Taraji P. Henson
Born: 1970-09-11 in Washington, D.C., USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
- Star Search ... (Executive Producer)
2025
- STRAW as Janiyah Wiltkinson
- Number One on the Call Sheet as Self
- My Happy Place as Self
- Escape Room
2024
- Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist as Vivian Thoma
- Hollywood Black as Self (archive footage)
- Where's Usher? as Self
- TIME100: The World's Most Influential People as Host
2023
- PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie as Victoria Vance (voice)
- The Color Purple as Shug Avery
- Celebrity Prank Wars as Self
- The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige as Self
- Oprah & The Color Purple Journey as Self
- Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project as Self (voice)
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- Sherri as Self - Guest
- Minions: The Rise of Gru as Belle Bottom (voice)
- Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 as Self
- Tell It Like a Woman ... (Director)
2021
- Abbott Elementary as Vanetta
- That's My Jam as Self - Guest
- Hart to Heart as Self
- Muppets Haunted Mansion as The Bride
- Annie Live! as Miss Hannigan
- Mary J. Blige's My Life as Self
2020
- History 101 as Self (archive footage)
- Celebrity IOU as Self
- Legendary as Self - Guest Judge
- Coffee & Kareem as Vanessa Manning
- Feeding America Comedy Festival as Self
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- The Masked Singer as Self - Panelist
- A Little Late with Lilly Singh as Self
- Today with Jenna & Sheinelle as Self
- What Men Want as Alison 'Ali' Davis
- The Best of Enemies as Ann Atwater
- This Changes Everything as Self
2018
- Ralph Breaks the Internet as Yesss (voice)
- Acrimony as Melinda Moore Gayle
- The Alec Baldwin Show as Self
- Proud Mary as Mary
2017
- Carpool Karaoke: The Series as Self
- Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special as Self - Host / Mrs. Claus / Mary / Prancer
2016
- Hidden Figures as Katherine G. Johnson
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade as Ethel (voice)
- Term Life as Samantha Thurman
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self - Guest
- The Late Late Show with James Corden as Self
- Empire as Cookie Lyon
- Hot Ones as Self
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Celebrity Family Feud as Self - Contestant
- Lip Sync Battle as Self
- Taraji's White Hot Holidays as Herself - Host
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- No Good Deed as Terry
- Think Like a Man Too as Lauren Harris
- Top Five as Taraji P. Henson
- Seasons of Love as Jackie
2013
- Hollywood Game Night as Self
- Madly Madagascar as Okapi (voice)
- Picasso Baby as Self
- From the Rough as Catana Starks
2012
- Think Like a Man as Lauren Harris
- Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You as Self
2011
- Person of Interest as Joss Carter
- Larry Crowne as B'Ella
- The Good Doctor as Nurse Theresa
- Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story as Tiffany Rubin
2010
- Conan as Herself
- RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked as Self - Guest
- The Karate Kid as Sherry Parker
- Date Night as Detective Arroyo
- Hurricane Season as Dayna Collins
- Once Fallen as Pearl
- Peep World as Mary
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Guest Judge
- The Cleveland Show
- Not Easily Broken as Clarice Clark
- I Can Do Bad All By Myself as April
- The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button as Self
2008
- Eli Stone as Angela Scott
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Queenie
- Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys as Pam
2007
- Talk to Me as Vernell Watson
2006
- Smokin' Aces as Sharice Watters
- Something New as Nedra
2005
- Four Brothers as Camille Mercer
- Hustle & Flow as Shug
- Animal as Ramona
2004
- House as Moira
- Boston Legal as Whitney Rome
- Project Runway as Self - Guest Judge
- Hair Show as Tiffany
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- All of Us
2002
- Half & Half as Gabrielle
- Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs as Date #4 / Ghetto Girl (as Taraji Henson)
2001
- The Division as Raina Washington
- BET Awards as Self - Host
- Baby Boy as Yvette
- Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man as Bess Pinckney
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Christina
- Strong Medicine as Crystal
- The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle as Left-Wing Student
- Satan's School for Girls as Paige
1998
- Felicity as R.A. #2
- Streetwise as Tammy
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Pacific Blue as Rhonda
1995
1994
- ER as Patrice Robbins
- Sister, Sister as Briana
1993
- Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Girl
1989
- The Simpsons as Praline (voice)
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
1981
- Entertainment Tonight as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1974
- American Music Awards as Self - Host