Taraji P. Henson
Acting1970Washington, D.C., USA
Biography
Taraji P. Henson (born September 11, 1970) is an American actress, producer and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career as guest star on several television shows before making her breakthrough in the movie Baby Boy (2001). In 2005, she starred in Hustle & Flow and played Queenie in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received an Academy Award nomination.
In 2016, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list. Henson also released an autobiography titled Around The Way Girl.
Known For
Acting History
2026
Star Search
TVExecutive Producer
2025
STRAW
as Janiyah Wiltkinson
Number One on the Call Sheet
TVas Self• 1 eps
Celebrity Family Feud
TVas Self - Contestant• 1 eps
My Happy Place
TVas Self
2024
Where's Usher?
as Self
Tony Awards
TVas Self - Presenter• 1 eps
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
TVas Vivian Thoma• 8 eps
Today with Jenna & Sheinelle
TVas Self• 1 eps
2023
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
as Victoria Vance (voice)
The Color Purple
as Shug Avery
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
as Self (voice)
Sherri
TVas Self - Guest• 3 eps
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TVas Self• 2 eps
Abbott Elementary
TVas Vanetta• 3 eps
Celebrity IOU
TVas Self• 1 eps
Celebrity Prank Wars
TVas Self
The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige
TVas Self
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Executive Producer
2022
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
as Self
Minions: The Rise of Gru
as Belle Bottom (voice)
RuPaul's Drag Race
TVas Self - Guest Judge• 1 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TVas Self / Self - Guest Host• 1 eps
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
TVas Self - Guest• 1 eps
Tell It Like a Woman
Director
2021
Mary J. Blige's My Life
as Self
Annie Live!
as Miss Hannigan
Muppets Haunted Mansion
as The Bride
Project Runway
TVas Self - Guest Judge• 1 eps
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
TVas Self• 1 eps
That's My Jam
TVas Self - Guest
Hart to Heart
TVas Self
2020
Coffee & Kareem
as Vanessa Manning
History 101
TVas Self (archive footage)• 1 eps
American Music Awards
TVas Self - Host• 1 eps
Legendary
TVas Self - Guest Judge
2019
This Changes Everything
as Self
The Best of Enemies
as Ann Atwater
What Men Want
as Alison 'Ali' Davis
The Masked Singer
TVas Self - Panelist
What Men Want
Executive Producer
2018
Acrimony
as Melinda Moore Gayle
Ralph Breaks the Internet
as Yesss (voice)
Proud Mary
as Mary
Hot Ones
TVas Self• 1 eps
The Alec Baldwin Show
TVas Self
Proud Mary
Executive Producer
2017
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special
as Self - Host / Mrs. Claus / Mary / Prancer
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
TVas Self• 1 eps
The Simpsons
TVas Praline (voice)• 1 eps
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special
Executive Producer
2016
Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
as Ethel (voice)
Hidden Figures
as Katherine G. Johnson
Term Life
as Samantha Thurman
Entertainment Tonight
TVas Self• 2 eps
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TVas Self - Guest
Empire
TVas Cookie Lyon• 102 eps
Lip Sync Battle
TVas Self• 2 eps
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TVas Self• 2 eps
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TVas Self• 4 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TVas Self / Self - Guest
Taraji's White Hot Holidays
TVas Herself - Host
Empire
TVDirector
2014
No Good Deed
as Terry
Think Like a Man Too
as Lauren Harris
Top Five
as Taraji P. Henson
Seasons of Love
as Jackie
Hollywood Game Night
TVas Self• 1 eps
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TVas Self / Self - Guest
No Good Deed
Executive Producer
Seasons of Love
Executive Producer
2013
2012
Think Like a Man
as Lauren Harris
2011
Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
as Tiffany Rubin
The Good Doctor
as Nurse Theresa
Larry Crowne
as B'Ella
Person of Interest
TVas Joss Carter• 90 eps
2010
Once Fallen
as Pearl
Peep World
as Mary
The Karate Kid
as Sherry Parker
Date Night
as Detective Arroyo
Hurricane Season
as Dayna Collins
Conan
TVas Herself
2009
Not Easily Broken
as Clarice Clark
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
as April
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TVas Self - Guest
2008
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
as Queenie
Eli Stone
TVas Angela Scott• 3 eps
2007
Talk to Me
as Vernell Watson
Boston Legal
TVas Whitney Rome• 20 eps
2006
Smokin' Aces
as Sharice Watters
Something New
as Nedra
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TVas Christina• 1 eps
2005
Four Brothers
as Camille Mercer
Hustle & Flow
as Shug
Animal
as Ramona
Half & Half
TVas Gabrielle• 1 eps
House
TVas Moira• 1 eps
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TVas Self / Self - Guest
2002
Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
as Date #4 / Ghetto Girl (as Taraji Henson)
The Division
TVas Raina Washington• 66 eps
2001
2000
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
as Left-Wing Student
Satan's School for Girls
as Paige
Strong Medicine
TVas Crystal• 1 eps
1999
Felicity
TVas Art Student / R.A. #2• 1 eps
Pacific Blue
TVas Rhonda• 1 eps
1998
Streetwise
as Tammy
Smart Guy
TVas Leslie• 1 eps
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
TVas Girl• 1 eps
ER
TVas Patrice Robbins / Elan• 1 eps
1997
1996
The Daily Show
TVas Self
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TVas Self
1975
Saturday Night Live
TVas Self - Host