Taraji P. Henson is known for her roles as Cookie on the long-running family drama Empire and in movies including Hustle & Flow, Hidden Figures, Think Like a Man, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, among others.
Get ready to see more of Henson: the 51-year-old actress plays the school teacher Janine Teague’s (Quinta Brunson) mother Vanetta on the hit ABC school teacher comedy Abbott Elementary.
In the episode ‘Mom,’ Janine’s plan for a Memorial Day weekend solo trip is derailed when her mother shows up unannounced asking for help. Watch Vanetta sneak into her daughter’s classroom, rocking a pair of Versace hot pink floral pants. When one of Janine’s students addresses Vanetta as Granny Teagues, she corrects the child with a smile and says, “I’m nobody’s granny.”
Get ready to see more of Henson: she’s playing Shug Avery in the upcoming musical movie The Color Purple, which is based on the Broadway play, which was based on Alice Walker’s award-winning novel. The film is scheduled for a Christmas Day, December 25, 2023 release.
Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on ABC.
