A Field Guide to Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson--shown above in an excellent promotional anti-fur ad for PETA--is really at a fine point in an already excellent career.  She is currently on the cover of Allure magazine, looking fabulous in a Diana Ross/Studio 54 inspired big hair photo spread and she is starring in the second season of "Empire", as Hard as nails Cookie Lyon, a woman who took the fall for her drug dealing husband Terrence Howard so that he could use their cash to found a hip hop record company.

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Henson hails from Washington D.C. and with her honey blond hair, she was her high school's joyful homecoming queen.  She had applied to go to a local performing arts high school and did not make the cut to get in.  (Wonder how they feel about that now?)  Henson started studied electrical engineering at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. After failing pre-calculus, she transferred to Howard University back in D.C., where she studied theater while working a part-time job at the Pentagon and another part-time job as an entertainer on a cruise ship.  She had her first child--a son-- while a student at Howard and she graduated with a degree in theater there in 1995.

A single mom, she moved to Los Angeles with her son and worked hard to provide for him while auditioning for acting gigs.  She scored her first regular TV roles on the shows "Smart Guy" and "Sister, Sister".  In 2001, Henson finally got her big break on film with a starring role in the John Singleton-directed life in the 'hood drama "Baby Boy".  That performance lead to her casting in one of the most notable performances in her career--the role of Shug in "Hustle & Flow" where she starred with her now "Empire" cast mate Howard.  She sang the song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" on the song's soundtrack and it won the Oscar that year for Best Original Song.  Her voice and the way that she emoted through that song just had all kinds of passion going for it and it just sealed audiences on their love for the tale of these characters trying to make their lives into something more than what their circumstances currently allowed.  Who can't relate to that?  If you have not seen "Hustle & Flow", it's a great weekend rental.

Henson has been in a lot of great movies since then and one of her overlooked gems that she in interviews says that more people should have checked out is 2007's "Talk To Me".  It was based ont he true story of soul DJ/ex-con Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. played by Don Cheadle with Martin Sheen playing an uptight but then accepting radio station owner who learned to allow and listen to the truth of the black experience and the humor that would come out of Greene.  Henson is Cheadle's sexy afro'd goddess of a girlfriend in this movie and it's a great flick.  Henson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the Brad Pitt feature "The Curious case of Benjamin Button".  In the movie, Henson played the role of Queenie, a woman who runs an old folks home in the 1900's. She takes in baby Button against the advice of all around her and she gives him the unconditional love throughout his whole strange life which is something that he desperately needs, given his odd aging condition and the isolation of that.  The film forces thee viewer to consider their views on life and death and Henson's character's love for Button helps the viewer through that process.

She was also nominated for an Emmy for her work in "Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story", a TV movie based on the true story of a school teacher who has to fly to South Korea to get her kidnapped son back from her son's biological father.  

In last year's "No Good Deed", Henson starred as a woman who lets escaped violent felon Idris Elba in to her home when he claims he needs to make a phone call after his car has broken down. Henson does a great job in the role of a woman struggling to keep her child and herself safe from Elba's rage. She also appeared in the Kevin Hart comedy "Think Like A Man Too", which is all about partying at bachelor and bachelorette parties in Vegas. Really light stuff.  

Right now, though, Henson's world is in straight-up Cookie mania. Fans love her character's banter and flashy duds and Henson just was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year. She is a strong, beautiful woman and where she goes next with her career ought to be a sweet treat for us in the audience. I know I will be tuned in.