Biography
Actress Taraji P. Henson began to catch the attention of film audiences with supporting roles in John Singleton's "Baby Boy" (2001) and "Four Brothers" (2005), but her breakout performance opposite Terrence Howard in the acclaimed urban drama "Hustle & Flow" (2005) really set the critical buzz in motion. A virtual unknown when she was flooded with award nominations for her performance and her singing on the film's soundtrack single "It's Hard …
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Career Milestones
| Auditioned for the Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts, but was not accepted | ||
| Moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from Howard University | ||
| Worked as a secretary and a singing and dancing waitress to pay for college | ||
1997 | Made her debut TV appearance on an episode of The WB sitcom "Smart Guy" | |
1998 | Made film debut in "Streetwise" | |
2000 | Had a small role as a student in the comedy "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" | |
2001 | Earned positive reviews for her role as the strong-willed girlfriend of Tyrese Gibson's character in John Singleton's "Baby Boy" | |
2003 | Joined the cast of the Lifetime series "The Division" as Inspector Raina Washington | |
2005 | Played Shug, the pregnant prostitute and live-in girlfriend of Terrence Howard in Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow"; also made her singing debut, providing the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" | |
2006 | Joined the cast of the ensemble crime thriller "Smokin' Aces" | |
2006 | With Three 6 Mafia, performed the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" at the 78th Academy Awards ceremony | |
2007 | Cast as Petey Greene's (played by Don Cheadle) assertive girlfriend Vernell in "Talk to Me," about the 1960s influential ex-con turned DJ | |
2007 | Joined the cast of ABC's "Boston Legal" for one season | |
2008 | Cast in the role of Queenie, Benjamin's (Brad Pitt) mother in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" | |
2008 | Joined an ensemble cast for Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys" | |
2009 | Starred in "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself," written and directed by her film co-star Perry | |
2010 | Co-starred with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith in "The Karate Kid" | |
2010 | Co-starred with Steve Carell and Tina Fey in the comedy "Date Night" | |
2011 | Cast in a supporting role opposite Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in "Larry Crowne" | |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie | |
2011 | Played a former Iraqi soldier turned NYPD homicide detective on the CBS mystery drama "Person of Interest" | |
2012 | Cast in the ensemble comedy "Think Like a Man" | |
Awards
2006 | MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss in Hustle & Flow |
2006 | MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance in Hustle & Flow |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Hustle & Flow |
2008 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
2008 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2009 | MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2011 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story |