Taraji P. Henson Explained

Taraji P. Henson
Birth Name:Taraji Penda Henson
Birth Date:11 September 1970
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Education:North Carolina A&T State University
Howard University (BFA)
Television:Empire
Children:1
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1992–present
Awards:Full list

Taraji Penda Henson (; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award and six Emmy Awards (including four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations). In 2016 and 2024, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

After studying acting at Howard University, she made her film debut in the crime film Streetwise (1998). Henson gained recognition for playing a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005) and a single mother in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). The latter earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2016, she portrayed mathematician Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures.[1] She has also acted in Baby Boy (2001), The Karate Kid (2010), Think Like a Man (2012), Acrimony (2018), What Men Want (2019), The Best of Enemies (2019), and The Color Purple (2023).

Henson has also had an extensive career in television. From 2011 to 2013, she co-starred as Joss Carter in the CBS drama series Person of Interest. From 2015 to 2020, she starred as Cookie Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016. Her other Emmy-nominated roles were for the Lifetime movie (2011) and for her guest role in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary (2023).[2]

Henson also released a New York Times best selling autobiography titled Around the Way Girl in 2016.[3] In 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[4] [5]

Early life and education

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] Her first and middle names are of Swahili origin: Taraji ("hope") and Penda ("love").[13] [14] According to a mitochondrial DNA analysis, her matrilineal lineage can be traced to the Masa people of Cameroon.[15] She has said that North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was "the brother of [her] great-great-grandfather."[16]

Henson graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in 1988. She attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where she intended to study electrical engineering, before transferring to Howard University to study drama.[12] To pay for college, she worked mornings as a secretary at The Pentagon and evenings as a singing-dancing waitress on a dinner-cruise ship, the Spirit of Washington.[17]

Career

2001–2014: Early career

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.[18] Henson has guest-starred on several television shows, including The WB's Smart Guy, the Fox series House in 2005, and CBS's in 2006. She also appeared in an episode of Sister, Sister.[6] In 2005, Henson was in the independent film Hustle & Flow as Shug, the love interest of the male lead, DJay, portrayed by Terrence Howard. She made her singing debut in the film, which was nominated for two Academy awards and won one. In 2008, she appeared with Brad Pitt in David Fincher's drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,[19] where she played Queenie, Benjamin's mother, and for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In an interview with Lauren Viera of The Chicago Tribune, Henson described Queenie as "the embodiment of unconditional love."[20]

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.[21] Additionally, Henson has been a cast member on several television shows, including Lifetime's The Division and ABC's Boston 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.[22] [23] 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.[24]

In 2011, Henson starred as Tiffany Rubin in the Lifetime Movie Network film . It was based on true events in the life of a New York woman whose son, Kobe, was abducted by his biological father to South Korea.[25] [26] Her portrayal of Rubin received positive reviews[27] and earned her several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.[28] In 2012, Henson was in the large ensemble cast film Think Like a Man, based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. She reprised the role in the film's sequel, Think Like a Man Too, released in June 2014.[29]

2015–present: Empire and beyond

In 2015, Henson was cast to headline in the Fox series Empire, a musical drama set in the hip hop recording industry,[30] where she plays Cookie Lyon opposite former Hustle & Flow costar Terrence Howard. Fox ordered the pilot in May 2014, and the series debuted on January 7, 2015, with positive critical reviews and wide commercial success.[31] [32] The role brought Henson widespread recognition and critical acclaim.[33] [34] [35] In July 2015, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and submitted the show's pilot for Emmy voting, for which she became the first African-American woman to win the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. In January 2016, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for Empire, becoming only the third African-American actress to take home the award after Gail Fisher (1972) and Regina Taylor (1992).[36] At the 46th NAACP Image Awards, she was named the 2015 Entertainer of the Year for her roles in Empire and No Good Deed.[37]

In 2015, Henson teamed up with Howard to produce and host a variety holiday special for Fox, Taraji and Terrence's White Hot Holidays. The special was produced again in 2016 and 2017, without Howard.[38] In 2016, Henson starred in the biographical drama film Hidden Figures, a major box-office success nominated for numerous awards, including three Oscars (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer) and two Golden Globes (Best Supporting Actress for Spencer and Best Original Score). It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

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.[39] 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.[40] In November, she voiced the character Yesss in Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet,[41] 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)[42] as a female sports agent, looked down upon by male colleagues, who gains the power to hear men's thoughts.[43] In April 2019, she starred in the historical drama The Best of Enemies, portraying civil rights activist Ann Atwater.[44]

In July 2020, it was reported that a spin-off Empire 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.[45] In December 2020, Henson began hosting the talk show Peace of Mind with Taraji on Facebook Watch.[46] On December 2, 2021, Henson played the role of Miss Hannigan in Annie Live! on NBC.[47] 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.

