Taraji Penda Henson (born September 11, 1970) is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her career with guest roles on television before her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She starred in Hustle & Flow (2005) and played Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), receiving an Academy Award nomination for the latter. In 2010, she appeared in Date Night and co-starred in The Karate Kid remake. In 2012, she was part of the ensemble cast in Think Like A Man and its sequel.
Henson has had a significant television career, including roles in The Division, Boston Legal, and Eli Stone. From 2011 to 2013, she co-starred as Detective Jocelyn Carter in Person of Interest. Since 2015, she stars as Cookie Lyon on Empire, earning a Critics' Choice Award, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy nomination. In 2016, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
United States
