Taraji P. Henson’s fight for life, health and equality never stops – she’s absolutely tenacious.
Taraji P. Henson is a name synonymous with strength, talent and resilience. Over the years, she has captivated audiences with her dynamic performances, from her Academy Award-nominated role as the nurturing, enduring Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, to her portrayal of the sassy, sharp-witted Cookie Lyon in the TV series Empire. But behind the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, her journey has been anything but easy. And, as she’s proven time and time again, she’s a determined, fierce woman of God who won’t be told to bite her tongue where injustice is concerned…
The rise of a star
Born and raised in the suburbs of America’s capital, Washington, D.C., Taraji’s early life was marked by many challenges. When she was just four years old, her parents got divorced after a tumultuous marriage. Shortly after moving out of the family home with her mother, it was her grandmother, Patsie Ballard, who guided her through life. Even at 100 years old today, Patsie remains Taraji’s rock.
“What I love about my grandmother is her unconditional love,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “She taught the family how to love, and she keeps us very close. All my cousins and I are really, really close. But, of course, she prayed. She did a lot of praying and she continues to pray for me… her prayers definitely brought me to this point. So, my grandmother is my everything.”
Despite the trials and tribulations, Taraji always had a bold, bubbly personality that stood out. As a young, charismatic girl, she took a liking to the arts and drama, and was determined to make her dream of becoming an actor come true. After high school, she attended Howard University – paying her way by working mornings as a secretary at The Pentagon and as a singing-dancing waitress on a dinner-cruise boat. She graduated as a single mother (to her son, Marcell Johnson) with a degree in Theatre Arts in 1995. In May 2022, she was conferred an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, making her Dr Taraji Penda Henson.
“I never saw my baby as a roadblock to my goals or a strike against my ability to do exactly what I planned to do with my life… Having my son gave me a laser-sharp focus,” she wrote in her 2016 memoir Around the Way Girl.
“That is the miracle of single motherhood: it is not easy to raise a human being with a partner, but doing so alone requires a Herculean effort that is all muscle and grit, built up with repetitive sets of sacrifice. Whatever you gain, whatever you earn, you give to your baby and you work triple-hard to show your child – not anyone else – that moving forward, no matter how tiny the steps, is possible. This is a single mother’s love.”
Fighting fierce
With only $700 in her pocket, she packed up her life and moved to Los Angeles, determined to make it in an industry notorious for its obstacles, especially for black women. Her on-screen breakthrough came in 1998 with the film Streetwise, but it was John Singleton’s 2001 crime thriller Baby Boy (featuring Tyrese Gibson as her love interest) that resonated with audiences globally. The pair have been named one of the most iconic on-screen couples in history.
“When it comes to Taraji, because we did Baby Boy together, people don’t want to see her with any other man on screen, and they don’t want to see me with any other woman! It’s almost like Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams from The Notebook,” Tyrese joked with the Huffington Post.
As she climbed the ranks of the industry, starring in blockbusters like Hidden Figures (2016), Proud Mary (2018) and The Color Purple (2023), Taraji became acutely aware of the disparities in pay between black actresses and their white counterparts. She has been vocal about her own experiences with pay inequality, notably when she was paid significantly less than her male co-stars despite carrying the same weight in a film. Rather than remaining silent, she used her platform to advocate for change. Her fearless stance has helped shine a light on the systemic inequalities that persist in Hollywood, inspiring a new generation of black actresses to demand the compensation they deserve.
“Have we seen enough representation of African-Americans in stories? No. But has Hollywood been horrible to me? No. I’ve worked. Did I get paid what I deserve is the question we should be talking about,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’ve been getting paid and I’ve been fighting tooth and nail every project to get that same freaking [fee] quote. And it’s a slap in the face when people go, ‘Oh girl, you work all the time. You always working.’ Well, goddammit, I have to. It’s not because I wish I could do two movies a year and that’s that. I have to work because the math ain’t mathing. And I have bills,” she continued.
“Listen, I’ve been doing this for two decades and sometimes I get tired of fighting because I know what I do is bigger than me. I know that the legacy I leave will affect somebody coming up behind me. My prayer is that I don’t want these black girls to have the same fights that me and Viola [Davis], Octavia [Spencer], we out here thugging it out,” she says. “Otherwise, why am I doing this? For my own vanity? There’s no blessing in that. I’ve tried twice to walk away [from the business]. But I can’t, because if I do, how does that help the ones coming up behind me?”
Going through it
This frustration with the industry is why she founded her own production company, called Tph Entertainment, in the hopes of uplifting and empowering upcoming actors, improving representation of marginalised communities on screen, and breaking barriers so that new generations can succeed beyond all the red tape.
Aside from her fight inside the industry, Taraji continues to expand her social justice repertoire, remaining committed to using her platform for advocacy. Off-camera, she has become a powerful advocate for mental health, particularly within the black community. Having faced her own struggles with anxiety and depression, she understands the stigma that often surrounds mental health issues. In 2018, she founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named after her late father who struggled after returning from the Vietnam War. The foundation aims to provide resources and support for African-Americans, who are often underserved and overlooked in the mental healthcare system.
Through her Facebook Watch show Peace of Mind with Taraji, she and her best friend Tracie Jenkis bring mental health out of the shadows. With personal stories of the black community, and through honest, profound conversations, Peace of Mind provides support and tools from therapists and doctors. It deals with everything from PTSD to ADHD, bullying and more; the ‘Why Black Men Don’t Cry’ episode with Chance the Rapper is a must-watch. Taraji’s openness and vulnerability have made her a beacon of hope for those who feel alone in their struggles.
“Humans have a light side and a dark side, and it’s up to us to choose which way we’re going to live our lives. Even if you start out on the dark side, it doesn’t mean you have to continue your journey that way. You always have time to turn it around,” she said on the show. “You can’t get over it. You can’t go under it. You got to go through it… It’s okay to take moments in life to take care of yourself. This is not about grinding. Grinding can kill you. It’s not healthy.”
In a world that tends to put people in boxes, Taraji defies categorisation. She is an actor, an advocate, a mother and a trailblazer. And her story is far from over. She is not just making history – she is rewriting it, ensuring that those who come after her have the courage to demand what they deserve and the strength to chase their dreams, no matter the odds.
Fast Facts
Full Name: Taraji Penda Henson
DOB: 11 September 1970
Age: 54
Star Sign: Virgo
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Did you know?
- Taraji has received more than 100 award nominations, taking home 38 wins over the span of her 22-year career thus far.
- In 2015, she became the first African-American woman to win a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, for her role as Cookie Lyon in Empire.
- Taraji received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 28 January 2019.
- She is a vegan and a supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
- Her favourite colour is purple.
- She has a fully functional nail salon in her own home.
- She’s a great cook and her signature dish includes chilli.
Words by: Chandré Emma Kippie
Photos: Gallo/Getty Images
Cover Photo: Cara Robbins/Contour RA by Getty Images
