Taraji P. Henson
Acting • Born 1970-09-11
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
133 credits
Animal
Movie • 2005
Ramona
Muppets Haunted Mansion
Movie • 2021
The Bride
Hustle & Flow
Movie • 2005
Shug
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Movie • 2008
Queenie
Talk to Me
Movie • 2007
Vernell Watson
Hurricane Season
Movie • 2010
Dayna Collins
Four Brothers
Movie • 2005
Camille Mercer
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Movie • 2009
April
Date Night
Movie • 2010
Detective Arroyo
Not Easily Broken
Movie • 2009
Clarice Clark
Something New
Movie • 2006
Nedra
Sorcerority
Movie
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
Movie • 2008
Pam
Once Fallen
Movie • 2010
Pearl
Baby Boy
Movie • 2001
Yvette
The Karate Kid
Movie • 2010
Sherry Parker
The Good Doctor
Movie • 2011
Nurse Theresa
Think Like a Man
Movie • 2012
Lauren Harris
Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Movie • 2011
Tiffany Rubin
The Color Purple
Movie • 2023
Shug Avery
Larry Crowne
Movie • 2011
B'Ella
No Good Deed
Movie • 2014
Terry
Hair Show
Movie • 2004
Tiffany
Think Like a Man Too
Movie • 2014
Lauren Harris
From the Rough
Movie • 2013
Catana Starks
Satan's School for Girls
Movie • 2000
Paige
Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
Movie • 2001
Bess Pinckney
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Movie • 2023
Self (voice)
Seasons of Love
Movie • 2014
Jackie
Top Five
Movie • 2014
Taraji P. Henson
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
Movie • 2022
Self
Where's Usher?
Movie • 2024
Self
Term Life
Movie • 2016
Samantha Thurman
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
Movie • 2023
Self
Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
Movie • 2012
Self
Peep World
Movie • 2010
Mary
TIME100: The World's Most Influential People
Movie • 2024
Host
Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
Movie • 2016
Ethel (voice)
Hidden Figures
Movie • 2016
Katherine G. Johnson
Force
Movie
Smokin' Aces
Movie • 2006
Sharice Watters
Madly Madagascar
Movie • 2013
Okapi (voice)
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
Movie • 2000
Left-Wing Student
Proud Mary
Movie • 2018
Mary
The Best of Enemies
Movie • 2019
Ann Atwater
Acrimony
Movie • 2018
Melinda Moore Gayle
Taraji's White Hot Holiday Special
Movie • 2017
Self - Host / Mrs. Claus / Mary / Prancer
This Changes Everything
Movie • 2019
Self
What Men Want
Movie • 2019
Alison 'Ali' Davis
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Movie • 2018
Yesss (voice)
Coffee & Kareem
Movie • 2020
Vanessa Manning
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Movie • 2022
Belle Bottom (voice)
Feeding America Comedy Festival
Movie • 2020
Self
Streetwise
Movie • 1998
Tammy
Picasso Baby
Movie • 2013
Self
Mary J. Blige's My Life
Movie • 2021
Self
Annie Live!
Movie • 2021
Miss Hannigan
The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
Movie • 2009
Self
Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
Movie • 2002
Date #4 / Ghetto Girl (as Taraji Henson)
STRAW
Movie • 2025
Janiyah Wiltkinson
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Movie • 2023
Victoria Vance (voice)
Escape Room
Movie • 2025
Why Did I Get Married Again?
Movie
'Tis So Sweet
Movie
Eli Stone
TV • 2008
Angela Scott
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
TV • 1993
Girl
House
TV • 2004
Moira
Person of Interest
TV • 2011
Joss Carter
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV • 2000
Christina
Half & Half
TV • 2002
Gabrielle
All of Us
TV • 2003
The Division
TV • 2001
Raina Washington
Smart Guy
TV • 1997
Monique
Sister, Sister
TV • 1994
Briana
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
The Parent 'Hood
TV • 1995
Strong Medicine
TV • 2000
Crystal
ER
TV • 1994
Patrice Robbins
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
TV • 2019
Self
The Cleveland Show
TV • 2009
Abbott Elementary
TV • 2021
Vanetta
The Alec Baldwin Show
TV • 2018
Self
American Music Awards
TV • 1974
Self - Host
Empire
TV • 2015
Cookie Lyon
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Lip Sync Battle
TV • 2015
Self
Celebrity Prank Wars
TV • 2023
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self
Boston Legal
TV • 2004
Whitney Rome
That's My Jam
TV • 2021
Self - Guest
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
TV • 2017
Self
Celebrity IOU
TV • 2020
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self - Guest Host
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
Hot Ones
TV • 2015
Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Self
Sherri
TV • 2022
Self - Guest
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self - Guest
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
Legendary
TV • 2020
Self - Guest Judge
Hollywood Game Night
TV • 2013
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
Hart to Heart
TV • 2021
Self
Taraji's White Hot Holidays
TV • 2015
Herself - Host
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
TV • 2024
Vivian Thoma
The View
TV • 1997
Self
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
TV • 2010
Self - Guest
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
Project Runway
TV • 2004
Self - Guest Judge
Conan
TV • 2010
Herself
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Guest Judge
Felicity
TV • 1998
R.A. #2
Felicity
TV • 1998
Art Student
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Praline (voice)
The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige
TV • 2023
Self
History 101
TV • 2020
Self (archive footage)
ER
TV • 1994
Elan
Pacific Blue
TV • 1996
Rhonda
Today with Jenna & Sheinelle
TV • 2019
Self
Number One on the Call Sheet
TV • 2025
Self
My Happy Place
TV • 2025
Self
BET Awards
TV • 2001
Self - Host
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Celebrity Family Feud
TV • 2015
Self - Contestant
Smart Guy
TV • 1997
Leslie
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
The Masked Singer
TV • 2019
Self - Panelist
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest