How Taraji Henson Achieved a Net Worth of $25 Million

Taraji Henson is an actress who began her career in 1992. She is known for her work in both film and television and is particularly famous for her roles in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ and ‘Hustle & Flow.’ Due to the longevity of her career and the success she has achieved, Henson has become a rich woman. Taraji Henson’s net worth is reportedly $25 million, and here is how she accrued her wealth.

Her Childhood

Taraji Penda Henson was born in Washington D.C. on September 11, 1970. She attended Oxton Hill High School in Maryland, then the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. At the latter, she studied electrical engineering, then decided to study drama at Howard University. She had to work as a secretary to pay for her way through university. Henson also made money working as a dancing waitress on the Spirit of Washington dinner cruise ship in the evenings.

Henson’s Career Before 2015

In the early 1990s, Henson had three small screen roles as a background performer. Her short screen experience led to her receiving her Screen Actors Guild membership card. She continued to have small roles throughout the 1990s, and some of the series in which she appeared included ‘The Parent Hood,’ ‘Smart Guy,’ ‘ Sister, Sister,’ ‘ER,’ and ‘Saved by the Bell: The New Class.’ Henson did not get her first notable role until 2001, when she played Yvette in the comedy-drama film ‘Baby Boy.’

Henson then appeared in the 2002 film ‘The Book of Love,’ followed by ‘Hair Show’ in 2004. Between 2002 and 2004, she also played the role of Inspector Washington in the television series ‘The Division.’ An important year in Henson’s career was 2005 when she had roles in three films. The first of these was ‘Hustle & Flow,’ and she won an Academy Award for her performance. She also provided vocals for three tracks from the film. In the same year, Henson had roles in ‘Four Brothers’ and ‘Animal.’ Over the next two years, Taraji Henson appeared in films such as ‘Something New,’ ‘Smoking Access,’ ‘Talk to Me,’ and ‘The Family That Preys.’ However, it was her performance as Queenie in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ that raised Henson’s profile. She received multiple award nominations for the role.

When Henson played the role of Queenie, she also had a role in the series ‘Boston Legal.’ Between 2007 and 2008, she appeared as Whitney Rome in 17 episodes of the series. She was also in three episodes of ‘Eli Stone’ in 2008. In 2009, Henson focused on film work. She had roles in ‘Not Easily Broken,’ ‘Hurricane Season,’ and ‘I Can Do Bad All by Myself.’ The following year, she was in ‘Date Night,’ the remake of ‘The Karate Kid,’ ‘Peep World,’ and ‘Once Fallen.’ During 2011, Taraji Henson had roles in both television series and films. On television, she landed the role of Detective Jocelyn Carter in ‘Person of Interest.’ She played this role until 2013 and then resumed the role in 2015. Henson’s 2011 films were ‘The Good Doctor,’ ‘Larry Crowne,’ ‘Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain,’ and ‘From the Rough.’ Her other films prior to 2015 were ‘Think Like a Man,’ a voice role in ‘Madly Madagascar,’ ‘Think Like a Man Too,’ ‘No Good Deed,’ and ‘Top Five.’

Taraji Henson’s Career Since 2015

In 2015, Taraji Henson landed the role of Cookie Lyon in ‘Empire,’ and she played this role until 2020. This role is her most notable television role between 2015 and 2021. Most recently, Henson appeared as herself in an episode of ‘Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered.’ A year later, Henson played Samantha Thurman in ‘Term Life.’ However, it is for the role of ‘Hidden Figures’ in the 2016 film that further raised Henson’s profile to a wider audience. The film was a box office success and won multiple awards, including three Oscars, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Henson received critical acclaim for her performance. Henson’s success in the film industry continued in the following years. Her films in 2018 and 2019 included ‘Proud Mary,’ ‘Acrimony,’ ‘What Men Want,’ and ‘The Best of Enemies. She also provided the voice of Yesss in ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet.’ Most recently, Henson played Vanessa Manning in ‘Coffee & Kareem.’ Next, she will provide the voice of Belle Bottom in the 2022 animated film ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru.’

Her Other Ventures

In addition to her work in film and television, Taraji Henson has appeared in music videos and had a career on stage. She has also hosted various specials or events, including narrating the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Furthermore, she has appeared twice on ‘Lip Sync Battle.’ Outside of the entertainment industry, Taraji Henson has launched a makeup collection. She launched the Taraji P. Henson collection in 2016 in collaboration with MAC cosmetics. Henson later collaborated with the brand for a second time when she became a spokesperson for their Viva Glam Campaign. The aim of the campaign was to raise money for research into HIV and AIDS. Another charitable interest of Henson’s is The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. Henson founded the charity to support those who experience cultural mental illness.

Taraji Henson’s Net Worth

Now, the actress is a wealthy woman. According to Yahoo Finance, Taraji Henson’s net worth is $25 million. She has made her money through her work in entertainment. Although she has made some money from television work, most of her wealth is through her films. She has also made money from other ventures, including a cosmetics collection.

Her Personal Life

Taraji Henson was in a relationship with William LaMarr Johnson, her childhood sweetheart. The couple had a son, Marcell, in 1994. Johnson was murdered in 2003. Henson became engaged to NFL player Kelvin Hayden in 2018. However, the couple split in October 2020, and Henson is now single.

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