Other work

Henson made her singing debut in the film Hustle & Flow, where 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 African-American hip hop act to win in that category.[48] Henson and the group performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony on March 5, 2006.[49] She also sang "In My Daughter's Eyes" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars.[50]

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,[51] and appeared in Tyrese Gibson's music video "Stay" as his love interest.[52] On March 16, 2015, she was a guest co-host on Live! with Kelly and Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa.[53]

Henson collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to create the Taraji P. Henson makeup collection in late August 2016. The #MACTaraji collection debuted the following month.[54] 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.[55]

Henson has appeared in a few stage roles, including a production of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone and the Pasadena Playhouse's Above the Fold.[56] [57] She also started The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.[58] Named after her father, it deals with cultural mental illness.

On April 1, 2022, Henson was appointed by President Joe Biden to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[59] [60]

Personal life

In 1994, Henson gave birth to her son Marcell.[61] [62] His father, Henson's high-school sweetheart William LaMarr Johnson, was murdered in 2003.[63] [64] 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, 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."[66] [67]

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.[68] [69] 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."[70]

Henson posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine in 2012.[71] In February 2015, Henson was featured in an ad for the NOH8 Campaign supporting the LGBT community.[72] In late 2017, she switched to a vegan diet.[73]

On May 13, 2018, Henson was engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden.[74] She disclosed the end of their engagement during an episode of The Breakfast Club on October 19, 2020.[75]

Henson is a Christian and considers acting to be a spiritual experience.[76]

Awards and nominations

See main article: List of awards and nominations received by Taraji P. Henson.

Henson has received many accolades for her work in film and television. In 2015, Henson won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (for Empire), and became the first black actress in the history of the awards to do so.[77] She also won a Golden Globe in the same category for the series. Additionally, Henson has received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning Outstanding Motion Picture Cast in 2017 for Hidden Figures) and three Primetime Emmy Awards (for Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story and Empire).

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998StreetwiseTammy
2000The Adventures of Rocky and BullwinkleLeft-Wing Student
2001All or NothingKikoVideo
Baby BoyYvette
2002Book of LoveDate #4/Ghetto Girl
2004Hair ShowTiffany
2005Hustle & FlowShug
Four BrothersCamille Mercer
AnimalRamonaVideo
2006Something NewNedra
Smokin' AcesSharice Watters
2007Talk to Me Vernell Watson
2008The Family That PreysPam Evans
The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonQueenie
2009Not Easily BrokenClarice Clark-Johnson
I Can Do Bad All by MyselfApril Jones
Hurricane SeasonDayna Collins
2010Date NightDetective Arroyo
Once FallenPearl
The Karate KidSherry Parker
Peep WorldMary
2011The Good DoctorNurse Theresa
Larry CrowneB'Ella
From the RoughCatana Starks
2012Think Like a ManLauren Harris
2013Madly MadagascarVoice, direct-to-video[78]
2014Think Like a Man TooLauren Harris
Top FiveHerself
No Good DeedTerri Granger
2016Term LifeSamantha Thurman
Hidden FiguresKatherine Johnson
2018Proud MaryMary Goodwin
AcrimonyMelinda Gayle
Ralph Breaks the InternetYesss Voice
2019What Men WantAli Davis
The Best of EnemiesAnn Atwater
2020Coffee & KareemVanessa Manning
2022Belle BottomVoice
2023 Victoria VanceVoice[79]
The Color Purple Shug Avery

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997The Parent 'HoodAidaEpisode: "Fast Cash"
Sister, SisterBrianaEpisode: "Two's Company"
1997–98Smart GuyMonique/LeslieGuest cast (seasons 2-3)
1998ERPatrice Robbins/ElanGuest cast (seasons 4-5)
Girl #3Episode: "Loser"
1998–99FelicityR.A. #2/Art StudentEpisode: "Drawing the Line Part 1" & "Todd Mulcahy Part 2"
1999Pacific BlueRhondaEpisode: "The Right Thing"
2000Strong MedicineCrystalEpisode: "Drug Interactions"
Satan's School for GirlsPaigeTelevision film
2001The TestHerself/PanelistEpisode: "The Friendship Test"
Murder She Wrote

