Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress, producer, singer, and writer. The first success came to her in the early 2000s, when Henson starred in a small role in the movie "The Kid". She also got a minor role in The Mysterious Story of Benjamin Button, but it was this work that brought the actress an Oscar nomination.
Today, in the creative biography of Taraji, there are more than sixty film roles. She is also involved in the voice acting of cartoon characters, writes her own musical works and is involved in producing.
Taraji became widely known for her role in the TV series "Empire", where she played Cook Lyon. The film was well received by audiences and highly acclaimed by film critics, and Henson won a Golden Globe and Emmy nominee.
In the creative career of the actress, there are many other roles that have brought her popularity all over the world.
early years
The girl was born in the USA, in the fall of 1970, in an ordinary family. She was an only child. Her parents gave her the beautiful name Taraji, which means "hope" in Arabic.
It was rumored that Henson was the closest relative of the famous explorer of the North Pole. But it was not possible to prove that this is really true. According to official figures, Matthew Henson had no children.
As a child, Taraji did not differ from other children and did not dream of a career as an actress. Art and creativity began to interest her already in high school, when the girl began to take an active part in various productions and perform her own songs at concerts.
The girl received her primary education at North Oxfordshire School. She then continued her studies at the Technical University, where she planned to become a bachelor in agriculture.
During the years of study at the University, Taraji began to devote more time to creativity. She studied music, wrote her own songs and often performed on stage in student theater productions.
After studying for two years in North Carolina, Taraji transferred to Howard University, Washington, where she studied drama and acting.
To continue her studies, she needed money, so Henson began to earn money in several places at once. She was able to get a job at the Pentagon, where she served as a secretary. And in the evening she worked as a waitress on a pleasure boat, and later she began performing on stage as a singer.
Film career
The actress got one of the first small roles in the drama "Kid". The film has won several awards, including the Locarno Film Festival. Up to this point, Taraji had already appeared on the screen in television projects, but did not attract the attention of viewers.
Success came to the actress after the release of the movie "Vanity and Movement", where she played a supporting role. For this work, the actress received several awards and nominations at once, among which were: Black Reel Award, Black Movie Award, BET Award, Screen Actors Guild of the USA, MTV.
In addition, Taraji wrote her own musical composition for the film. As a result, she won an Oscar in the Best Original Song category.
The following years in the career of the young actress were very fruitful. She starred in a number of famous films and TV series, including: "Blood for Blood", "House Doctor", "Ambulance", "Boston Lawyers", "Something New", "Smokin 'Aces", "Talk to Me”,“The Mysterious Story of Benjamin Button”,“Hurricane Season”,“The Karate Kid”,“Empire”,“Hidden Figures”,“What Men Want”.
Taraji continued her musical career as well. She performed at concerts with many famous performers, starred in several videos.
Personal life
The actress has never officially married. Her partner and de facto common-law husband for several years was William Jones, who died in 2003. In this union, in 1994, a son was born, whom his parents named Marcel.
