Taraji P. Henson is a television actor.
Taraji Penda Henson ( [ tə ` rɑːdʒi ] ; born September 11 , 1970 ) is an American actress and author . She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest-roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy ( 2001 ) . From 2011 to 2013 , she co-starred as Detective Jocelyn Carter in the CBS drama Person of Interest , for which she won an NAACP Image Award .