The Last Free Man

Bess PinckneyTelevision film
The DivisionInspector Raina WashingtonMain cast (seasons 2-4)
2004The DropHerselfEpisode: "Pitbull ft Lil Jon/Taraji"
All of UsKimEpisode: "In Through the Out Door"
2005Half & HalfGabrielleEpisode: "The Big How to Do & Undo It Episode"
HouseMoiraEpisode: "Spin"
2006ChristinaEpisode: "I Like to Watch"
2007–08Boston LegalWhitney RomeMain cast (season 4)
2008Eli StoneAngela ScottRecurring cast (season 2)
2009–10Soul Train Music AwardsHerself/Co-Host Television specials
2010The Cleveland ShowChanel WilliamsVoice, episode: "Brotherly Love"
2011 Tiffany RubinTelevision film
2011–15Person of InterestMain cast (seasons 1-3), guest cast (season 4)
2013The 365Black AwardsHerself/Host Television special
2014Hollywood Game NightHerselfEpisode: "Clue Boom-Boom Pow"
Seasons of LoveJackieTelevision film
2015Unsung HollywoodHerselfEpisode: "Baby Boy"
Saturday Night LiveHerself/HostEpisode: "Taraji P. Henson/Mumford & Sons"
Guys Choice AwardsHerself/Host Television special
Herself/Co-Host Television special
Lip Sync BattleHerself/CompetitorEpisode: "Terrence Howard vs. Taraji P. Henson"
2015–20 EmpireLoretha "Cookie" LyonMain cast
2016Ethel Voice, television film
Celebration of GospelHerself/Host Television special
2016–17Taraji's White Hot HolidaysHerself/Host Television specials
2017HerselfEpisode: "John Legend and Alicia Keys"[80]
The SimpsonsPralineVoice, episode: "The Great Phatsby"
2018Lip Sync BattleHerself/CompetitorEpisode: "A Michael Jackson Celebration"
D'Astrain No CinemaHerselfEpisode: "Review de "Ralph Breaks the Internet"
Nick Jr. Bedtime StoriesHerself/StorytellerEpisode: "A Snowy Day"
2019My HouzzHerself
Tuca & BertieTerry Voice, episode: "Sweetbeak"
2020American Music AwardsHerself/Host Television special
JackedHerself/Host Television special
2020–21Peace of Mind with TarajiHerself/Host Television special
2021Nickelodeon's UnfilteredHerselfEpisode: "As Seen On Burrito"
Soul of a NationHerselfEpisode: "Black Joy"
LegendaryHerself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "Pop Tart"
Project RunwayHerself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "If You Got It, Haunt It"
Muppets Haunted MansionConstance HatchawayTelevision film
Annie Live!Miss HanniganTelevision film
2021–22BET AwardsHerself/Host Television special
2022RuPaul's Drag Race[81] Herself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "Glamazon Prime"
2022–23That's My JamHerselfEpisode: "Episode #1.3" & "#2.4"
2023Celebrity Prank WarsHerselfEpisode: "Taraji P Henson V. Fantasia"
Abbott ElementaryVanetta TeaguesEpisode: "Mom"[82]
America in BlackHerselfEpisode: "Taraji P. Henson, Chloe Bailey and Will Packer"
2024Vivian ThomasUpcoming miniseries

Documentary

YearTitle
2011Bowl of Dreams
Mama & Me
2021Mary J. Blige's My Life
2023

Music videos

YearSong Artist
2005"Testify"Common
2008"Just Like Me"Jamie Foxx featuring T.I.
2011"Stay"Tyrese
2020"Body"Megan Thee Stallion
2023"Jealousy"Offset & Cardi B

