Taraji P. Henson
Biography
Taraji P. Henson is an American actress, producer, and author whose screen career began after drama studies at Howard University, with an early film role in Streetwise (1998). She first drew wide notice as Shug in Hustle & Flow (2005), then earned an Academy Award nomination for playing Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). She portrayed Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures (2016). Later she played Shug Avery in The Color Purple (2023). On television she played Joss Carter in Person of Interest from 2011 to 2013 and Cookie Lyon in Empire from 2015 to 2020, a role that won her a Golden Globe and brought two Emmy nominations. Another Emmy nomination came for the Lifetime film Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story (2011). She released a best selling autobiography, Around the Way Girl, and received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
56years old
Turns 57 on September 11in 305 days
- Born Washington, D.C.
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Taraji Penda Henson and Taraji Henson
Movie Career
- Films
- 41
- Career span
- 25 years2001 to 2026
Photos
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Beyond film
Henson made her singing debut in Hustle & Flow, providing vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006. She performed it live at the Oscars that year.
First role
In the early 1990s, Henson did three roles as a background performer, and that work earned her a SAG membership card.
A first
In a revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, directed by Debbie Allen, Henson played Bertha Holly, marking her Broadway debut. Previews started March 30, 2026.
Taraji P. Henson movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Tyler Perry directed five of these films, Tim Story four and John Singleton two. Kevin Hart appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kevin Hart's page
Mike Epps's page
Terrence Howard's page
Jenifer Lewis's page
Tyler Perry's page
Wendy Williams's page
All films by Tim Story
All films by John Singleton
Box office
What Taraji P. Henson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$3.6 billion
31 of the 41 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 41 films: 31 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 7 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.
- 31Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 7Never in cinemas
- 2Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 80% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$940M26.3% of the total
- 2$529M14.8% of the total
- 3$359M10.1% of the total
- 4$336M9.4% of the total
- 5$236M6.6% of the total
- 6$202M5.7% of the total
- 7$152M4.3% of the total
- 8$96M2.7% of the total
$722 millionfrom the other 23 films with a worldwide figure, 20% of the total
Awards
Ten awards and honors from 2006 to 2024.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2024 | Women of the Year | Won | |
| 2016 | Crystal Award | Won | |
| 2016 | Lucy Award | Won | |
| 2014 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Person of Interest | Won |
| 2012 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story | Won |
| 2011 | BET Award for Best Actor & Actress | Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story | Won |
| 2009 | BET Award for Best Actor & Actress | Not Easily Broken | Won |
| 2009 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Won |
| 2006 | BET Award for Best Actor & Actress | Hustle & Flow | Won |
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.