20 Things Only Superfans Would Know About The Newly Engaged Taraji P. Henson

It may seem like Taraji P. Henson is a bit of an overnight sensation, but trust us - she's been hustling to make it happen for well over a decade now. Henson shot to stardom when she snagged the incredible role of Cookie on Empire, a character that only an extremely talented actress could make loveable yet intimidating.

It took the right role to make her a household name, but if Taraji P. Henson had her way, she would have been a household name years ago. She's definitely had to conquer some challenges over the years, but she's always done so with grace and grit, determined to succeed in the career path she chose. She's fantastic proof that, just because you don't become an A-List starlet at 18 years old, it doesn't mean you should give up on your dream. It took her quite a while to get to where she is today, but she just worked hard and waited for her big break.

And, in addition to all her career success, Taraji P. Henson finally got some good news on the love front - a proposal! Here are 20 things you may not have known about the newly engaged Taraji P. Henson.

20 As A Teenager, She Applied To A Performing Arts High School - And Didn't Get In

Given how talented she is, you might assume that acting always came easily to Taraji and that people saw her talent form at a very young age. Well, that isn't necessarily the case. She had stars in her eyes as a teenager and ended up applying to a performing arts high school with the idea of working on her acting skills so that she could eventually pursue that dream. After all, she's admitted that she was a huge ham back in the day who was always entertaining people - it seems like a natural fit.

Unfortunately, she ended up being turned away from the school and didn't even make it through admissions. There's no doubt that it was probably a super competitive school, given how many individuals would be interested in a special performing arts education, but still - we can't imagine who would turn away Taraji! We have a feeling that, if they even remember her, the person who rejected her back in the day is shaking his or her head now, despairing over the decision. After all, she probably would have been the most famous alumni to come out of their school - and they gave that opportunity away when they didn't offer her a place as a student!

19 She Used To Work As A Secretary At The Pentagon And On A Singing Cruise Ship

Forget waiting tables and whipping up lattes as a barista - when it comes to all the jobs Taraji did to get money for rent and make a living, she looked for far more interesting positions. First of all, she worked in the mornings as a secretary during a period of her life, but she didn't just show up to work at a law office or dental office - she was a secretary at the Pentagon. Talk about some serious skills!

And, as if that weren't enough, after all that serious administrative work during the day in a professional environment, she changed her look and headed off to her second job as a waitress on a singing cruise ship. After all, why would you just be a waitress at a regular restaurant when you could do your job and work on your singing and entertaining skills at the same time on a dinner cruise?

One thing is for sure - Taraji has always known how to hustle, and it's majorly inspiring how she's been able to balance it all through the years.

Though her schedule seems packed now, it's probably nothing in comparison to all she had to go through when she wasn't as successful.

18 She Turned Down The Role Of Cookie On 'Empire' At First

Sometimes, it's hard to spot a role that will be wildly successful and rewarding from a batch of scripts, so luckily, Taraji had creator Lee Daniels pursuing her for Empire. You see, as Taraji told Vogue, when she got wind that there might be a character for her on the show, she pretty much turned it down immediately; "I was done with television, I was like, 'I don't like being trapped in a little box. I'm a movie star!'"

Daniels knew Taraji from when she auditioned for him for the movie Precious, and something in him just knew she would make the perfect Cookie - so he kept pursuing her until finally, she took a closer look at the role - and realized it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. "

As she told W Magazine, "not only would I never be offered a character like Cookie in a movie, but she doesn't exist. Cookie is bold and crazy and she loves the struggle. She started from nothing and now she's at the top. In that way, we're alike: Cookie is the American Dream." Thank goodness she changed her mind - we honestly cannot picture anyone else playing Cookie better than Taraji does.

17 Her Father, Who Struggled With Homelessness, Was A Huge Inspiration For Her

Taraji definitely hasn't had an easy life, but the thing that makes her so successful is that she doesn't let the struggles get her down - she learns from them and grows as a person and as a performer. She's spoken about how being a young single mom had a hugely positive impact on her career, even though many might see it as an insurmountable challenge.

