When you see Taraji P. Henson commanding a screen, you’re seeing a specific kind of fire. It’s that raw, "tell-it-like-it-is" energy that made Cookie Lyon an icon. But if you ask Taraji where that grit actually comes from, she won’t point to an acting coach or a script. She’ll talk about a man named Boris. Taraji P Henson father, Boris Lawrence Henson, wasn't just a parent; he was the primary architect of her worldview, a Vietnam veteran who lived his life with a level of transparency that was both beautiful and, at times, devastating.
Honestly, the story of Boris Henson is a lot more complicated than the typical celebrity "my dad was my hero" narrative. It’s a story about war, mental health, and the kind of "tough love" that actually saves lives.
The Man Behind the Legend: Who Was Boris Henson?
Boris wasn't a Hollywood guy. He was a man who lived through the kind of reality most of us only see in movies, and not the fun kind. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he returned to a country that didn't really know what to do with the "broken" men it sent overseas. He struggled. He was homeless for a stretch. He battled bipolar disorder and PTSD at a time when people in the Black community—especially men—just didn't talk about those things.
You’ve probably heard Taraji mention that his "unabashed, unashamed ability to tell the truth" is what stayed with her. He didn't hide his demons. If he was hurting, he said it. If he was struggling, he didn't mask it behind a suit and tie.
This transparency was a double-edged sword. Taraji has shared stories that are hard to hear, like the time Boris, caught in the throes of his mental health struggles, tried to kidnap her when she was just a toddler. It sounds terrifying because it was. But Taraji, with the perspective of someone who has done the work to understand trauma, looks back at that moment and sees a man who just desperately wanted to be with his daughter but didn't have the mental tools to do it right.
The Vietnam Scar
War changes people. Boris came back "broken," as Taraji puts it. He didn't get the physical or emotional support he needed from the government he served. Instead, he brought the war home.
Taraji once recalled a chilling memory of her father jumping up, thinking bombs were going off, and making the family crawl around on the floor. He was reenacting the war in their living room. That’s the reality of PTSD when it’s left to fester. It’s not just "being stressed"; it’s living in a loop of your worst moments.
How Boris Henson Literally Created Cookie Lyon
If you ever wondered where those sharp, biting one-liners in Empire came from, look no further than Boris. He was the king of the "zinger."
- The "goat scalp" line? That was him.
- The "no-holds-barred" attitude? Pure Boris.
- The unapologetic presence? He lived it first.
Taraji has admitted that she basically "improv’d" many of her most famous lines by just channeling what her father would say in those situations. He was a man who didn't care about being "polite" if it meant being fake. He valued authenticity over everything. That's why Cookie resonated with so many people—she felt real because she was based on a real person's unapologetic soul.
The Career Advice That Changed Everything
We almost didn't get Taraji the actress. Originally, she went to North Carolina A&T to study electrical engineering.
She failed pre-calc. Twice.
Crying and feeling like a failure, she called her dad. Most parents would have told her to study harder or get a third tutor. Boris did the opposite. He told her to get her "butt" over to Howard University and enroll in the drama department where she belonged. He saw her light when she was trying to dim it to fit into a "sensible" career. He knew she was a performer. Without that push, she might be sitting in an office somewhere right now instead of winning Golden Globes.
The Death of Boris and the Birth of a Legacy
Boris Lawrence Henson passed away in 2006 at the age of 58. The cause was liver cancer, but the toll of his life's battles—the war, the mental health struggles, the lack of support—undoubtedly played a role in his early departure.
His death left a void, but it also gave Taraji a new mission. She realized that her father’s struggle wasn't unique, but the way he talked about it was. In 2018, she launched the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF).
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What the Foundation Actually Does
The BLHF isn't just a "charity" in the name-only sense. It’s a boots-on-the-ground organization aimed at the Black community.
- Free Therapy: They offer free therapy sessions because, as Taraji often says, "joy is our birthright," but it's hard to find when you can't afford help.
- Wellness Pods: In partnership with brands like Kate Spade, they’ve launched "She Care Wellness Pods" on HBCU campuses (like Hampton University) to give Black women a place to rest and talk.
- Ending the Stigma: The goal is to make talking about mental health as normal as talking about a broken leg.
Taraji saw her father suffer because he didn't have a "safety net." She’s spent the last several years building that net for others. She wants to break the "cycle of suffering" where people are shackled to their trauma because they're too ashamed to ask for help.
Why We Should Still Talk About Him
Boris Henson matters because he represents a whole generation of men who were told to be "strong" at the expense of their sanity. By naming the foundation after him, Taraji ensured that his struggle wasn't in vain. He became a symbol of vulnerability as strength.
It’s easy to look at a celebrity and think they have it all figured out. But Taraji is very open about her own battles with anxiety and depression. She’s not just "doing a project"; she’s living her father’s legacy of truth-telling. She’s mentioned that when she gets DMs from people who used the foundation’s resources to get help, it fills her heart more than any acting award ever could.
Moving Toward Your Own Healing
If the story of Taraji P Henson father teaches us anything, it’s that you don't have to be "perfect" to be a hero. Boris was deeply flawed, but his honesty paved the way for a movement that is currently saving lives.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you’re carrying the weight of the world, here’s how to take a page out of the Henson playbook:
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- Audit your "Strong Person" complex: Are you being strong, or are you just being silent? There’s a huge difference.
- Look into culturally competent care: If you're a person of color, finding a therapist who "gets it" is vital. Check out the BLHF Let’s Talk! Resource Guide to find providers who understand your specific background.
- Prioritize "Rest as Resistance": You don't always have to be "on." Sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your mental health is to stop and breathe.
- Share your story: Like Taraji says, breaking your silence frees someone else to share theirs.
The best way to honor a legacy like Boris’s isn't just to read about it—it’s to make sure you’re taking care of your own mind with the same ferocity that Taraji uses to protect his memory.