Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nominated actor, producer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, mental health advocate, and entrepreneur, with a globally celebrated career that extends beyond the screen.

In June 2025, Henson starred in Tyler Perry’s Straw for Netflix. The film, which also includes performances by Sherri Shepherd and Teyana Taylor, follows a single mother (Henson) who faces a series of unfortunate events that lead her down an unexpected path. Straw debuted as the #1 film globally on Netflix in its first week. Additional projects this year include Apple TV+’s “Number One on the Call Sheet,” a two-part documentary that celebrates the achievements of Black actors in Hollywood, and CNN’s latest travel series, “My Happy Place.”

Most recently, Henson starred in Peacock’s limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” which launched as the most watched premiere in Peacock history and the #1 original drama. The show earned the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Limited Television (Series, Special or Movie), and Henson took home the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special or Movie).

She quickly rose to fame with her breakout role in Hustle & Flow, earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a BET Award for Best Actress. She was most recently seen in the award-winning musical adaptation of The Color Purple, winning an NAACP Image Award and receiving a Screen Actors Guild Award ensemble nomination. Other film highlights include Hidden Figures, Acrimony, Proud Mary, Think Like A Man and Think Like A Man Too, Smokin’ Aces, No Good Deed, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

On television, she has garnered multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations, most recently for her guest turn on “Abbott Elementary.” Previously, Henson won a Golden Globe Award, received multiple Emmy nominations, and became the first Black woman to win a Critics’ Choice Television Award in the Best Actress in a Drama Series category for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon on the smash hit series “Empire.” Her producorial efforts on the play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 2024.

In June 2024, she released her #1 New York Times bestselling and NAACP Image Award-winning children’s book, You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!). Henson also released her New York Times bestselling novel Around the Way Girl in October 2016.

In 2018, Henson created the Boris L. Henson Foundation, which exists to both normalize and improve access to mental health services for Black communities in hopes of eradicating the stigma around seeking help and support. Furthering her passion for creating and uplifting her community and beyond, Henson founded TPH by Taraji in 2020, an award-winning brand of inclusive, spa-inspired products. In 2024, Henson further expanded her business portfolio as the strategic advisor and creative collaborator for Seven Daughters Moscato. For Henson, this collaboration is about more than wine; it’s about creating opportunities for magical moments of connection and lasting memories.