Taraji Henson Actress and singer Date of Birth: 11.09.1970 Country: USA

1. Biography of Taraji Henson
2. Early Life and Education
3. Acting Career
4. Other Films and Television Roles
5. Awards and Nominations
6. Personal Life

Biography of Taraji Henson

Taraji Penda Henson, an African-American actress and singer, is best known for her role as the pregnant prostitute Shug in the critically acclaimed crime drama "Hustle & Flow" in 2005.

Early Life and Education

Taraji Penda Henson was born on September 11, 1970, in Washington, D.C., USA. She attended Oxon Hill High School and later enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, specializing in electrical engineering, before transferring to Howard University. Henson worked two jobs to pay for her education, serving as a secretary at the Pentagon during the day and working as a dancing and singing waitress on a cruise ship in the evenings and nights. She eventually graduated with a degree in theater arts.

Acting Career

Taraji Penda made her film debut in John Singleton's crime drama "Baby Boy" in 2001. She portrayed Tiffany in Leslie Small's comedy film "Hair Show" in 2004 and played the role of Shug in the film "Hustle & Flow" in 2005. Henson also appeared as Camille Mercer in the action film "Four Brothers," Vernell Watson in the biographical drama "Talk to Me," and Waters in the crime drama "Smokin' Aces." She became a cast member of the television series "The Division," playing Inspector Raina Washington, and portrayed Whitney Rome in the ABC series "Boston Legal" for one season.

Henson made her singing debut in the film "Hustle & Flow," participating in the recording of the vocal parts for the track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" by the American rap group "Three 6 Mafia." This song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, making Henson and the hip-hop artists the first African-Americans to win an Oscar in the category. She performed "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" with the group at the Oscars ceremony on March 5, 2006.

Other Films and Television Roles

In addition to her notable performances, Taraji Penda appeared in several television shows, including "ER," "Biker Boyz," "Strong Medicine," "C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation," "House," and the soap opera "All My Children." She also starred in films such as "Streetwise" and "Animal," the musical "All or Nothing," the romantic drama "Something New," "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle," "Not Easily Broken," "The Family That Preys," and "The Patriots." Henson portrayed Paige in Christopher Landon's horror film "Satan's School for Girls" and worked with director David Fincher, playing a role in his fantasy film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Awards and Nominations

Taraji Penda Henson has received numerous awards and nominations for her performances. She won the BET Award for Best Actress in 2006 and the Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Hustle & Flow." She was also nominated for the Black Reel Award for Best Theatrical Actress in 2002. Henson received the Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast for the film "Talk to Me" in 2007. She has been nominated for several other awards, including the MTV Movie Award and the Satellite Award.

Personal Life

Taraji Penda Henson has a son named Marcel, born in 1995. His father passed away unexpectedly in 1997, and Henson's own father passed away in 2006. She claims to be a descendant of Matthew Henson, one of the explorers of the North Pole. However, Matthew did not have any American children with his wife, only one Inuit child with his companion Akatingwah. All of his Inuit descendants live in Greenland.