Rather than seeing her father's homelessness - when she was a child - as a tragedy, she chose to view it through the lens of what it gave her.

As she told ET Canada, "watching him hit rock bottom and work his way back from that made me a stronger person." That kind of a situation definitely leaves a mark, so it's amazing that she was able to use it as a source of strength rather than letting it get her down.

It sounds like her upbringing was a bit tumultuous at times, but she always had the love and support of her family, and that definitely helped shape her into the person she is today. Sometimes it's the challenging things in life that truly help us learn and grow and become better people - there truly is a silver lining to every situation.

16 "Cookie" Was Her Nickname When She Was Younger

Okay, we're not sure if this was something the crew at Empire added after the fact or if it was just a strange coincidence, but according to Complex, Cookie was actually Taraji's nickname for a while when she was younger. We're not exactly sure what inspired the nickname, but one thing is for sure - it suits her perfectly.

The name Cookie brings to mind something sweet and a little sassy, which is exactly what Taraji is.

We wouldn't be surprised if she told the crew a crazy story about her childhood nickname and they ended up changing the character name based on that - there's just something about Taraji that, when she speaks, you want to listen. It may be a bit of an unconventional name, but as a nickname, it's pretty adorable - we can totally see a younger Taraji going by Cookie and rocking some adorable outfits and crazy hairstyles.

Now, the only question is, at this point is she completely tired of people constantly calling her Cookie? We have a feeling she gets it an absolutely exhausting amount. Although, who knows - perhaps it reminds her of her success and she loves every single fan who yells out "Cookie" across a crowded room.

15 She Had Her Son, Marcell, While She Was Still In College

Taraji had more than a few complications on her path to becoming an actress, including one that may have led many to quit and find a more stable career path - she had a son.

During her junior year in college, she ended up getting pregnant. However, she wasn't about to let that slow her down. As she told Glamour, "people said 'This is it for her' but I did not stop. I never missed a class. I was in the school music when I was six months pregnant - we just made the character pregnant."

She even apparently went to her instructors in the theatre department and told them they had better not bench her because of her condition - she could still act her butt off! It probably required a lot of juggling to balance her newborn son, her classes, her jobs, and her time in the school productions, but she managed to pull it off.

And, the most heartwarming detail? When she attended her graduation ceremony and walked across that stage to accept her diploma, she carried her son right across the stage with her. It just goes to show that you can't listen to the haters trying to get you down.

14 She Moved To Los Angeles As A Broke Single Mother With Only $700 In Her Pocket

Taraji's story of how she moved to Los Angeles proves just how much hustle and determination she truly has. Though she managed to graduate with a young child, many individuals would put their dreams on hold and find a more stable job to support their baby.

Taraji, however, was not about to give her dream up, no matter how many obstacles life threw her way.

So, even though she was a single mom, even though she had only $700 in her bank account, she packed up her car and her son and headed off to Hollywood. She talked about the move with Vogue, saying: "I had a mission. I had to make my dream come true. If I didn't, what was I proving to my son? And I spun that $700 into an empire, didn't I?… people thought I was crazy, but being a mom early enhanced my talent. It opened up a side of me that I didn't know I had, that sense of duty and protection, and it kept me grounded in Hollywood."

While she's obviously a huge star now, we have to wonder what her son thought when she was a struggling actress trying to make it work, and whether he was truly inspired by the example she gave him.

13 She Recently Got Engaged To Kelvin Hayden, A Former NFL Player Who Is Over 10 Years Younger Than Her

Taraji isn't really the kind of actress to be constantly featured in the tabloids with her flavor of the week. She must have dated a few guys over the years, but she always kept her relationships pretty low key. That's why the world was surprised when pictures of her and former NFL cornerback Kelvin Hayden started popping up.

However, they were clearly crazy in love - and Hayden eventually decided to lock his gorgeous lady down by proposing. They're definitely a bit of an odd match - Hayden is a former professional athlete in his mid-30s, and Taraji is an A-List actress in her late 40s - but they seem to make each other super happy.

