Taraji Penda Henson (born September 11, 1970) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy (2001), Shug in Hustle and Flow (2005) and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009. In 2009, she appeared in Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself as April, an alcoholic singer. She currently co-stars in the CBS series Person of Interest.
Taraji P. Henson | |
|---|---|
 Taraji at the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, January 25, 2009 | |
| Born | Taraji Penda Henson September 11, 1970 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Died | ĕ |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
Early life
Henson was born in Southeast Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bernice Gordon, a corporate manager at Woodward & Lothrop, and Boris Henson, a janitor and fabricator.[1][2][3] She is a relative of Matthew Henson,[4] discoverer of the Geographic North Pole.[5] Her first and middle name are of Swahili origin, taraji meaning hope.[6]
Henson spent summers at her grandparents' house in suburban Southern Maryland. She attended Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. She first attended NC A&T, where she started a major in Electrical Engineering. She later transferred to Howard University.[7] She worked two jobs—in the morning as a secretary at the Pentagon and in the night as a singing and dancing waitress on a dinner cruise ship—The Spirit of Washington—to pay for Howard University.[citation needed] She won the Triple Threat Award and graduated with a degree in Theater Arts.[citation needed]
Career
Henson has appeared in the films Four Brothers (2005), Talk To Me (2007), Smokin' Aces (2007), The Family That Preys (2008), and Hurricane Season (2009).[8] In late 2008, she starred opposite Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.[8] Henson plays the role of Queenie, Benjamin's mother, in a performance which has garnered critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[9] She noted in an interview that, "Queenie is the embodiment of unconditional love."[6]
Henson has also been a cast member on several television shows, including Lifetime Television's The Division and ABC's Boston Legal for one season. Her recurring appearances in television include the character Angela Scott on ABC's Eli Stone in December 2008. She has guest-starred on several television shows, such as the WB Television Network's Smart Guy, playing the role of Monique (1997–1998); the Fox series House in 2005; and CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2006. She also starred on an episode of Sister, Sister.[10] In 2011, Henson was cast in the CBS crime-suspense series Person of Interest.
Henson made her singing debut in Hustle & Flow; she provided the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, giving Three 6 Mafia the distinction of becoming the first Black hip-hop act to win in that category.[citation needed] Henson performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony on March 5, 2006 with the group.[11] Additionally, she performed the song "In My Daughter's Eyes" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars.
Henson has made several appearances in music videos. For example, she starred in the rapper Common's music video called "Testify" in 2005 as the wife of a soon to be convicted murderer.
Henson joined PETA in its campaign against the use of animal products in clothing. Henson has stated "I don't think a living being should suffer for the sake of fashion, period. End of story... You don't have to kill an animal just because you want to be hot and fly. And I really stand by that".[12] A nude ad for the Fur? I'd Rather Go Naked campaign has been released with Taraji P. Henson as the latest celebrity model.[13]
Personal life
Henson's son Marcel was born in 1995. Her son's father died unexpectedly in 1997.[14]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Sister, Sister | Briana | episode: "Two's Company" |
| 1997-1998 | Smart Guy | Monique, Leslie | episodes: "Big Picture", "Boomerang", and "Break Up Not to Make Up" |
| 2004 | All of Us | Kim | episode: "In Through the Out Door" |
| 2005 | House | Moira | episode: "Spin" |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Christina | episode: "I Like to Watch" |
| 2011–present | Person of Interest | Detective Carter |
References
- ^ Wiltz, Teresa (July 21), "Drama Queen: Taraji Henson Moved to Hollywood And Smacked It Right Upside the Head", Washington Post, pp. C01
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ Veteran Actors, First Time Nominees
- ^ NAACP nominates actress with local ties
- ^ (not a direct descendant; Henson and his wife had no children and Henson's only child was born to an Intuit woman during his time in the Arctic)
- ^ Daniels, Karu F. "Taraji P. Henson Prepares For Her Oscar Close Up", AOL Black Voices, BV Entertainment Newswire, 2007-10-27
- ^ a b Interview with Tavis Smiley, 2008 Dec 19
- ^ Wiltz, Drama Queen
- ^ a b Williams, Kam (2008-12-14). "Taraji P. Henson: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Interview". KamWilliams.com. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ MacDonald, Gayle (January 23), "Benjamin Button Leads Race for What Pitt Calls -- Our Highest Honour", Globe & Mail (Toronto Can.), pp. R13
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ Taraji P. Henson Profile at IMDb
- ^ "Three 6 Mafia Oscar Performance". youtube.com. Retrieved 2/19/2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Taraji P. Henson gets naked in the name of PETA". Style Magazine. youtube.com. Retrieved 2/19/2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Taraji P Henson Goes Nude Again, This Time For PETA" January, 27 2011, Mrs Grapevine
- ^ Taraji P. Hensen Biography. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ^ Once Fallen at IMDb
- ^ The Good Doctor at IMDb
- ^ Morales, Wilson (Jan 4th 2011). "First Look at Taraji P. Henson's Lifetime Movie 'Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story". Black Voices.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Larry Crowne at IMDb
- ^ Think Like a Man (2012) at IMDb
External links
- Taraji P. Henson Daily The Only Taraji P. Henson Website with updates on the Actress
- Taraji P. Henson at IMDb
- Taraji P. Henson: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Interview with Kam Williams
- Interview with Taraji P. Henson in Venice Magazine