Taraji P. Henson – Biography, Career, Net Worth

Taraji Penda Henson is an American woman who acts, produces, sings, and runs a business. She was born on September 11, 1970. In 1992, Henson’s career became successful. Her name may be familiar to you if you’ve seen her in either ‘Baby Boy’ (2001) or the Fox drama series ‘Empire.’ Despite her extensive filmography, Henson has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

She has appeared in several films, including ‘Date Night,’ ‘The Karate Kid,’ ‘Think Like a Man,’ and ‘Think Like a Man Too.’ Taraji P. Henson was nominated for ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie’ at the 2011 ‘Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in ‘Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story.’

Biography

Bernice Gordon and Boris Lawrence’s first daughter was born on September 11th, 1970 in Washington, D.C. Taraji Penda Henson, whose mother was a corporate manager and her father was a metal fabricator, was the person she was. It was unfortunate that Taraji’s parents stopped caring for her when she was two years old.

At the beginning, Penda was fond of all things related to arts and music, which led her to select Duke Ellington School of Arts. In 1988, she graduated with tremendous results after partnering with Oxon Highlight School. Henson’s intelligence and creativity made him a candidate for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University. Electrical engineering was his major at this institution. To make things easier for his father and hers, Penda used to work as a secretary during the day and an entertainer at night. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in 1995 thanks to a scholarship.

Personal Life

She had a miscarriage during her undergraduate years and gave birth to her son Marcell Johnson in 1994. In high school, her high school crush was her son’s father.

Kelvin Hayden, who was once an NFL player, was her husband in 2018. The Masa tribe of Cameroon is where her ancestors can be traced back to. Taraji P. Henson and Kelvin Hayden were engaged for a period of 2018 to 2020.

She has also been romantically linked with several individuals, including Drake in 2010, Lamar Odom from 2008 to 2009, Common from 2005 to 2007, Hill Harper from 2002 to 2005, Tyrese Gibson from 1995 to 2002, and William Unknown Johnson from 1987 to 1994.

Career

In 1997, she made her debut as an actress on the television sitcom ‘The Parent’s House’. Early television appearances include ‘Sister, Sister’ (1997), ‘ER’ (1998), ‘Division’ (2002-2004), ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2006), and ‘Boston Legal’ (2007-2008). Satan’s School for Girls (2000) was the first movie she starred in on TV.

In 1998, Taraji P. Henson debuted in film with the role of Tammy in the hood-action-crime thriller Streetwise. She played a role in the live-action animated adventure comedy film ‘The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’ in 2000. She was nominated for the ‘Best Actress’ award at the ‘Black Movie Awards’ for her breakthrough film role in ‘Baby Boy’ in 2001.

The song ‘It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp’ was also sung by her in the film. For her performance, she was nominated at the ‘NAACP Image Awards,’ ‘MTV Movie Awards,’ Screen Actors Guild Awards,’ and ‘Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. Her acting skills were showcased by her performance in films such as ‘Smokin’ Aces’ (2006) and ‘Talk to Me’ (2007).

In 2018, she made a number of film appearances, including ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Acrimony,’ and acted as ‘Yesss’ in the hit 3D computer-animated film ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet.’

Filmography

Movies

• 2023 The Color Purple
• 2021 Annie Live!
• 2021 Muppets Haunted Mansion
• 2020 Coffee & Kareem
• 2019 The Best of Enemies
• 2019 What Men Want
• 2018 Acrimony
• 2018 Proud Mary
• 2016 Hidden Figures
• 2016 Term Life
• 2014 Seasons of Love
• 2014 No Good Deed
• 2014 Think Like a Man Too
• 2013 From the Rough
• 2012 Think Like a Man
• 2011 Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
• 2011 Larry Crowne
• 2011 The Good Doctor
• 2011 Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
• 2010 Once Fallen
• 2010 Peep World
• 2010 The Karate Kid
• 2010 Date Night
• 2009 Hurricane Season
• 2009 I Can Do Bad All by Myself
• 2009 Not Easily Broken
• 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• 2008 The Family That Preys
• 2007 Talk to Me
• 2006 Smokin’ Aces
• 2006 Something New
• 2005 Hustle & Flow
• 2005 Four Brothers
• 2005 Animal
• 2004 Hair Show
• 2002 Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
• 2001 Baby Boy
• 2001 Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
• 2001 All or Nothing
• 2000 The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
• 2000 Satan’s School for Girls
• 1998 Streetwise

TV Series

• 2024 Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (TV Series)
• 2021 Abbott Elementary (TV Series)
• 2019 Tuca & Bertie (TV Series)
• 2015 Empire (TV Series)
• 2011 Person of Interest (TV Series)
• 2009 The Cleveland Show (TV Series)
• 2008 Eli Stone (TV Series)
• 2004 House (TV Series)
• 2004 Boston Legal (TV Series)
• 2003 All of Us (TV Series)
• 2002 Half & Half (TV Series)
• 2001 The Division (TV Series)
• 2000 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV Series)
• 2000 Strong Medicine (TV Series)
• 1998 Felicity (TV Series)
• 1997 Smart Guy (TV Series)
• 1996 Pacific Blue (TV Series)
• 1995 The Parent ‘Hood (TV Series)
• 1994 ER (TV Series)
• 1994 Sister, Sister (TV Series)

Voice

• 2023 PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (voice)
• 2022 Minions: The Rise of Gru (voice)
• 2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet (voice)
• 2016 Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (voice)
• 2013 Madly Madagascar (voice)

Net Worth

Benson became well-known for her role as Cookie on ‘Empire,’ which lasted from 2015 to 2020. Celebrity Net Worth reports that Henson has a net worth of $25 million because of the well-liked series and her numerous noteworthy big-screen roles.

Social Media

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