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SAG Awards 2017: See the Complete Winners List. Vanity Fair. January 29, 2017.
  2. Web site: Emmys 2011 winners: Full list. March 15, 2017. March 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180320082244/http://abc7.com/archive/8359122/. dead.
  3. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/around-the-way-girl-taraji-p-henson/1123565092 Around The Way Girl
  4. Web site: Roffman . Marisa . January 28, 2019 . Taraji P. Henson Talks Importance of Being Paid What She 'Deserved' on Road to Walk of Fame Honor . November 23, 2020 . Variety.
  5. Web site: Piña . Christy . 2023-04-02 . Taraji P. Henson Joins 'Abbott Elementary' in Major Guest Role . 2023-04-19 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  6. Web site: Taraji P. Henson - Biography . September 18, 2014 . Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks).
  7. Taraji Penda. Henson . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305215321/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/taraji-p-henson/191266/ . March 5, 2016 . September 18, 2014.
  8. 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.
  9. Web site: Henson, Taraji P.. Boris Lawrence Henson RIP...I no u got heaven in stitches cause u had the best sense of humor even in your last moments you kept us laughin.. Twitter. January 12, 2010.
  10. Oldenburg, Ann (February 22, 2009). "Taraji P. Henson: 'I'll never forget this'". USA Today.
  11. News: Veteran Actors, First Time Nominees . . February 19, 2009.
  12. Oscar Roundtable: The Actresses . The Hollywood Reporter . December 8, 2008 . Stephen . Galloway . Elizabeth . Guider . November 3, 2014 .
  13. Lanz, Michelle (August 10, 2016). "'Empire' star Taraji P. Henson on the pros and cons of being Cookie". 89.3 KPCC.
  14. Henson . Taraji P. . . . December 5, 2013 . . . 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".
  15. Web site: Taraji P. Henson Ancestry Reveal. https://web.archive.org/web/20131022184343/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EaKWkmRbbs&feature=relmfu . October 22, 2013 . dead. The Africa Channel via YouTube. January 31, 2012. January 14, 2013.
  16. Web site: Taraji Shares All, Even the Surprising Color of Her Panties . African American Literature Book Club . Kam. Williams. 2008 . 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. . November 21, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081121123915/http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/taraji_p_henson.htm . live.
  17. Meet the Nominees: Taraji P. Henson. Vanity Fair. February 12, 2009 . Andi. Teran . April 7, 2015.
  18. Web site: Taraji P. Henson Talks Cookie Taking Over Her Life, Kerry Washington, Baby Boy Sequel, Season 2 Of Empire + More . power1051fm.com. March 18, 2015.
  19. News: Kam . Williams . Taraji P. Henson: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Interview . December 14, 2008 . KamWilliams.com . June 30, 2009.
  20. Viera, Lauren (December 21, 2008). "The curious case of Taraji P. Henson". Chicago Tribune.
  21. News: Taraji P. Henson Interview: The Karate Kid, Beijing Culture and Working for Will Smith. March 18, 2015. pr.com. June 9, 2010.
  22. Web site: Person of Interest: Cast & Details. Tvguide. July 9, 2012.
  23. Web site: Taraji P. Hanson. Buddytv . February 18, 2015.
  24. 'Person of Interest' mid-season shocker: Taraji P. Henson talks Carter's big [SPOILER!]]. Snetiker. Marc. November 20, 2013. Entertainment Weekly. December 16, 2013.
  25. Web site: Morales. Wilson. First Look at Taraji P. Henson's Lifetime Movie 'Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. Black News, Entertainment, Style and Culture - HuffPost Black. January 4, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110110011534/http://www.bvnewswire.com/2011/01/04/taraji-p-henson-lifetime-taken-from-me-tiffany-rubin. January 10, 2011.
  26. News: Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story: TV review [Lifetime] ]. March 19, 2015. entertainmentrealm.com.
  27. Web site: Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. Rotten Tomatoes. March 19, 2015.
  28. Web site: Taraji P. Henson. Emmys. March 19, 2015.
  29. News: Production starts on 'Think Like a Man Too'. September 19, 2013. upi.com. May 28, 2013.
  30. News: Taraji P. Henson Nabs Female Lead in Fox's Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire' . February 26, 2014 . Lesley . Goldberg . . August 11, 2014.
