Taraji Penda Henson[6][7] was born September 11, 1970, in Southeast Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bernice (née Gordon), a corporate manager at Woodward & Lothrop, and Boris Lawrence Henson, a janitor and metal fabricator.[6][7][8][9] She has often spoken of the influence of her maternal grandmother, Patsy Ballard, who accompanied her at the Academy Awards the year she was nominated.[10][11][12][13] Her first and middle names are of Swahili origin: Taraji ("hope") and Penda ("love").[14][15] According to a mitochondrial DNA analysis, her matrilineal lineage can be traced to the Masa people of Cameroon.[16] She has said that North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was "the brother of [her] great-great-grandfather."[17]
Henson received her SAG membership card in the early 1990s for doing three roles as a background performer. Her first prominent role was in the 2001 comedy-drama film Baby Boy, where she portrayed Yvette, alongside singer Tyrese Gibson.[19]
Henson acted in two Tyler Perry films, The Family That Preys in 2008 and I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 2009. In 2010, she appeared in the remake of The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Though reviews were lackluster, the film was a commercial success.[23] Additionally, Henson has been a cast member on several television shows, including Lifetime's The Division and ABC'sBoston Legal for one season. Her recurring characters include Angela Scott on ABC's Eli Stone. In 2011, she was cast in the CBS crime-suspense series Person of Interest.[24][25] In the November 20, 2013 episode, "The Crossing", after co-starring for two and a half years, Henson's character, 'Joss' Carter was killed as part of the series' new storyline.[26]
In January 2018, she starred in Sony Screen Gems's thriller-drama film Proud Mary, as a hit woman whose life is turned around when she meets a young boy who awakens the maternal instinct she never knew she had.[41] In March, she starred in the film Tyler Perry's Acrimony as a faithful wife who, after tiring of standing by her husband, is enraged when she believes herself betrayed.[42] In November, she voiced the character Yesss in Disney'sRalph Breaks the Internet,[43] a sequel to the studio's Wreck-It Ralph. In February 2019, Henson starred in What Men Want (based on the 2000 Mel Gibson romantic comedy What Women Want)[44] as a female sports agent, looked down upon by male colleagues, who gains the power to hear men's thoughts.[45] In April 2019, she starred in the historical drama The Best of Enemies, portraying civil rights activist Ann Atwater.[46]
In July 2020, it was reported that a spin-offEmpire series focusing on Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, was in development, with Henson producing and starring, as part of Henson's two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox Television through her production company, TPH Entertainment. The deal includes developing projects for the network across multiple platforms. Henson said she hopes to tackle a number of sensitive topics while cultivating young, fresh voices. FOX has since decided to not move forward with the spin-off, currently putting the series on hold.[47] In December 2020, Henson began hosting the talk show Peace of Mind with Taraji on Facebook Watch.[48] On December 2, 2021, Henson played the role of Miss Hannigan in Annie Live! on NBC.[49] Henson also portrayed Shug Avery in the 2023 film The Color Purple acting alongside Danielle Brooks, who portrayed Sofia. The film was released on December 25, 2023.
Henson has made several appearances in music videos and television. In 2005, she starred in the rapper Common's music video "Testify" as the wife of a soon-to-be-convicted murderer,[53] and appeared in Tyrese Gibson's music video "Stay" as his love interest.[54] On March 16, 2015, she was a guest co-host on Live! with Kelly and Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa.[55]
Henson collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to create the Taraji P. Henson makeup collection in late August 2016. The #MACTaraji collection debuted the following month.[56] In November 2016, she again collaborated with MAC as the spokesperson for their Viva Glam Campaign, along with Jussie Smollett, to benefit the MAC HIV/AIDS fund. Their collection debuted in February 2017.[57]
On April 1, 2022, Henson was appointed by President Joe Biden to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[61][62]
Personal life
In 1994, Henson gave birth to her son Marcell.[63][64][65] His father, Henson's high-school sweetheart William LaMarr Johnson, was murdered in 2003.[66][67] In 2014, Henson said that her son had been racially profiled by police and that his car had been illegally searched during a traffic stop in Glendale, California. A video obtained by the Los Angeles Times showed Marcell had driven through a lighted crosswalk while a pedestrian was crossing, given verbal consent to search his vehicle, and admitted to smoking marijuana two hours before driving. Hashish oil and marijuana were found inside the car.[65] Forty minutes after the video was made public,[65] Henson said in an Instagram message, "I would like to publicly apologize to the officer and the Glendale Police Department. A mother's job is not easy, and neither is a police officer's."[68][69]
A supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Henson appeared nude in an ad for the I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur campaign in January 2011.[70][71] She joined PETA again for their 2013 campaign, "Be an Angel for Animals", where Henson posed with her family dog Uncle Willie. "Chained dogs suffer day in and day out," the ad stated. "They are cold, hungry, thirsty, vulnerable, and lonely. Keep them inside, where it's safe and warm."[72]
On May 13, 2018, Henson was engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden.[76] She disclosed the end of their engagement during an episode of The Breakfast Club on October 19, 2020.[77]
Henson is a Christian and considers acting to be a spiritual experience.[78][79]
^Tucker, Neely (October 6, 2011). Henson, spent most of her summers as a child in Scotland Neck, NC a small town in between Rocky Mount and Ronoake Rapids, NC about an hour and a half from Raleigh, NC and 45 mins from VA stateline. "The real Taraji Henson". The Washington Post.
^Henson, Taraji P. (December 5, 2013). "The Late Show with David Letterman" (Interview). Interviewed by David Letterman. Worldwide Pants.. Approximately 4 minutes before the end of the show, Henson said that first name is Taraji and "means hope in Swahili" and that her middle name is "Penda, P-E-N-D-A, and that means 'to love' in Swahili".
^Williams, Kam (2008). "Taraji Shares All, Even the Surprising Color of Her Panties". African American Literature Book Club. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2015. Yes, he's my great-great cousin. He was the brother of my great-great-grandfather. Matthew would send him letters about his travels while out on his expeditions.
^ abcd"Taraji P. Henson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 21, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.