They got engaged in May 2018, so we haven't heard much buzz about what their wedding will be like, but knowing Taraji, it'll be fabulous.

Perhaps she'll channel her inner Cookie on her wedding day and show up in a larger-than-life gown that has all eyes on her (although come to think of it, that seems like something Taraji would do on her own!).

We can't wait to learn more about the wedding, and hopefully see what role Taraji's son has in it since he's been so important to her over the years.

12 She's A Great Cook - And Her Recipes Have Some Celebrity Fans!

Given that she has a kid, it's no surprise that Taraji has at least some basic cooking skills. After all, you can't just feed a growing boy junk food and fast food all the time - especially if you're on a budget!

However, it turns out, Taraji isn't just a basic cook - she's a super talented cook. She spilled about her passion for being in the kitchen to Glamour, saying that "I love to cook and look for recipes all the time. I make lasagna, great collard greens, and I do an amazing Thanksgiving turkey. My signature dish is chili. I make two types: red chili and a white-bean chicken chili."

And, she even has some major celebrity fans - Glamour reports: "Every time Mary J. Blige comes to town, she requests it. She'll say, 'Taraji, are you going to make that chili?' And when she's out of town, she'll ask me to freeze a bag and her assistant will come pick it up!" That must be some seriously amazing chili! Who knows, maybe she'll be one of the next celebrities who decides to release a cookbook! We'd love to try out her recipes, and perhaps make a batch of the Mary J. Blige approved chili ourselves!

11 She Initially Studied Electrical Engineering In College

Given how talented she is, and how determined she's been to succeed, we always kind of assumed that Taraji knew she wanted to be an actress from a very young age. However, it seems that isn't the case.

She told Vanity Fair back in 2009 that "I didn't really get serious about acting until college. I auditioned for a performing arts high school, didn't get accepted, and I thought that meant I couldn't act. So I never acted again until I failed precalc in college. I decided I was going to try Electrical Engineering. That sounded good… so, I failed, and thank God I did because it forced me to study what I really wanted to, and that was acting." Honestly, we totally cannot picture Taraji in an electrical engineering class - not because she's not smart enough, but just because she's so creative and amazing at bringing characters to life that it would be a shame to waste that talent.

However, she has had the opportunity to put on her brainiac cap from time to time for roles, such as when she plays math genius Katherine in Hidden Figures (which, if you haven't seen yet, you absolutely need to - Taraji is amazing in it).

10 If Acting Didn't Work Out, She Might Have Become A Cosmetologist

Taraji wasn't one of those actresses who packed up her car and headed to Hollywood immediately after high school graduation.

Instead, she decided to try to make something of herself by heading off to college. And, in between classes at Howard University, to where she eventually transferred to study theatre, she made some spare cash by creating a pop-up beauty salon in her apartment. As she told Allure, "I knew how to hustle and make money. We used to do wet sets… I bought a hooded dryer, and I had my box of rollers. I could have gone to jail; I had no license whatsoever. But it was just my friends. They were like, 'Girl, hook me up.'" Talk about an entrepreneurial spirit!

Nowadays, Taraji doesn't have to worry about secretly doing someone else's hair and nails in her luxe home - instead, her glam squad comes to her to make sure she's looking fabulous for her various red carpet events.

She even has what she calls a "glam room" in her home where she can get back in touch with her beauty roots. We're definitely glad she decided to become an actress, but we have to say, we can definitely picture Taraji having her own beauty empire as well.

9 She's A Huge Shoe Lover (With A Shoe Closet We're Totally Jealous Of)

It's no secret that Taraji always shows up looking fabulous, whether she's walking the red carpet or just appearing on a talk show. She's a woman who has some major style - and while her outfit is always on point, there's one particular part of the fashion world that she's truly obsessed with. We're talking about shoes.

Just like everyone's favorite columnist Carrie Bradshaw, Taraji is a huge shoe lover and has an amazing closet. She could wax poetic for hours about shoes, and chatted with Glamour, saying "it's all about fit and how I feel. I love heels, sandals, and have some great flats. When I'm walking around in the city, I don't wear heels, but Cookie would. She does a lot of things that we wouldn't do. Trust me, she's my hero!"

