Taraji P. Henson Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Taraji P. Henson is an American actress, voiceover artist, singer, producer, and director who is known for her critically acclaimed performances in shows and movies like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Empire, Hustle & Flow, Hidden Figures, Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story, Person of Interest, Talk to Me, Boston Legal, and No Good Deed. She was also named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2016.

Born Name

Taraji Penda Henson

Nick Name

Taraji P. Henson, TJ, Cookie

Sun Sign

Virgo

Born Place

Washington, D.C., United States

Nationality

Education

In 1988, she graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Post that, she went to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, and even studied engineering and science at the University of the District of Columbia but soon after got transferred to Howard University in  Washington, D.C. From there, she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995.

Occupation

Actress, Voiceover Artist, Singer, Producer, Director

Family

• Father – Boris Lawrence Henson (Janitor and Metal Fabricator)
• Mother – Bernice (née Gordon) (Corporate Manager at Woodward & Lothrop)
• Siblings – Shawn (Younger Sibling), April (Younger Sibling)
• Others – Russell H. Henson (Paternal Grandfather), Mary Madeline Thomas (Paternal Grandmother), Patsy Ballard (Maternal Grandmother)

Manager

She is represented by United Talent Agency, Talent Agency, Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Genre

Southern Hip Hop, Crunk

Instruments

Vocals

Build

Average

Height

5 ft 4 in or 162.5 cm

Weight

60 kg or 132 pounds

Boyfriend / Spouse

Taraji P. Henson has dated –

1. William Johnson (1986-1994) – She dated her high school sweetheart, William Johnson from September 1986 to October 1994. During this time, while she was still in junior college, she also got pregnant and gave birth to a son named Marcell Johnson in 1994.
2. (1995-2002) – From January 1995 to November 2002, she was romantically linked ON and OFF with singer and actor Tyrese Gibson. They ended their relationship 5 times during these 8 years. She is about 9 years his senior. During these 8 years, they had two children from the relationship, viz., Jody (born July 23, 1997) and Jordenn (born June 17, 2003).
3. Hill Harper (2002-2005) – For the next three and a half years, from April 2002 to October 2005, she dated actor Hill Harper.
4. (2005-2007) – She started dating rapper Common in October 2005 after she appeared in his music video “Testify.” They dated for more than a year until February 2007.
5. (2008-2009) – Taraji then started dating basketball player Lamar Odom in December 2008. He is about 1.5 feet taller than her and roughly 10 years younger than her. They dated for around eight months and split in August 2009.
6. (2010) – In June 2010, she commenced dating Canadian rapper Aubrey Graham but this relationship also saw an end in September 2010.
7. (2012) – Taraji had a fling with actor Michael Ealy after meeting him on the set of Think Like a Man (2012).
8. Kelvin Hayden (2015-2020) – It was alleged that former NFL player Kelvin Hayden and Taraji had a fling in December 2015 when they were photographed together holding each other’s hands during a holiday in Miami, Florida. On May 13, 2018, the duo got engaged. However, it was later revealed on October 19, 2020, during an episode of The Breakfast Club that the couple had called off the engagement.

Race / Ethnicity

Black

She is of African-American (including Cameroonian) descent.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Multi-talented personality
• Bob Cut hairstyle

Measurements

38-28-37 in or 96.5-71-94 cm

Dress Size

12 (US) or 44 (EU) or 16 (UK)

Bra Size

34D

Shoe Size

7 (US) or 37.5 (EU) or 4.5 (UK)

Brand Endorsements

She was named an ambassador of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) in 2015.

Religion

Christianity

Best Known For

• Portraying Shug in the 2005 independent drama film Hustle & Flow and appearing as Queenie in the 2008 romantic fantasy drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• She is also known for playing the lead role as Cookie Lyon in Fox’s drama series Empire from 2015 to 2020.

As a Singer

She made her debut as a singer by contributing vocals to Three 6 Mafia (also known as Da Mafia 6ix) track “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” which appeared in the movie Hustle & Flow.

This song, in 2006, won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

First Film

Taraji made her film debut with the 2000 live-action / animated adventure comedy film The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle as a left-wing student.

First TV Show

She appeared in three episodes from 1997 to 1998 in The WB’s sitcom Smart Guy for her role as Mo’Nique.

Personal Trainer

Taraji is a fitness freak and sometimes, when she is short on time, goes directly from the airport to the gym. Taraji exercises under the presence of trainer Mike T of Force Fitness. She works out with him 5 to 7 days in a week and they do weight training, along with short sprints on the treadmill.

She can do weighted squats with more than 180 pounds of weight on her back.

She also has cheat days once a week to keep her going. She is a foodie and does not diet much. But, of course, if she has to prepare for a role, she may go on a strict diet and workout routine.

Taraji P. Henson Favorite Things

• Foods – Pasta, gummi bears
• Song From Empire – You’re So Beautiful
• Washington D.C. Restaurants – Chinese spots, The Wharf

Source – Glamour.com, Bet.com, Radio.com

Taraji P. Henson Facts

1. Her first and middle names “Taraji” and “Penda” have been taken from the Swahili language. They mean “hope” and “love” respectively.
2. While attending Howard University in Washington D.C., she used to work in the mornings as a secretary at The Pentagon so that she could pay for her college. This is not all. She even used to work in the evenings as a singing-dancing waitress on a cruise ship called Spirit of Washington.
3. She has no siblings and is the only child of her parents.
4. Taraji is a great-great cousin of North Pole explorer, Matthew Henson.
5. She supports People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and has appeared n*de in one of their ad campaigns in January 2011. With the organization, she has been a part of campaigns like I’d Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur and Be an Angel for Animals.
6. She has appeared in an ad for same-sex marriage by NOH8 Campaign in February 2015.
7. She is good at cooking and is a fan of her chili dish, which Taraji says is her signature dish.
8. She had the nickname ‘Cookie’ in college.
9. Taraji was once named as the class clown at Ballou High.
10. She once won a lasagna cook-off.
11. She considers acting a spiritual experience.
12. She appeared as Ann Atwater, a civil rights activist in Durham, in the 2019 drama film, The Best of Enemies.
13. Taraji had hosted the 2020 American Music Awards in November 2020.