Taraji P. Henson is an actor.
Taraji Penda Henson ( [ tə ` rɑːdʒi ] ; born September 11 , 1970 ) is an American actress and author . Henson has also had an extensive career in television in series such as The Division , Boston Legal and Eli Stone . The Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and starring Bonnie Bedelia . The Karate Kid (2010 film) . The plot concerns 12-year-old Dre ( Smith ) from Detroit , Michigan who moves to Beijing , China with his mother ( Taraji P. Henson ) and runs afoul of the neighborhood bully ( Zhenwei Wang ) .