Taraji P Henson is an American actress and singer. Taraji P Henson is best known for her roles in Baby Boy, Hustle and Flow and in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2009, she appeared in I Can Do Bad All By Myself as April.

Taraji P Henson was born in Northeast Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bernice, warehouse Supervisor, and Boris, a US Marine and owner of his own fabrication company.

Taraji P Henson is a descendant of Matthew Alexander, discoverer of the Geographic North Pole. Her first and middle name are of Swahili origin, with her first name meaning hope and her middle name meaning love.