Taraji P. Henson is FINALLY receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame! Now, some people discovered her once she started playing Cookie Lyon on Fox’s hit show, “Empire.” But, her longtime fans (like me), know that her resume started long before. Taraji studied acting at Howard University and, after graduating, landed her first role in the television show, “Smart Guy.” Don’t get it wrong though, she didn’t land that gig immediately after graduating It took time, faith, passion and hard work. Her book “Around The Way Girl: A Memoir” gives insight on her journey to Hollywood, it explains her story and it is both inspiring and enlightening. Taraji P. Henson was 26 when she decided to step out on faith and take her son, and move to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, she only had $700 in her pocket. Let’s take a look at some of her most prominent roles:
2001: Baby Boy
Now if you know Taraji P. Henson or Tyrese, you know “Baby Boy” and how big of a movie it was and still is, tune into BET or VH1, it’ll probably be playing. Taraji plays Yvette, Tyrese aka Jody’s baby momma and girlfriend. “Baby Boy” was her first starring role in a movie and till this day everyone loves to quote “I hate you Jody” and “He don’t love me no more.” Those two scenes and the incredible on-screen chemistry between Tyrese and Taraji is unforgettable. And by the way, if a guy ever asks you to make him tacos after intercourse, he got it from this movie.
2005: Hustle and Flow
“Hustle and Flow” was another great film, especially in the urban community. Taraji P. Henson plays Shug, one of DJay’s (Terrence Howard) girls whom he pimps out. Not only did she showcase her acting skills, but she showed everybody that she has some vocals, as well, on the track, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, which she performed at the show. We also discovered the on-screen chemistry between Taraji and Terrence, that is no doubt, one of THE best.
2008: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Taraji plays Queenie, the caregiver to Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), after he was left on her stairs. This movie role gave Taraji her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Taraji showed how versatile she can be with her role as Queenie, and even more doors started opening after this performance.
2009: I Can Do Bad All By Myself
This is a personal favorite for me. She really dug deep with her role as April. Tyler Perry is great with creating amazing stories, but it’s ultimately up to the actor/actress to make us believe the story that is being told, and that she did. April starts off as a selfish, nightclub singer who is always drinking and sleeping with a married man. The growth of her character starts once she’s forced to look after her three sister’s kids and has a handyman stay with her from the church. April ends up discovering the meaning of love, caring for her niece and nephews, and the true meaning of happiness. Seeing Taraji’s on-screen transition is what makes this charcter my favorite of hers.
Taraji had a reoccuring role on the drama series, Person of Interest, as Detective Carter. She is no longer on the show but she played a great detective and the show will always have you guessing. SPOILER ALERT: Detective Carter dies :(
2012: Think Like A Man & 2014: Think Like A Man Too
This movie and the second one are my all time favorites. It had the best cast. Based off of Steve Harvey’s book, alongside Taraji P. Henson, it starred Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Terrence J, Romany Malco, Jenifer Lewis, Gary Owen, LaLa Anthony and Jerry Ferrara. Also it was produced by my favorite producer, Will Packer. Taraji plays Lauren, a strong-independent woman, who is “her own man” until she runs into Dominic (Michael Ealy), who is far from her ideal man, but they fall in love anyways. This is a great romantic comedy, and the sequel is even more of a comedy.
“No Good Deed” was a good change of genre for Taraji, a thriller, where she got to play alongside the handsome Idris Elba. There were fight scenes that will keep you on your toes, once the action gets started, the rest of the movie is full of suspense.
2015: Empire
Even if you don’t watch it, you know what Empire is. Taraji plays the Cookie Lyon, one of the most dynamic characters on television. Taraji P. Henson’s and Terrence Howard’s on-screen chemistry as Cookie and Luscious adds to what makes Empire a hit. Empire is currently on season 5 and many fans are anxiously waiting for its return in March. Because of her outstanding performance as Cookie, Taraji won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, and made history by doing so, she was the first black woman to win that award. Taraji was also nominated for an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama series. This role made her known to a variety of people and was a game changer for her career.
2016: Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures is a must see if you haven’t seen it already. Taraji plays Katherine Johnson, an African-American, brilliant woman, who worked at NASA and helped with the launch of astronaut John Glenn. She played alongside Octavia Spencer, who portrayed Dorothy Vaughan, and Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson. This movie told the story of a pivotal moment in history, that was true, yet it isn’t in any of our history books, good thing they made this movie. One of the most memorable scenes from Hidden Figures was when Katherine (Taraji) came from the bathroom and had a bit of a breakdown about the unfair treatment because of her being an African-American woman. Taraji won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
2018: Proud Mary
Not only did Taraji star in Proud Mary, but she executive produced the movie as well. Taraji plays a badass, hit woman, that you don’t want to mess with. Her character, Mary, gets attached to a boy whose father she killed on a hit, and she ends up rescuing him from life on the streets. She showed us that women over 40 can still do action packed films and kill it!
2018: Tyler Perry’s Acrimony
In Acrimony, Taraji plays Melinda, a loyal wife scorned by her husband, Robert (Lyriq Bent). After what she feels is the ultimate betrayal by her husband, Melinda goes completely off the rails, and Taraji shows us that she can play the hell out of crazy. It was definitely interesting to watch and will leave you thinking.
2018: Ralph Breaks The Internet
In this sequel to the animated film, Wreck-it Ralph, Taraji plays Yesss, the head algorithm of an internet site, BuzzzTube. Yesss is there to help guide Ralph and Vanellope through the internet.
“What Men Want” will be in theaters February 8th! This is huge for Taraji’s career, seeing as she is the lead role in a comedy film. Produced by Will Packer, Taraji plays a hardworking sports agent, Ali Davis, who doesn’t get the promotion she deserves because she works in a “boy’s club.” After visiting a psychic, who gives her an unsual concoction to drink, she ends up being able to read men’s thoughts. Taraji’s character Ali, starts to use this ability to her advantage against her male co-workers.
2019: The Best of Enemies
Releasing April 5th, this movie is based of the book, ‘The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South’ by Osha Gray Davidson. The Best of Enemies is a true story about an unexpected relationship between a civil rights activist and a Ku Klux Klan leader, they join forces to hold a summit about the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina.
Some of her other work includes: The Family That Preys, Four Brothers, Smokin’ Aces, Not Easily Broken, From the Rough, The Karate Kid, Taken From Me, Hair Show, Talk To Me, and more. Now you see why her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame is well deserved! Taraji P. Henson is my favorite actress for a reason. She is one of the most versatile actors I’ve ever seen and her believability when portraying a story is amazing. She is authentic and truly one of a kind.