Acting · Washington, D.C., USA · Born September 11, 1970
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.
MovieWhy Did I Get Married Again?
2026
MovieEscape Room
2025
MovieSTRAW
2025
as Janiyah Wiltkinson
TVMy Happy Place
2025
as Self
TVNumber One on the Call Sheet
2025
as Self
TVFight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
2024
as Vivian Thoma
TVHollywood Black
2024
as Self (archive footage)
MovieTIME100: The World's Most Influential People
2024
as Host
MovieWhere's Usher?
2024
as Self
MovieOprah & The Color Purple Journey
2023
as Self
MovieThe Color Purple
2023
as Shug Avery
MovieGoing to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
2023
as Self (voice)
MoviePAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
2023
as Victoria Vance (voice)
TVCelebrity Prank Wars
2023
as Self
TVThe Wine Down with Mary J. Blige
2023
as Self
MovieSavage X Fenty Show Vol. 4
2022
as Self
TVThe Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
as Self
TVSherri
2022
as Self - Guest
MovieMinions: The Rise of Gru
2022
as Belle Bottom (voice)
TVAbbott Elementary
2021
as Vanetta
MovieAnnie Live!
2021
as Miss Hannigan
TVThat's My Jam
2021
as Self - Guest
MovieMuppets Haunted Mansion
2021
as The Bride
TVHart to Heart
2021
as Self
MovieMary J. Blige's My Life
2021
as Self
TVLegendary
2020
as Self - Guest Judge
TVHistory 101
2020
as Self (archive footage)
MovieFeeding America Comedy Festival
2020
as Self
TVCelebrity IOU
2020
as Self
MovieCoffee & Kareem
2020
as Vanessa Manning
TVA Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019
as Self
TVThe Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
MovieThis Changes Everything
2019
as Self
TVToday with Jenna & Sheinelle
2019
as Self
MovieThe Best of Enemies
2019
as Ann Atwater
MovieWhat Men Want
2019
as Alison 'Ali' Davis
TVThe Masked Singer
2019
as Self - Panelist
MovieRalph Breaks the Internet
2018
as Yesss (voice)
TVThe Alec Baldwin Show
2018
as Self
MovieAcrimony
2018
as Melinda Moore Gayle
MovieProud Mary
2018
as Mary
MovieTaraji's White Hot Holiday Special
2017
as Self - Host / Mrs. Claus / Mary / Prancer
TVCarpool Karaoke: The Series
2017
as Self
MovieHidden Figures
2016
as Katherine G. Johnson
MovieTerm Life
2016
as Samantha Thurman
MovieIce Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
2016
as Ethel (voice)
TVTaraji's White Hot Holidays
2015
as Herself - Host
TVThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self - Guest
TVClose Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
as Self
TVCelebrity Family Feud
2015
as Self - Contestant
TVLip Sync Battle
2015
as Self
TVThe Late Late Show with James Corden
2015
as Self
TVHot Ones
2015
as Self
TVEmpire
2015
as Cookie Lyon
TVVariety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014
as Self
MovieTop Five
2014
as Taraji P. Henson
MovieSeasons of Love
2014
as Jackie
MovieNo Good Deed
2014
as Terry
MovieThink Like a Man Too
2014
as Lauren Harris
TVLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
Picasso Baby
2013
as Self
TVHollywood Game Night
2013
as Self
MovieFrom the Rough
2013
as Catana Starks
MovieMadly Madagascar
2013
as Okapi (voice)
MovieWhitney Houston: We Will Always Love You
2012
as Self
MovieThink Like a Man
2012
as Lauren Harris
TVPerson of Interest
2011
as Joss Carter
MovieLarry Crowne
2011
as B'Ella
MovieThe Good Doctor
2011
as Nurse Theresa
MovieTaken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
2011
as Tiffany Rubin
TVConan
2010
as Herself
MovieOnce Fallen
2010
as Pearl
TVThe Talk
2010
as Self
MoviePeep World
2010
as Mary
MovieThe Karate Kid
2010
as Sherry Parker
MovieDate Night
2010
as Detective Arroyo
MovieHurricane Season
2010
as Dayna Collins
TVRuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
2010
as Self - Guest
TVThe Cleveland Show
2009
MovieI Can Do Bad All By Myself
2009
as April
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Curious Birth of Benjamin Button
2009
as Self
TVRuPaul's Drag Race
2009
as Self - Guest Judge
MovieNot Easily Broken
2009
as Clarice Clark
MovieThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2008
as Queenie
MovieTyler Perry's The Family That Preys
2008
as Pam
TVEli Stone
2008
as Angela Scott
MovieTalk to Me
2007
as Vernell Watson
MovieSmokin' Aces
2006
as Sharice Watters
MovieSomething New
2006
as Nedra
MovieFour Brothers
2005
as Camille Mercer
MovieHustle & Flow
2005
as Shug
MovieAnimal
2005
as Ramona
TVProject Runway
2004
as Self - Guest Judge
TVHouse
2004
as Moira
MovieHair Show
2004
as Tiffany
TVBoston Legal
2004
as Whitney Rome
TVAll of Us
2003
TVThe Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
TVHalf & Half
2002
as Gabrielle
MovieBook of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
2002
as Date #4 / Ghetto Girl (as Taraji Henson)
MovieBaby Boy
2001
as Yvette
TVBET Awards
2001
as Self - Host
MovieMurder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
2001
as Bess Pinckney
TVThe Division
2001
as Raina Washington
TVCSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Christina
TVStrong Medicine
2000
as Crystal
MovieThe Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
2000
as Left-Wing Student
MovieSatan's School for Girls
2000
as Paige
TVFelicity
1998
as R.A. #2
MovieStreetwise
1998
as Tammy
TVThe View
1997
as Self
TVSmart Guy
1997
as Monique
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self
TVPacific Blue
1996
as Rhonda
TVThe Parent 'Hood
1995
TVER
1994
as Patrice Robbins
TVSister, Sister
1994
as Briana
TVSaved by the Bell: The New Class
1993
as Girl
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
TVThe Simpsons
1989
as Praline (voice)
TVLIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
as Self
TVEntertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
TVAmerican Music Awards
1974
as Self - Host
Sorcerority
Force
'Tis So Sweet
