the I’d Rather Be Naked Than Wear Furcampaign in January 2011. The following year, she posed nude for the May 2012 issue of Alluremagazine.
Mary J. Blige Talks About Taraji P. Henson
Blige has commented on the close ties she has with Henson, calling her a friend who supports her. They talked about love and relationships on The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige. Further, they began their friendship while co-starring in Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Ever since, they have been spotted together at events and on vacation.
According to people.com, Blige says that she loves that Henson is unapologetically herself above all and that she doesn’t hold back sharing her thoughts and always stands up for what she believes in. Moreover, she said that she is always true and authentic, giving a million percent to whatever role she is playing, “There’s nobody like you. “I love you,” she wrote in her tribute towards Henson after she was featured in 2024’s edition of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” issue.
Taraji P. Henson Movies and TV Shows
Henson has starred in several movies and TV shows during her career such as
- All or Nothing
- Hair Show
- Four Brothers
- Murder She Wrote: The Last Free Man
- Satan’s School for Girls
- Something New
- The Division
- Talk to Me
- The Family That Preys
- Not Easily Broken
- I Can Do Bad All by Myself
- The Good Doctor
- From the Rough
- Madly Madagascar
- Hurricane Season
- No Good Deed
- Proud Mary
- The Best of Enemies
- Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
