Biography for
Taraji P. Henson More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

11 September 1970, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Birth Name

Taraji Penda Henson

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Trivia

Voted one of "The 10 Sexiest Women of 2001" by the readers of Black Men Magazine.

Has a son named Marcel.

She was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and attended Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Henson first attended North Carolina Agric & Tech, where she attempted to study electrical engineering. She failed precalculus, so she transferred to Howard University. To pay for Howard, she worked two jobs: in the morning, as a secretary at the Pentagon; at night, as a singing and dancing waitress on a dinner cruise ship. She graduated from Howard University in 1995.

The father of her only son died unexpectedly in 1997.

Contrary to previously published accounts, Taraji is a relative, not a descendant, of North Pole explorer Matthew Henson.

Her first and middle names are Swahili for "expect" and "love," respectively.

She is an only child.

Where Are They Now

(2005) Living in Glendale, California with her son, Marcel.