  31. News: Lee Daniels' 'Empire' picked up by Fox, will 'likely' film in Chicago. July 5, 2014. November 29, 2014. Chicago Tribune. Luis. Gomez.
  32. Web site: Empire: Season 1. Rotten Tomatoes. January 29, 2015. January 8, 2015.
  33. News: Cookie Monster: How Cookie Lyon Became the Most Compelling Character on TV. April 22, 2015. root.com. February 15, 2015. May 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160521204328/http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/02/cookie_monster_how_cookie_lyon_became_the_most_compelling_character_on_tv.html. dead.
  34. News: 'Empire's' Cookie Lyon is TV's best new female character . March 18, 2015. The Washington Post. Alyssa. Rosenberg . April 22, 2015.
  35. News: Harris. Aisha. Just Give Taraji P. Henson the Emmy Already . April 22, 2015. Slate.com. March 18, 2015.
  36. Web site: Cookie From Empire Quotes. March 22, 2017. EmpireBBK.com. May 2, 2017. June 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170616124521/http://www.empireboobookitty.com/2016/03/cookie-from-empire-quotes.html. dead.
  37. Web site: 2015 Image Award Winners. Washington. Arlene. February 6, 2015. The Hollywood Reporter. May 12, 2016.
  38. Web site: Taraji P. Henson to Host Second Annual Fox Holiday Special . Elizabeth . Wagmeister. March 25, 2017 . Variety.
  39. Hidden Figures Taraji P. Henson Set For Screen Gems Proud Mary . Mike Jr. . Fleming. January 11, 2017 . Deadline Hollywood.
  40. Web site: Ashley. Lee. Tyler Perry's Taraji P. Henson Movie Gets Easter Release. The Hollywood Reporter. June 22, 2017.
  41. Web site: Surprise! Taraji P. Henson Will Voice a Character in Wreck-It-Ralph 2 Who Name-Drops Oh My Disney!. July 14, 2017. Oh My Disney!.
  42. News: Taraji P. Henson to Star in 'What Men Want' for Paramount Players. Kroll. Justin. November 14, 2017. Variety. November 15, 2017. en-US.
  43. News: Paramount Players Plots 'What Men Want'; 'Empire's Taraji P. Henson To Star. Mike Jr. . Fleming. November 14, 2017. . November 15, 2017. en-US.
  44. Empire's Taraji P. Henson And Danny Strong Re-Team On Robin Bissell-Helmed 'The Best Of Enemies' . Mike Jr. . Fleming. June 24, 2015 . Deadline Hollywood.
  45. Web site: Taraji P. Henson To Develop 'Empire' Spin-Off At FOX. Def Pen. Shepard. Ryan. July 24, 2020. July 24, 2020.
  46. Web site: 'Peace of Mind with Taraji' Renewed for Season 2 by Facebook Watch . August 23, 2021 .
  47. News: Pedersen. Erik. 'Annie Live!': Taraji P. Henson To Play Miss Hannigan In NBC's Adaptation Of Tony-Winning Musical. June 17, 2021. Deadline. June 8, 2021.
  48. Web site: Swash. Rosie. Three Six Mafia win an Oscar . The guardian . June 12, 2011. July 9, 2012.
  49. Web site: Three 6 Mafia Oscar Performance. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/OtIOHw80dFg . December 19, 2021 . live. youtube.com. February 19, 2012.
  50. Web site: Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars. allmusic.
  51. Web site: Common - Testify . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/CZRH68Ib1Ko . December 19, 2021 . live. youtube.com. April 12, 2015.
  52. Web site: Tyrese "Stay" (official music video) feat. Taraji P. Henson . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/51mR-z80X_o . December 19, 2021 . live. Youtube. March 19, 2015.
  53. Web site: Scoop: Live with Kelly and Michael Week of March 16, 2015. broadwayworld.com. March 18, 2015.
  54. News: MAC Cosmetics continues its long history of diversity with Taraji P. Henson collaboration . Hayley. Wilbur. Mic. August 24, 2016. August 31, 2016.
  55. News: Taraji P. Henson's MAC Viva Glam Collection Is Finally Here . Nikki. Brown. Essence. February 3, 2017. February 3, 2017.
  56. Web site: Before there was 'Empire', there was August Wilson: Listen to Taraji P. Henson in Wilson's 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone'. WNYC Digital. May 1, 2015.
  57. Web site: Above the Fold: Theater Review. The Hollywood Reporter. February 6, 2014.
  58. Web site: Wagmeister. Elizabeth. April 2, 2019. Taraji P. Henson Works to Eradicate Mental Health Stigmas in Black Communities. January 18, 2021. Variety. en-US.
  59. Web site: March 31, 2022 . President Biden Announces Appointments to Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities . April 2, 2022 . The White House . en-US.
