Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress, producer, singer and writer. The first success came to her in the early 2000s, when Henson starred in a small role in the film "Baby." She got a secondary role in the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", but it was this work that brought the actress a nomination for an Oscar.
Today, in the creative biography of Taraja, more than sixty movie roles. She is also involved in voicing cartoon characters, writes her own music and is engaged in producing.
The fame of Taraji brought a role in the series "Empire", where she played Kuki Lyon. The film was well received by the audience and highly praised by film critics, and Henson won the Golden Globe Award and nominated for an Emmy Award.
In the creative career of the actress, there are many other roles that brought her popularity around the world.
early years
The girl was born in the United States, in the fall of 1970, in an ordinary family. She was an only child. Her parents gave her the beautiful name Taraja, which is translated from Arabic as "hope."
It was rumored that Henson is the closest relative of the famous explorer of the North Pole. But to prove that this is really true, failed. According to official figures, Matthew Henson had no children.
As a child, Taraji did not differ from other children and did not dream of an actress career. Art and creativity began to interest her already in high school, when the girl began to take an active part in various productions and perform her own songs at concerts.
The girl received primary education at North Oxfordshire School. Then she continued her studies at the Technical University, where she planned to become a bachelor in agriculture.
During her studies at the University of Taraji, she began to devote more time to creativity. She studied music, wrote her own songs and often performed on stage in student theater productions.
After studying for two years in North Carolina, Taraji transferred to Howard University, located in Washington, where she began to study dramatic art and acting.
To continue her studies, she needed money, so Henson began to earn money in several places at once. She was able to get a job at the Pentagon, where she served as secretary. And in the evening she worked as a waitress on a pleasure boat, and later she began to perform on stage as a singer.
Film career
The actress received one of the first small roles in the drama "Kid". The film was awarded several awards, including the prize of the film festival held in Locarno. Until that moment, Taraji already appeared on the screen in television projects, but did not attract the attention of viewers.
Success came to the actress after the release of the movie "Vanity and Movement", where she played a supporting role. For this work, the actress received several awards and nominations at once, among which were: Black Reel Award, Black Movie Award, BET Award, US Screen Actors Guilds, MTV.
In addition, Taraji wrote her own musical composition for the film. And as a result, she won the Academy Award in the category "Best Original Song".
The following years in the career of a young actress were very fruitful. She starred in a number of famous films and series, including: Blood for Blood, House Doctor, Ambulance, Boston Lawyers, Something New, Trump Aces, Talk to Me ", " The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ", " Hurricane Season ", " Karate Boy ", " Empire ", " Hidden Figures ", " What Men Want."
Taraji continued her musical career. She performed at concerts with many famous artists, starred in several videos.
