Did you know that the “P” in Taraji P. Henson stands for Prolific? Just kidding. It actually stands for Penda, which in Swahili means “hope/love.”
But prolific might actually be too small a word to contain the wealth of Henson’s ambitious, wide-ranging career: Oscar-nominated blockbusters (“Hidden Figures,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the latter earning her an Academy Award nod), must-see TV (Fox’s “Empire,” CBS’ “Person of Interest”), a primetime musical (NBC’s “Annie Live!”) and movies known for their eminent re-watchability (“Baby Boy,” “Hustle & Flow”).
Now, as the tantalizing, tender-hearted Southern belle Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Henson is capping a banner year in which she could have become an EGOT recipient with her 2023 work alone: her Emmy-nominated performance as Quinta Brunson’s cash-strapped mom on “Abbott Elementary”; being a principal on the “Purple” soundtrack; and making her first foray as a Broadway producer with the critically acclaimed “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”
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