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Taraji P. Henson is an American actress and author. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy. She received praise for her performances as a sex-worker in Hustle & Flow, for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination and as a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2016, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Birth Name

Taraji Penda Henson

Nickname

Taraji P. Henson, TJ, Cookie

Profession

Actress

Nationality

American

Personal Life

Birthday / Date of Birth

Taraji P. Henson was born on September 11, 1970, in Washington, D.C., United States.

Age

She’s currently 48 years old.

Sun Sign

Virgo

Ethnicity

Black

Religion

Christianity

Education

Henson graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in 1988. She attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina and even studied engineering and science at the University of the District of Columbia, but soon after got transferred to Howard University in Washington, D.C. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995.

Family Details

  • Father – Boris Lawrence Henson (Janitor and Metal Fabricator)
  • Mother – Bernice Gordon (Corporate Manager at Woodward & Lothrop)
  • Siblings – She has no siblings and is the only child of her parents.

Marital Status

Single

Boyfriend / Spouse

Taraji P. Henson has dated –

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  • William Johnson (1986-1994) – She dated her high school sweetheart, William Johnson from September 1986 to October 1994. During this time, while she was still in junior college, she also got pregnant and gave birth to a son named Marcell Johnson in 1994.
  • Tyrese Gibson (1995-2002) – From January 1995 to November 2002, she was romantically linked ON and OFF with singer and actor Tyrese Gibson. They ended their relationship 5 times during these 8 years. She is about 9 years his senior. During these 8 years, they had two children from the relationship, viz., Jody (born, July 23, 1997) and Jordenn (born, June 17, 2003).
  • Hill Harper (2002-2005) – For the next three and a half years, from April 2002 to October 2005, she dated actor Hill Harper.
  • Common (2005-2007) – She started dating rapper Common in October 2005 after she appeared in his music video “Testify.” They dated for more than a year until February 2007.
  • Lamar Odom (2008-2009) – Taraji, then started dating basketball player, Lamar Odom in December 2008. He is about 1.5 feet taller than her and roughly 10 years younger than her. They dated for around eight months and split in August 2009.
  • Aubrey Graham (2010) – In June 2010, she commenced dating Canadian rapper, Aubrey Graham. But, this relationship also saw an end in September 2010.
  • Michael Ealy (2012) – Taraji had fling with actor Michael Ealy after meeting him on the set of Think Like a Man (2012).

  • Kelvin Hayden (2018-Present) – In May 2018, Henson got engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden.

Physical Statistics

Height

  • In feet – 5 feet 4 inches
  • In centimeters – 163 cm
  • In meters – 1.63 m

Weight

  • In Kilograms – 60 kg
  • In Pounds – 132 lbs

Body Measurements

  • Measurements – 38-28-37
  • Bust – 38 inches
  • Waist – 28 inches
  • Hip – 37 inches
  • Bra Size – 34D

Body Build

Average

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Hair Color

Black

Shoe Size

She wears a size 7 (US) shoe.

Dress Size

Her dress size is 8 (US).

Sexuality

Straight

Professional Statistics

Famous For

Portraying Shug in 2005 independent drama film Hustle & Flow and as Queenie in the 2008 romantic fantasy drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Film Debut

Taraji made her film debut with 2000 animated adventure comedy film The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle as a left-wing student.

Television Debut

She appeared in three episodes from 1997 to 1998 in The WB’s sitcom Smart Guy for her role as Mo’Nique.

Brand Endorsements

In 2015, she was named as the ambassador of American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

Awards & Nominations

YearNominated WorkAssociationCategoryResult
2002Baby BoyBlack Reel AwardsBest ActressNominated
2006Hustle & FlowBET AwardsBest ActressWon
Black Reel AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated
Black Reel AwardsBest EnsembleWon
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureNominated
Four BrothersBlack Reel AwardsBest EnsembleNominated
2008Talk to MeNAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNominated
2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonAustin Film Critics AssociationBest Supporting ActressWon
BET AwardsBest ActressWon
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureWon
Academy AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated
Black Reel AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated
Critics’ Choice Movie AwardCritics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated
Screen Actors GuildOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting RoleNominated
Screen Actors GuildOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated
2010I Can Do Bad All By MyselfBlack Reel AwardsBest ActressNominated
2011Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin StoryBET AwardsBest ActressWon
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialWon
Black Reel AwardsBest Actress: TV Movie/CableWon
Satellite AwardsBest Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmNominated
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or MovieNominated
2015NAACP Image AwardsEntertainer of the YearWon
No Good DeedNAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Motion PictureWon
EmpireBET AwardsBest ActressWon
Critics’ Choice Television AwardsBest Actress in a Drama SeriesWon
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
Teen Choice AwardsChoice TV Actress: DramaNominated
Choice TV: ChemistryNominated
Television Critics AssociationIndividual Achievement in DramaNominated
2016Critics’ Choice Television AwardsBest Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress – Television Series DramaWon
Shorty AwardsBest ActressWon
BET AwardsBest ActressWon
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesNominated
2017People’s Choice AwardsFavorite Dramatic TV ActressNominated
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesWon
Around The Way Girl: A MemoirOutstanding Literary Work Biography/AutobiographyNominated
Hidden FiguresSatellite AwardsSatellite Award for Best Cast – Motion PictureWon
Satellite AwardsBest ActressNominated
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureWon
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Motion PictureWon
Black Reel AwardsBest ActressNominated
Women Film Critics CircleBest ActressNominated
Saturn AwardsBest ActressNominated
MTV Movie & TV AwardsBest Performance in a MovieNominated
Best HeroWon
Best KissNominated
BET AwardsBest ActressWon
Teen Choice AwardsChoice Movie Actress DramaNominated

Taraji P. Henson Favorites

Her favorite things are unknown.

Taraji P. Henson Net worth

Taraji P. Henson has a estimated net worth of $16 million dollars as of 2019.

Social Media Profiles

Some Lesser Known Facts About Taraji P. Henson

  • Her first and middle names Taraji and Penda have been taken from Swahili language. They mean hope and love respectively.
  • She had a nickname Cookie in college.
  • She earned a Triple Threat Scholarship at the Howard University. In 1995, she received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
  • Taraji is a great-great cousin of North Pole explorer, Matthew Henson.
  • In 2005 she starred in the rapper Common’s music video Testify as the wife of a soon to be convicted murderer and appeared in Tyrese Gibson’s music video Stay as his love interest.
  • She supports People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has appeared n*de in one of their ad campaigns in January 2011.
  • She is good at cooking and Mary J. Blige is a fan of her chili dish, which Taraji says is her signature dish.
  • In 2015 Henson teamed up with Howard to produce and host a variety holiday special for Fox, Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays.
  • In February 2015, Henson posed in an ad for the NOH8 Campaign supporting the LGBT community.
  • In March 16, 2015, she was a guest co-host on Live! with Kelly and Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa.
  • In 2016, Henson starred in the film Hidden Figures, a major box-office success nominated for numerous awards, including three Oscars.
  • In February 2019, Henson starred in What Men Want as a female sports agent, looked down upon by male colleagues, who gains the power to hear men’s thoughts.
  • In April 2019, she will star in the historical drama The Best of Enemies, portraying civil rights activist Ann Atwater.
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