  60. Web site: Johnson . Ted . March 31, 2022 . Joe Biden Names Taraji P. Henson To Historically Black Colleges and Universities Advisory Board . April 2, 2022 . Deadline . en-US.
  61. News: Taraji P. Henson Sends Son Marcel to Howard University After Racial Profiling . . March 23, 2015 . March 23, 2015 . Madeline . Boardman. Note: Source spells son's first name "Marcel".
  62. . Fortune Cookie: Taraji P. Henson. Laura . Brown . August 13, 2015. December 29, 2015.
  63. News: Taraji Henson Talks 'Think Like A Man' and Motherhood . The Wendy Williams Show via BlackRaceKids.com . October 22, 2012. April 25, 2012. ...her 17-year-old son... . https://web.archive.org/web/20121231072926/http://www.blackcelebkids.com/2012/04/25/taraji-henson-talks-think-like-a-man-and-motherhood. December 31, 2012. dead .
  64. Web site: Oscars 2009: Meet the Nominees You've Never Heard Of . Hollywood. February 13, 2009 .
  65. Web site: Actress Taraji Henson apologizes to Glendale police for racial profile claims. Los Angeles Times. Veronica. Rocha. March 27, 2015. March 28, 2015. April 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150409093239/http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-actress-taraji-p-henson-son-racial-profile-20150327-story.html . live.
  66. Web site:
    1. TurningANegativeIntoAPositive #LoveTarajiPHenson
    . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153245/https://instagram.com/p/0v0KjQOuFM/. dead. April 2, 2015. Taraji P. Henson Instagram page . March 27, 2015. March 28, 2015.
  67. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/27/taraji-p-henson-apologizes-for-claiming-glendale-police-racially-profiled-her-son/ "Actress Taraji P. Henson Apologizes For Claiming Glendale Police Racially Profiled Her Son"
  68. https://web.archive.org/web/20110130005120/http://mrsgrapevine.com/2011/01/taraji-henson-nude-again-time-peta/ "Taraji P Henson Goes Nude Again, This Time For PETA"
  69. News: Weiss. Shari. January 28, 2011. Taraji P. Henson poses nude for PETA's 'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' ad campaign. Daily News. New York City. April 17, 2012. January 3, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120103211810/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-01-28/gossip/27738053_1_taraji-p-henson-skinned-fur. dead.
  70. Web site: Taraji P. Henson Steals Her Pooch's Spotlight in Nude PETA Campaign (PHOTOS) . Theresa . Dinh . GlobalGrind.com . February 27, 2013. August 11, 2014.
  71. Web site: The Naked Truth: Five Celebrities Go Nude for Allure . . April 17, 2012 . March 18, 2014 . July 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160710011836/http://www.allure.com/celebrity-trends/2012/the-naked-truth-celebrities-go-nude#slide=3 . dead .
  72. Web site: Photo Fab: Taraji P. Henson Supports NOH8 Campaign for LGBT Rights. Essence. Doggett. Jolie A.. February 4, 2015. February 5, 2015.
  73. Web site: Taraji P. Henson Went Vegan to Avoid Stomach Cancer. Stutzer. Abbie. March 10, 2018. LIVEKINDLY. en-GB. October 10, 2019.
  74. Web site: Melas. Chloe. Taraji P. Henson engaged to NFL star Kelvin Hayden. CNN. May 14, 2018. May 16, 2018.
  75. Web site: France. Lisa Respers. Taraji P. Henson confirms split from fiancé Kelvin Hayden. CNN. October 19, 2020. October 19, 2018.
  76. Everything You Need to know About Taraji P. Henson (Including What the "P" Is For). Vanity Fair. September 19, 2016. en. October 10, 2019.
  77. Mannie . Holmes . Taraji P. Henson's 'Empire' Win Highlights Critics' Choice Awards' Diverse Selections . Variety.com . March 14, 2017.
  78. Web site: Taraji P. Henson (visual voices guide) . October 21, 2023 . Behind The Voice Actors. 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.
  79. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. Taraji P. Henson Joins the Pack as First New Voice for 'PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie'. May 24, 2022. May 24, 2022. Animation Magazine.
  80. Web site: Vena. Jocelyn. James Corden and Will Smith Get Jiggy with It in a Helicopter. Bravo. The Daily Dish. February 15, 2017. March 7, 2019.
  81. Jennifer Lopez finally joins RuPaul's Drag Race as season 14 trailer teases major twist. Entertainment Weekly. December 9, 2021. Nolfi. Joey. December 9, 2021.
  82. Web site: Piña . Christy . 2023-04-02 . Taraji P. Henson Joins 'Abbott Elementary' in Major Guest Role . 2023-04-19 . The Hollywood Reporter.