And, she has a particular fondness for a certain iconic designer brand - Louboutins.

"I think I've put all of Christian Louboutin's kids through college! I bought three pairs just yesterday" she confesses. A woman after our own hearts! We would love nothing more than to sit down with Taraji in her shoe closet (maybe with a glass of wine) and go through her collection with the full, hilarious Taraji commentary.

8 She Almost Didn't Go To Her Benjamin Button Audition Because She Was Hosting A Garage Sale

While she's been upfront about the fact that she definitely didn't receive as much money for her part as her co-star Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, there's no denying that it was a major boost to her career. It showed her range as an actress and proved she could play nuanced characters and not solely women from a certain kind of neighborhood (although we'd dare you to say that Cookie isn't a complex, nuanced character!).

However, she almost didn't go to the audition at all, because she figured she would never get it!

She told her story to W magazine, saying that "I didn't take it seriously. I mean, they had Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt - why would they want me? I thought it was a runaround, and  I decided to hold an epic garage sale that day instead. I had mannequins. I had glasses with wig heads. I had champagne ready. And then my agent called and said 'Shut that garage door! [David] Fincher wants to see you!'" Luckily, Taraji ended up putting her garage sale on pause and heading over to the audition, where she ended up getting the part.

7 She's A Huge Animal Lover

Cookie might favor leopard print and crazy furs on screen, but in real life, Taraji would probably rather stay away from that kind of thing - she's a huge animal lover and is a big supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In fact, she even showed her support for the organization by appearing without any clothes in a 2011 advertisement with the slogan "I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur." And, she's completely obsessed with her new pup, pictured above. She's always posting pictures of her newest family member on Instagram and with a dog that cute, who can blame her?

It just goes to show that, even though she plays the often cold and calculating Cookie to perfection, in real life, Taraji is a big ol' softie. Cookie might be able to take a man down without a second thought, but Taraji wouldn't even hurt a fly. We totally love that she's using her voice to raise awareness for the things she believes in - being a celebrity has certain downsides, but the ability to have a larger platform from which to speak is definitely one of the major perks. She's able to give a voice to so many people whose voices aren't heard.

6 Her Middle Name Is Penda

To be totally honest, we're not exactly sure why Taraji P. Henson decides to go by the name with her middle initial, and not just by Taraji Henson. We highly doubt there's another Taraji Henson in the Screen Actors Guild, which is one of the main reasons actresses decide to switch their names or change them in some way when they reach Hollywood. Either way, though, while you've seen her name on all the projects she's worked on, you may never have known what exactly the P stands for.

It turns out, her full name is Taraji Penda Henson - talk about a gorgeous name!

And it's majorly inspiring, as well. In Swahili, her first name means "hope" and her middle name means "love." I mean, we couldn't pick a better name for her - she's always so full of positivity and is always showing her support for all her friends. The name definitely suits her. And, we have to admit, we sort of dig her decision - there's just something about having that middle initial that makes her name seem that much more epic, which is exactly the kind of thing you want your name to convey when you're a star trying to set yourself apart from the crowd!

5 She's A Published Author Of An Amazing, Intimate Memoir, 'Around The Way Girl'

Somehow, in between all the acting projects and amazing things she's been up to, Taraji found the time to sit down and write a book - and it certainly wasn't easy.

As Blavity.com reports, Taraji said that writing the book "was both horrifying and therapeutic. I remember when I got to the chapter about my son and my son's father. I was like, 'I can't. This is too much. I didn't want the world to know this.' I literally almost wrote the publishing company their check back. When I decided to write the book, it was pre-Cookie. So I was still under the radar a little bit and not as much in the forefront. It felt a little safer."

However, she admits that in the end, she was extremely happy she wrote the book she did.

Blaity.com reports: "Once Cookie became such a phenomenon, it was like all eyes on me, and I didn't know if I could take the pressure. I thought I was going to be judged, so I almost punked out, and that's not me. My makeup artist said 'you know God is doing this for a reason'… she recalibrated me. Once I finally wrote the book and I started getting feedback, it was doing exactly what I wanted it to do. I'm so glad I didn't punk out." We're glad too!

