Actress, Singer, Author, Social Media Personality, Businesswoman, and Philanthropist
Date Of Birth/Age:
11 September 1970 (53 Years Old)
Place of Birth:
Washington, D.C.
Gender:
Female
Nationality:
American
Marital Status:
Separated
Education:
Oxon Hill High School
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Howard University
Height:
5Ft 5In
Net Worth:
$25M
Taraji P. Henson Biography
Taraji P. Henson was born on September 11, 1970, in Washington, D.C., USA. Her parents were Boris Lawrence Henson and Bernice Gordon. In Swahili, her first name ‘Taraji’ means hope, and her middle name ‘Penda’ means love. Taraji wanted to study at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Washington but was not accepted. So, she went to Oxon Hill High School and graduated in 1988. She started her college education in electrical engineering at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. However, after struggling with pre-calculus, she transferred to Howard University to pursue theatre.
To support her education, she took on two jobs simultaneously. During the day, she worked as a secretary at The Pentagon, and in the evening, she worked as a cruise ship entertainer on the Spirit of Washington. She was awarded a Triple Threat Scholarship at Howard University, and in 1995, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.
When she was just two years old, her parents went their separate ways. Her dad, Boris Lawrence Henson, was skilled in metalwork, and her mom, Bernice Ballard Gordon, managed big corporations. Interestingly, she’s related to the famous explorer Matthew Henson.
Siblings
Detailed information about her siblings isn’t known to the media, but it is known that she has siblings who identify as Shawn and April MzCockee Henson.
Children
She got pregnant while in college, and 1994, she gave birth to her son, Marcell. She had a high school sweetheart who was the father of her son. William LaMarr Johnson, his father and Henson’s high school sweetheart, was killed in 2003.
Relationships
She had a relationship with William Johnson from February 1987 to November 1994. In 2018, she became engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden. Recently, during the October 19, 2020, episode of The Breakfast Club, they publicly discussed the end of their engagement.
Lifestyle
She began acting in 1997 with a role in the television show ‘The Parent Hood’. Some of her early television works include series such as ‘Sister, Sister’ (1997), ‘ER’ (1998), ‘Division’ (2002-2004), ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2006), and ‘Boston Legal’ (2007-2008). Her first television movie was ‘Satan’s School for Girls’ (2000). Taraji P. Henson made her film debut in 1998 when she played ‘Tammy’ in the hood-action-crime thriller ‘Streetwise.’ In 2000, she was part of the live-action animated adventure comedy film ‘The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’ cast. Her breakthrough film role came in 2001 with ‘Baby Boy’, a comedy-drama movie that earned her the ‘Best Actress’ award.
She portrayed Shug, a prostitute, in the independent film “Hustle & Flow,” which won an “Oscar.” She also provided the vocals for the song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from the movie. She received nominations for her performance at the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, the NAACP Image Awards, the MTV Movie Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the MTV Movie Awards. She continued to showcase her acting talent by playing significant roles in movies like “Talk to Me” (2007) and “Smokin’ Aces” (2006).
She received nominations for her portrayal of “Queenie” in the 2008 movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” at prestigious award shows like the “Oscars” and “Screen Actors Guild.” She co-starred with Brad Pitt in the movie, earning her three honours: the NAACP Image Award, the BET Award, and the Austin Film Critics Association Award. With roles in movies like “The Family That Preys” (2008), “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” (2009), “Date Night” (2010), and “The Karate Kid” (2010), she continued to showcase her acting versatility.
In the 2011 movie “Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story,” she portrayed Tiffany Rubin, a real-life person. She received favourable reviews for her performance and was recognized with the “BET Award,” “NAACP Image Award,” and “Black Reel Award” for it. Additionally, she was nominated for several awards, including one at the Primetime Emmys. She played the role of Detective Jocelyn “Joss” Carter in the CBS crime-suspense drama series Person of Interest. She participated in the series for 2.5 years, from 2011 to 2013. She appeared in the series in a unique capacity in 2015.
