Oscar-Nominated Actor Taraji P. Henson Signs With M88

Dino-Ray Ramos
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor, writer, producer, activist and overall queen Taraji P. Henson has signed with M88. Henson will be repped by the entire M88 team, led by new partner Oronde Garrett and co-founder Phillip Sun.

Henson has an acting career that showcases both her range and personality. Most recently, she wrapped Empire where she played the memorable no-nonsense Cookie Lyon. The role earned her three Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award and three BET Awards.

In July, Henson’s production company TPH Entertainment signed a first-look deal with Twentieth Century Fox TV. The first project in development out of the gate is — you guessed it — a Cookie Lyon spinoff series. The agreement with Fox will also include other projects for multiple platforms.

Henson’s breakout performance in Hustle & Flow was a launching pad to stardom (although, I remember her from Felicity). Her credits also include Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures as well as Tyler Perry titles including Acrimony and The Family That Preys. Her résumé also includes everything from comedies to action pics to drama including Think Like a Man, Proud Mary, Talk To Me, Smokin’ Aces, No Good Deed, The Best of Enemies as well as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in the Netflix comedy Coffee & Kareem and will lend her voice to the 2021 animated feature Minions: The Rise of Gru. She also served as the host of the American Music Awards in November.

This month, Henson and her best friend and Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation executive director Tracie Jenkins will co-host the Facebook Watch series Peace of Mind with Taraji which will focus on mental health issues. The foundation, which Henson launched in 2018 and is named after her father, aims to shed the stigma around mental health in communities of color. Henson also serves as the host and producer of the podcast Jacked: The Rise of New Jack Swing, which debuted in November. In 2016, she released her New York Times bestselling memoir Around the Way Girl and launched her own haircare line, TPH by Taraji.

M88 was founded by Sun and Macro’s Charles D. King in the summer with the mission to amplify the voices of artists and creators from the global new majority. The company is majority-owned by Macro and has grown an impressive client roster with top-level talent. Since its inception, M88 has become the go-to company for inclusive representation with an impressive client list that includes a diverse and mix of top-level talent such as Idris Elba, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Donald Glover, Riz Ahmed, Naomi Scott, Gemma Chan, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Blitz “The Ambassador” Bazawule, Caleb McLaughlin, Eboni Freeman, Herizen F. Guardiola, Issa López, Kofi Siriboe, Luke James and more.

Henson signing with M88 marks a new relationship for the actor, who continues to be repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.

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