4 She's Smart With Her Money

Nowadays, Taraji is definitely staying in a nicer place than she did when she first moved to Los Angeles as a struggling single mom. But one thing is for sure - she's not one of those foolish celebrities throwing money away left and right. Sure, she might finally be earning some more substantial checks for her roles, but she knows that things could change in an instant, so she's not about to blow it all on silly luxuries.

According to blavity.com, she talked about her money mindset in her book, saying that "with my first big check, I paid off my student loans. I was running from that thing for like 6 years. I was like, 'Can I go to jail for deferment?' From there, I started building my credit. One thing was for sure: I wasn't going back to the hood." There are so, so many celebrities who are foolish with their money and end up losing it all for nothing, so we're happy that Taraji has a much more wise perspective on things. We can't help but wonder if her age has anything to do with it - unlike many starlets who start making major bank when they're teenagers, she didn't get successful until later in life, when she knew what it was like to struggle to pay bills.

3 One Of Her Relatives Helped Discover The North Pole

At this point, Taraji is pretty much guaranteed the most famous person in her family - after all, she's an A-List celebrity! However, it turns out that she's not the only famous Henson - at least, not if you take a look back in the history books. Apparently, according to Wonderwall, her cousin Matthew A. Henson, generations ago, helped to discover the North Pole.

Taraji is about as far from that world as you could possibly get, reading scripts and mastering characters in sunny Los Angeles, but it's still a pretty good detail to have in your family history. Perhaps that's the Henson she gets her adventurous spirit from - she seems like the type of person that would be willing to tackle just about any challenge. Who knows, maybe one day she'll join forces with some other talented creatives and make a movie about the North Pole discovery that features her cousin as one of the characters!

People love learning more about history on the big screen, and there's definitely something cinematically stunning about the snowy, harsh climate of the north. Sure, they've made plenty of movies set in the snow before, but why not add another to the mix? Heck, make the lead female and put Taraji right at the center of things!

2 She's Got Some Major Pipes

On Empire, while Cookie has an insane ear for music and is a master producer, she isn't an actual artist like her sons. However, that's not a choice the director and writers made because Taraji couldn't carry a tune - in fact, she's actually a super talented singer. She first started making some money based on her vocal skills back in her younger years, when she worked as a singing, dancing waitress on a dinner cruise ship. Then, one of her first major acting roles required some musical talent, when she added vocals to the track from Hustle & Flow that ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

She's got her hands pretty full with her role as Cookie at the moment, but once her schedule lightens up a bit, we really hope she tackles more opportunities that allow her to show off her talent at singing.

She has an amazing voice, so why not incorporate that? We're crossing our fingers that she ends up taking on a role as a rock star or old school diva at some point - and kind of musical twist, and we'd totally watch it. Who doesn't want to see Taraji belt out a hit on stage in front of an adoring crowd?

1 She's A Firm Believer In Supporting Other Women

Given how long it took her to climb to the top of the entertainment industry, you might assume that Taraji would want to make sure no other woman threatened her stardom - but the opposite is true. Taraji is a huge believer in supporting other women and even touched upon the subject in her book, Around The Way Girl.

"I never hate on other women," she wrote, according to Blavity.com. "You know why? We have so many burdens to bear: men break our hearts, we raise our kids and sometimes they break our hearts, this world is mean to us. Women are always fighting for this, fighting for that. I would never hate on another woman. Why would I give her that kind of pain? I see a woman doing good, I 'big' her up because God knows what it took for her to get there. Bigging her up doesn't take shine away from me. That's God saying: she knows her season's coming!… guess who I'm looking out for? My sisters. Because somebody did that for me. My dad always told me: if you're blessed, you go out into this world and you be a blessing."

We're obsessed with her amazing attitude about female sisterhood!

References: vogue.com, glamour.com, etcanada.com, boombeat.com, wmagazine.com, blavity.com