Taraji P. Henson's Impressive Career Highlights

Born September 11, 1970, American actress Taraji Penda Henson initially was on the path to becoming an electrical engineer before switching to acting. Studying at Howard University, Taraji's earliest roles came as a background performer throughout the 1990s, which would earn her SAG membership early on in her career. Her first big role would come in this next film...

Taraji P. Henson's first big role would come in 2001 alongside singers Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg in comedy-drama Baby Boy. Playing the part of "Yvette", Taraji would catch the attention of both audiences and critics which would lead to her casting in this next hit film...

Proving herself a talented actress and singer, 2005 drama Hustle & Flow would mark Taraji P. Henson's singing debut. Combining Taraji's talent with that of actor Terrence Howard would put the film on the map and garner it two Academy Award nominations, one of which it won! 

Taraji P. Henson, herself, would win a Best Supporting Actress nomination for this next role. Playing the character of "Queenie", "Benjamin's" (Brad Pitt's) mother in hit fantasy drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Taraji was praised for her heartwarming portrayal of a mother who would do anything for her son. 

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By the 2010s, Taraji P. Henson was a well-established actress having acted in two Tyler Perry films, The Family That Preys (2008) and I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009), as well as starring in the 2010 Karate Kid remake with Jaden Smith. Taraji's most outstanding film during these years, however, was the Lifetime Movie Network's Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. Based on the true story of a New York woman whose son is abducted, Taraji's performance was warmly received by critics and she would even receive a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. 

In addition to film, Taraji P. Henson has also starred in a number of successful television series over the years. After smaller roles in Lifetime's The Division and ABC's Boston Legal, in 2011 she would be cast in CBS crime-drama Person of Interest. For the next two years, audiences fell in love with Taraji's character and were saddened when she was killed off the series.

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In 2012, Taraji P. Henson starred in the romantic comedy film Think Like a Man alongside an ensemble cast that also included Kevin Hart and Regina Hall. The film, which was based on the Steve Harvey book, Act Like a Lady, was so successful that a sequel was released in 2014! 

Almost immediately after Taraji P. Henson left the cast of Person of Interest, Fox producers snagged her to star in the hit musical drama Empire. Since its debut in 2015, the series has seen commercial success and brought Taraji even further into the spotlight. Named the NAACP Image Awards Entertainer of the Year in 2015, in 2016, Taraji would become only the third African American woman ever to take home the Golden Globe for Best Actress! While the show recently ended, a spin-off series on Taraji's character "Cookie Lyon" has been announced. 

Taraji P. Henson has proven that she only gets better with age! Starring in the 2016 biographical film Hidden Figures, the film was a huge box-office success and was nominated for a number of awards. Throughout her career, Taraji has become an important figure for African American women and is more than deserving of all the praise! 

Most recently, Taraji P. Henson starred in 2019 American drama 'The Best of Enemies' and Netflix's 2020 comedy 'Coffee & Kareem'. Taraji is also in the 2021 'Despicable Me' spin-off prequel, 'Minions: The Rise of Gru'. The now 54 year old voiced the character of "Belle Bottom" and we couldn't be more excited to watch Taraji P. Henson's new movie!