We all know that Taraji P. Henson plays some iconic roles. We’ve seen her as Cookie on the hit TV show, Empire, and she also portrayed Katherine G. Johnson in Hidden Figures. She might be a household name now, but it wasn’t always that way. Taraji had a rough life growing up and things weren’t always easy for her. However, she handled all the problems. She moved on to unbelievable success.
These days, she’s getting some of the biggest roles she’s ever had. She's also getting award nominations. Basically, she's living out all of her dreams. Taraji recently got engaged and things can only go up from there.
These are 18 surprising facts about Taraji P. Henson. This talented woman made Cookie one of the most infamous characters on television!
18 Her Father Was Her Biggest Inspiration
Growing up, things were tough for Taraji and her family. Her parents divorced when she was young, but her father was always there for her. He went through a lot in his own life, such as being homeless, serving in the military, and being a police officer.
Despite hardships of his own, he always encouraged Taraji to follow her dreams and pursue acting. For that reason, he’s her biggest inspiration.
17 She Originally Had Another Career Path
Before Taraji decided that she wanted to be an actress, she actually wanted to be an engineer. Originally, she attended the University of the District Columbia, as well as North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She was studying to get a degree in electrical engineering.
16 She Transferred To Another School For Acting
The whole engineering degree thing didn't really didn’t work out for Taraji. She struggled in school, which caused her to think things through - did she really want to become an engineer? She didn’t do well in math and failed pre-calculus. As a result, she decided to transfer to Howard University to study theater.
15 She Had A Triple Threat Scholarship
When she transferred to Howard University, she really began to shine. She was truly in her element at the school and this time in her life allowed her to find her true passions.
She was an amazing singer, dancer, and actor. Her talent and hard work earned her the “Triple Threat Scholarship,” as she excelled in all three areas.
14 She Had Some Unusual Jobs In College
When she was in college, Taraji had to work hard to attend school and also make ends meet. As a result, she had a few odd jobs. During the day, she worked in the Pentagon, and at night she was a waitress. She wasn't just a server, though. She also sang on a dinner cruise ship called the Spirit of Washington.
13 She Had Her Son In College
When she was just a junior in college, Taraji had a bit of a curveball in her life. She found out she was pregnant with her son. This didn’t stop her from achieving her goals. Taraji kept attending all of her classes and even performed while pregnant. She gave birth to her son, Marcel, in 1994...and graduated with her degree in 1995.
12 She Moved To L.A. After College
Once Taraji graduated from school, it was time to get her showbiz career rolling. She picked up and moved to Los Angeles so she could pursue her dream of being an actress. She was just 26 years old and had about $700 to her name. She took any acting gig that she could find. She managed to make ends meet and take care of her son.
11 She's Related To A Famous Explorer
It’s always funny to see how certain celebrities are related to one another, or better yet, who they’re descended from. Taraji has a unique ancestor, as she’s related to Matthew A. Henson, a famous explorer who helped discovered the North Pole. Matthew A. Henderson is her cousin!
10 Mary J. Blige Loves Her Cooking
Taraji loves to cook and she’s always down to make some homemade food. Her biggest fan? None other than Mary J. Blige. Taraji claims that her signature dish is her homemade chili, and it happens to be Mary J. Blige’s favorite, too. She always asks Taraji to make it for her when she visits, and Taraji even makes her extra to take home.
9 She Signed On To Empire Under One Condition
When Taraji was in talks for the role of Cookie in Empire, she told producers that she would do it under one condition. The condition was that Terrence Howard would play Lucious. She claimed that they had the perfect chemistry to play the couple and she didn’t want to do it with anyone else. Obviously, producers listened, as he got the role alongside her.
8 She Has Something In Common With Her Empire Character
Taraji actually has a unique connection to her Empire character. They share the same name! Well, nickname, anyway. Back when she was in college, all of her friends used to call her Cookie. We’re not sure how Cookie is a nickname for Taraji, but the connection to her future character is pretty cool!
7 She Once Lost $100,000 In Diamonds
When Taraji attended the 2009 Oscars, she wore a diamond necklace by Fred Leighton that was valued at $100,000. At the awards, she felt the diamonds fall off. In a panic at losing some very expensive jewelry, she made everyone freeze until she found them. Thank goodness she did locate the pricey baubles!
6 She Sang On An Academy Award Winning Song
Taraji was in Hustle & Flow along with Terrence Howard. The two performed Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” Both versions appeared on the film's soundtrack. Taraji actually performed the song with Three 6 Mafia at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006, right before the song won for Best Original Song.
5 She Won A Golden Globe
The world loves Empire and, more importantly, the world also loves Taraji as Cookie Lyon. In 2015, she was nominated for a 'Best Actress in a Television Series Drama' Golden Globe. It was the first time she had been nominated for that type of award.
4 She Auditioned For Precious
Not many people know that, originally, Taraji wanted to star in the movie, Precious, and that she auditioned for the lead role - that's the title character, Precious. She claims that the director, Lee Daniels, thought that she was crazy, but she wanted to take on the challenge. At the end of the day, Gabourey Sidibe got the part.
3 She Was Nominated For An Oscar
Taraji had a lot of Oscar buzz when she played the role of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Based on her co-stars alone, she couldn’t believe that she had gotten the part. She was even more surprised when she found out that she had been nominated for an Oscar. Unfortunately, she didn’t win, but she was thrilled to be nominated.
2 Her Son's Father Was Murdered
The father of Taraji’s son, Marcel, was named William Lamar Johnson and he suffered a tragic death. In 2003, William was murdered - he was stabbed repeatedly during a dispute with another couple. Taraji and William were high school sweethearts, but they never got married, even after having their son together.
1 She's Engaged
After the heartbreak she experienced due to the loss of her son’s father, Taraji finally got her happily ever after. In May of 2018, Taraji happily shared the news on her Instagram that she had gotten engaged to her boyfriend, Kelvin Hayden. He's a former football player. The two had been together for two years before they got engaged.