In the movie “Think Like a Man” from 2012, she portrayed Lauren Harris. She played “Lauren Harris” again in the 2014 follow-up, “Think Like a Man Too.” Taraji kept showcasing her versatility by taking on various roles. She also portrayed Terri Granger in the 2014 movie “No Good Deed.” She received two NAACP Image Awards and a BET Award for her work in the film.
She debuted in the lead role of “Cookie Lyon” in the television musical drama series “Empire” in January 2015. She won the ‘Critics’ Choice Television Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Drama Series’ for the series, which has seen commercial success. Although the series received favourable reviews, her writing gained widespread recognition and acclaim. At the 2015 “Primetime Emmy Awards,” she was nominated for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.”
She anchored a “Saturday Night Live” segment in 2015. She took over as co-host of the “Live! With Kelly and Michael” program on March 16, 2015, when Kelly Ripa could not appear. She has also appeared in music videos in addition to acting in them. ‘Testify’ and ‘Stay’ are music videos she has performed in.
She has acted in several notable productions that have won or been nominated for awards, including the ‘NAACP Image Award’, and ‘MTV Movie Award’. In 2018, she appeared in movies such as ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Acrimony’. Also, she lent her voice to the character of ‘Yesss’ in the popular 3D computer-animated movie ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’. The following year, she starred in the commercially successful film ‘What Men Want’ alongside Tracy Morgan and Aldis Hodge and the drama movie ‘The Best of Enemies’. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her role in Empire 2016.
She actively supports People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has participated in multiple campaigns for the organization. In January 2011, she posed nude for PETA’s “I’d Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, and in 2013, she accompanied her dog Uncle Willie for the “Be an Angel for Animals” campaign. Additionally, in February 2015, she supported same-sex marriage by being part of the NOH8 Campaign.
Henson has won numerous awards for her contributions to film and television. Henson became the first black actress in the awards show’s history to win the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 (for Empire).In the same category, she also took home a Golden Globe for the series. Additionally, Henson has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards (for Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story and Empire), numerous Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning Outstanding Motion Picture Cast for Hidden Figures in 2017), and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
On January 28, 2019, she received a star at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is a co-founder of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and was chosen as one of “the ten sexiest women of 2001” by the readers of Black Men Magazine.
Net Worth
The American actress and singer has an estimated $25 million net worth.
Cars
The celebrity owns a modest garage collection, including high-end automobiles.
House
In 2017, Taraji owned properties valued at 1.9 million dollars. She holds two properties in LA, one in Glendale, which she bought in 2002 for $431,000, and another in the hills above Hollywood, which she purchased for $6.45 million in 2016.
Movies & TV Shows
She made her acting debut in 1997 while portraying “Aida” in an episode of the TV show “The Parent’ Hood.” She appeared in several television programs and films before landing her breakthrough role in “Baby Boy,” leading to nominations for “Black Movie Awards.” With roles in movies like “Hustle and Flow,” “Four Brothers,” and “Talk to Me,” she continued to showcase her acting talent and received nominations for several awards.
She was recognized with an “Oscar” nomination for “Best Supporting Actress” for her portrayal of “Queenie” in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” In addition, she was cast in a number of popular films, including “Date Night,” “The Karate Kid,” “Think Like a Man,” and “Think Like a Man Too.” In 2011, Taraji Penda Henson was nominated for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie” because of her work as the title character in “Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story.” Her portrayal of “Cookie Lyon” in Empire is one of her best performances, and she won numerous accolades for her contribution to the show’s commercial success. “Cookie” has played prominent roles in films and television series. She has had essential functions in television series such as ‘The Division,’ ‘Boston Legal,’ and ‘Person of Interest.’ Some of her notable movie roles include Hidden Figures (2016), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Hustle & Flow (2005), Think Like a Man (2012), Four Brothers (2005), Talk to Me (2007), Something New (2006), Baby Boy (2001), The Best of Enemies (2019), and No Good Deed (2014).
