Taraji P. Henson received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’s enjoyed a successful film career for over two decades and her first role of prominence was in the 2001 comedy-drama “Baby Boy” alongside Tyrese Gibson after which she went on to star in “Hustle & Flow” opposite Terrence Howard.
After starring in dramas that include several Tyler Perry directed projects, Henson eventually snagged a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” in which she played opposite Brad Pitt. A three-time Emmy award nominee, she’s also a Screen Actors Guild Award recipient for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture in for “Hidden Figures.”
Celebrity buddies Mary J. Blige and director John Singleton (“Baby Boy”) were also at the ceremony where Henson, who attended with her 94-year-old grandmother, was awarded one of Hollywood’s top honors.
During her speech, the 48-year-old actress who plays Lyon on the hit Fox music drama “Empire,” talked about her inspiration. Crediting her grandmother for her success, she also talked about her latest film which focuses on the horrific death of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman by whistling at her in a grocery store.
“I want to say to all of the little brown babies all over the world, ‘Look at me and see you.’ I was a single mom, raised by a single mom and lived in the hood,” she said. “I never focused on my circumstances. I focused on my dream and looked at God. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a journey through history and today my legacy will be forever etched in the history of Hollywood. I’ve worked so hard for this. It’s surreal.”
In Henson’s latest film, “What Men Want,” she plays a sports agent whose life changes when she gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts. The film releases in theaters on Feb. 8.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince/Photos by Clinton H.Wallace
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