Taraji P. Henson
Definition
Taraji P. Henson is an American actress, producer, author, and mental health advocate best known for her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of Cookie Lyon in the Fox series Empire (2015–2020).
She gained critical acclaim for roles in films such as Hidden Figures (2016) as Katherine Johnson, The Color Purple (2023) as Shug Avery, and is preparing for her Broadway debut as Bertha Holly in a revival of Joe Turner's Come and Gone opening in April 2026.
Henson founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to promote mental health awareness and treatment in the African American community and recently competed as 'Scarab' on season 14 of The Masked Singer in 2026.
Examples
Taraji P. Henson buzzed onto The Masked Singer as Scarab, dazzling everyone until Clueless Night revealed her true star power was no match for the panel's guesses.
Hollywood producers praised Taraji P. Henson's independence move as 'bold entrepreneurship,' conveniently forgetting it was sparked by their legendary pay disparities.
As Taraji P. Henson preps for Broadway's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, theater critics are already hailing her as the next big thing – because stages pay better than residuals anyway.
Taraji P. Henson's Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation is out here saving minds while Hollywood saves face with another 'strong female lead' who gets half the check.