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
STRAW
Janiyah Wiltkinson
2025
TIME100: The World's Most Influential People
Host
2024
Where’s Usher?
Self
2024
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
Self
2023
The Color Purple
Shug Avery
2023
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Self (voice)
2023
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Victoria Vance (voice)
2023
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
Self
2022
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Belle Bottom (voice)
2022
Annie Live!
Miss Hannigan
2021
Muppets Haunted Mansion
The Bride
2021
Mary J. Blige's My Life
Self
2021
Feeding America Comedy Festival
Self
2020
Coffee & Kareem
Vanessa Manning
2020
This Changes Everything
Self
2019
The Best of Enemies
Ann Atwater
2019
What Men Want
Alison 'Ali' Davis
2019
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Yesss (voice)
2018
Acrimony
Melinda Moore Gayle
2018
Proud Mary
Mary
2018
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special
Self - Host / Mrs. Claus / Mary / Prancer
2017
Hidden Figures
Katherine G. Johnson
2016
Term Life
Samantha Thurman
2016
Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
Ethel (voice)
2016
Top Five
Self
2014
Seasons of Love
Jackie
2014
No Good Deed
Terry
2014
Think Like a Man Too
Lauren Harris
2014
Picasso Baby
Self
2013
From the Rough
Catana Starks
2013
Madly Madagascar
Okapi (voice)
2013
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Self
2012
Think Like a Man
Lauren Harris
2012
Larry Crowne
B'Ella
2011
The Good Doctor
Nurse Theresa
2011
Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Tiffany Rubin
2011
Once Fallen
Pearl
2010
Peep World
Mary
2010
The Karate Kid
Sherry Parker
2010
Date Night
Detective Arroyo
2010
Hurricane Season
Dayna Collins
2009
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
April
2009
The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
Self
2009
Not Easily Broken
Clarice Clark
2009
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Queenie
2008
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
Pam
2008
Eli Stone
Angela Scott · (3 episodes)
2008
Talk to Me
Vernell Watson
2007
Smokin' Aces
Sharice Watters
2006
Something New
Nedra
2006
Four Brothers
Camille Mercer
2005
Hustle & Flow
Shug
2005
Animal
Ramona
2005
Sorcerority
Hair Show
Tiffany
2004
Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
Date #4 / Ghetto Girl (as Taraji Henson)
2002
Baby Boy
Yvette
2001
Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
Bess Pinckney
2001
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
Left-Wing Student
2000
Satan's School for Girls
Paige
2000
Force
My Happy Place
Self · (6 episodes)
2025
Number One on the Call Sheet
Self · (1 episode)
2025
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Vivian Thoma · (8 episodes)
2024
Celebrity Prank Wars
Self · (1 episode)
2023
The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige
Self · (1 episode)
2023
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2022
Sherri
Self - Guest · (3 episodes)
2022
Abbott Elementary
Vanetta · (2 episodes)
2021
That's My Jam
Self · (1 episode)
2021
That's My Jam
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2021
Hart to Heart
Self · (1 episode)
2021
Legendary
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2020
History 101
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2020
Celebrity IOU
Self · (1 episode)
2020
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Self · (1 episode)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self - Guest Host · (1 episode)
2019
Today with Hoda & Jenna
Self · (1 episode)
2019
The Alec Baldwin Show
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Lie Detector
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Self · (1 episode)
2017
Taraji's White Hot Holidays
Herself - Host · (3 episodes)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
Lip Sync Battle
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Hot Ones
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Empire
Cookie Lyon · (102 episodes)
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (4 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (5 episodes)
2014
Hollywood Game Night
Self · (1 episode)
2013
Person of Interest
Joss Carter · (90 episodes)
2011
Conan
Herself · (1 episode)
2010
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2010
The Cleveland Show
(1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2009
Project Runway
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2004
House
Moira · (1 episode)
2004
Boston Legal
Whitney Rome · (20 episodes)
2004
All of Us
(1 episode)
2003
Half & Half
Gabrielle · (1 episode)
2002
BET Awards
Self - Host · (2 episodes)
2001
The Division
Raina Washington · (66 episodes)
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Christina · (1 episode)
2000
Strong Medicine
Crystal · (1 episode)
2000
Felicity
R.A. #2 · (1 episode)
1998
Felicity
Art Student · (1 episode)
1998
Streetwise
Tammy
1998
The View
Self · (2 episodes)
1997
Smart Guy
(2 episodes)
1997
The Daily Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1996
Pacific Blue
Rhonda · (1 episode)
1996
The Parent 'Hood
(1 episode)
1995
ER
Patrice Robbins · (2 episodes)
1994
ER
Elan · (1 episode)
1994
Sister, Sister
Briana · (1 episode)
1994
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Girl · (1 episode)
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(1 episode)
1992
The Simpsons
Praline (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self · (1 episode)
1988
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (2 episodes)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975
American Music Awards
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1974