taraji penda henson is an american actress and singer in 2015 she began starring as cookie
lion in the fox drama series empire for which she became the first african-american woman to
win a critics choice television award for best actress in a drama series she also won a golden
globe award and was nominated for emmy awards in 2015 and 2016. in 2016 time named taraji p henson
one of the hundred most influential people in the world that year she released a new york
times bestselling autobiography titled around the way girl also that year she was praised for
her starring role as katherine johnson in the critically acclaimed drama from hidden
figures for which she won a screen actors guild award for outstanding performance by a cast in a
motion picture taraji p henson has an estimated net worth of 25 million us dollars about taraji
p henson's early life taraji penda henson was born on september 11 1970 in southeast washington
she's the daughter of bernice gordon a corporate manager at woodward and lothrop and boris lawrence
henson a janitor and metal fabricator her first and middle names are of swahili origin taraji
means hope and penda means love taraji p henson has often spoken of the influence of her maternal
grandmother patsy ballard who accompanied her at the academy awards the year she was nominated
according to a mitochondrial dna analysis her matrilineal lineage can be a trace to the masa
people of cameroon she has said that north pole explorer matthew henson was the brother of my
great great grandfather taraji p henson graduated from oxen hill high school in oxen hill maryland
in 1988 she attended north carolina agricultural and technical state university where she
intended to study electrical engineering before transferring to howard university to study drama
to pay for college she worked mornings as a secretary at the pentagon and evenings
as a singing dancing waitress on a dinner cruise ship the spirit of washington
taraji p henson is five feet four inches tall or 1.65 meters tall
about taraji p henson's personal life in 1994 taraji p henson gave birth to her son marcel
her high school sweetheart william lamar johnson who is the father to her son was murdered in 2003
on may 13 2018 taraji p henson got engaged to former nfl player kelvin hayden but she disclosed
the end of her engagement during the october 19 2020 episode of the breakfast club a supporter
of people for the ethical treatment of animals or peta taraji p henson in january 2011 appeared nude
in an ad for the i'd rather be naked than wear fur campaign she joined peta again for their 2013
campaign be an angel for animals where henson posed with her family dog uncle willie chained
dogs suffered day in and day out the ad stated they're cold hungry thirsty vulnerable and lonely
keep them inside where it's safe and warm in 2012 taraji p henson posed nude for the may issue of
allure magazine in february 2015 taraji henson posed in an ad for the no hate campaign supporting
the lgbt community she announced to live kindly that late in 2017 she had switched to a vegan
diet taraji p henson is a christian and considers acting to be a spiritual experience about taraji p
henson's career taraji p henson studied acting at howard university and began her hollywood
career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in baby boy in 2001
she played a prostitute in hustle and flow in 2005 for which she received a screen actors guild award
for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture nomination and the single mother of a
disabled child in david fincher's the curious case of benjamin button in 2008 for which she received
an academy award sag award and critics choice award nominations for best supporting actress in
2010 she appeared in the action comedy date night and co-starred in the remake of the karate kid
taraji p henson has also had an extensive and successful career in television including series
such as the division boston legal and eli stone in 2011 she starred in a lifetime television film
taken from me the tiffany rubin story which brought her a nomination for the primetime
emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie from 2011 to 2013 she
co-starred as detective jocelyn carter in the cbs drama person of interest for which she won
an naacp image award taraji p henson starred in the ensemble films think like a man in 2012 and
it's 2014 sequel in 2015 she began starring as cookie lion in the fox drama series empire for
which she became the first african american woman to win a critics choice television award for best
actress in a drama series she also won a golden globe award and was nominated for emmy awards in
2015 and 2016. in 2016 time named taraji p henson as one of the hundred most influential people
in the world that year she released a new york times best-selling autobiography titled around
the way girl also that year she was praised for her starring role as katherine johnson in the
critically acclaimed drama film hidden figures for which she won a screen actors guild award
for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture taraji p henson made her singing debut in
the film hustle and flow where she provided the vocals for the 3-6 mafia track it's hard out
here for a pimp the song won an academy award for best original song in 2006 giving 3-6 mafia the
distinction of becoming the first african-american hip-hop act to win in that category taraji p
henson and the group performed the song at the live oscar ceremony on march 5th 2006 she also
sang in my daughter's eyes on the 2006 charity album unexpected dreams songs from the stars
about taraji p henson's other work taraji p henson collaborated with mac cosmetics to create
the taraji p henson makeup collection in late august 2016. the mac taraji collection debuted
the following month in november 2016 she again collaborated with mack as the spokesperson for
their viva glam campaign along with jesse smallett to benefit the mac hiv aids fund their collection
debuted in february 2017 she started the boris lawrence henson foundation named after her father
it deals with cultural mental illness on april 1 2022 taraji p henson was named by president
joe biden to the president's board of advisors on historically black colleges and universities
about taraji p henson's real estate in may 2015 taraji p henson paid 1.5 million dollars for a
condo in chicago she sold this unit in 2018 for right around the same amount she paid
in 2017 she bought a different unit in the same building for a 1.9 million dollars out in la
taraji p henson owns two properties the first in glendale was bought in 2002 for 431 thousand
dollars in 2016 she paid 6.45 million dollars for a private mansion up in the hills above hollywood
about taraji p henson's car collection taraji p henson owns or has owned a lexus sedan a gmc yukon
and a range rover sport well that's all the celebrity info we have for you today thanks
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