Taraji P. Henson

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Taraji Penda Henson (born September 11, 1970 in Washington, DC) is an American actress and singer. Henson has appeared in such films as Baby Boy (2001), Hustle & Flow (2005), and Four Brothers (2005), and was a cast member on Lifetime Television's The Division. Henson, who worked as a cruise ship entertainer and at the Pentagon before becoming an actress, holds a degree in theater arts from Howard University. Henson's first and middle names are of Swahili origin, meaning "hope" and "love", respectively. She is a descendant of Matthew Henson, co-discoverer of the North Pole.[1]

Henson made her singing debut in Hustle & Flow; she provided the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, giving Three 6 the distinction of becoming the first Black hip-hop act to win in the category. Henson performed the song at the Oscars on March 5, 2006 with the group.

[edit] Selected filmography

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2007)
• Smokin' Aces (2006)....Sharice Watters
• Something New (2006)...Nedra
• Animal (2005/II) (V)....Ramona
• Four Brothers (2005)....Camille Mercer
• Hustle & Flow (2005)....Shug
• Hair Show (2004)....Tiffany
• Holla (2002) TV Series....Guest
• Baby Boy (2001)....Yvette
• Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man (2001) (TV)
• All or Nothing (2001)....Kiko
• The Division (2001) TV Series....Inspector Raina Washington
• The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) (as Taraji Henson)....Left-Wing Student
• Satan's School for Girls (2000)....Paige
• Streetwise (film)(1998)

[edit] External links

• Taraji P. Henson at the Internet Movie Database