Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson is an actress and producer best known for her roles in Empire, Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Henson was born in Washington, D.C. and raised by her mother after her parents’ divorce. She attended North Carolina A&T State University before transferring to Howard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in theater arts.

Henson began her career with guest roles on television before gaining recognition in films like Baby Boy (2001) and Hustle & Flow (2005), the latter earning an Academy Award for Best Original Song, which she contributed vocals to. Her breakthrough came with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), where she starred opposite Brad Pitt. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The actress went on to star as Cookie Lyon on Empire, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, in addition to an Emmy nomination. She has also appeared in Hidden Figures (2016), What Men Want (2019) and The Color Purple (2023), becoming known for her charismatic and resilient characters.

Henson shares a son, Marcell Johnson (born in 1994), with her late high school sweetheart. She was previously engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden, though the pair later split.