Taraji P. Henson, known for her girl-next-door likability, has been very candid about her journey pre Oscar nomination days. The D.C. native and single mother openly talks about moving from D.C. to Los Angeles with only $700 cash, dreams of becoming an actress and a small son to care for. Nearly 20 years later, Henson is a living testament that courage to pursue your dreams with relentless tenacity reaps high rewards. The A-list actress is officially a Hollywood “It Girl” and has landed a bevy of roles in our favorite films and TV series. For her latest role as Cookie Lyon in FOX’s Empire, which airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m, Taraji plays an ex-con who was arrested for selling drugs. With the drug money, she funded her former husband’s, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), musical career. Upon her release, she’s on a mission to claim what is rightfully hers in Lyon’s music label, Empire. The new show was a huge success on its debut night, luring in 9.9 million viewers, ranking it as FOX’s biggest show debut since Touch in 2012. As you gear up to watch episode two of Empire tonight, take a look at some of Taraji’s other top roles.
Hustle & Flow
Henson stars in Hustle & Flow with her Empire cast mate Terrence Howard. She takes on the role of Shug, a pregnant prostitute who sings backup for pimp and aspiring artist DJay (Howard). Hustle & Flow’s
domestic total gross was $22,202,809, with $8,017,808 its opening weekend. The film premiered in theaters on July 22, 2005.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Starring opposite of Brad Pitt, Taraji’s role as Queenie led to her first Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Queenie is a caregiver at a seniors home who raises Benjamin Button (Pitt), a boy who was diagnosed with aging diseases at birth and consequently ages backwards. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, released Christmas day of 2008, made $26,853,816 its opening weekend and grossed $127,509,326 in the U.S.
The Karate Kid
In the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid, starring Jayden Smith, Taraji’s character Sherry Parker is the mother of Dre (Smith) and uproots him from the United States to Beijing to study martial arts. The classic movie’s more modern rendition was a huge success, grossing $176,591,618 and making $55,665,805 its opening weekend.
Person of Interest
Person of Interest is a television series that premiered on CBS in 2011. Henson’s character, Joss Carter, is an NYPD homicide detective who eventually dies (2013). The show is CBS’ fifth most watched series, drawing in 14.2 million viewers each week. Person of Interest airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m.
Think Like a Man and Think Like a Man Too
In romantic comedy Think Like a Man and its sequel Think Like a Man Too, Taraji P. Henson plays Lauren, a highly successful and independent career woman who ends up falling in love with Dominic (Michael Ealy), a struggling chef. Think Like a Man was released April 20, 2012 and grossed $91,547,205 with $33,636,303 its opening weekend. The sequel, which premiered June 20, 2014, grossed $65,182,182 and made $29,241,911 its opening weekend.