Who played Janine's mom in Abbott Elementary? Actor's career and notable projects explored

Quinta Brunson’s show Abbott Elementary is in its fourth season after three successful seasons. The show has garnered audiences' love and has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.2 on IMDB. This documentary-style sitcom focuses on a Philadelphia school, Willard R. Abbott Elementary, and the lives of teachers working there.

Apart from Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary also stars talented actors like Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, and Janelle James. Every season we also get to see popular actors guest-starring in this mockumentary sitcom. One of them was Taraji. P. Henson, who played the character of Vanetta Teagues, mom of Qunita Brunson’s Janine Teagues.

The episode was titled Mom and aired on April 12, 2023. Brunson’s Janine and her mom, Henson’s Venetta’s relationship is described as a complicated one. Her quirky nature and exuberant vibes are literally opposite to what Janine appears to be. While talking to The Wrap, Henson revealed that she was already a fan of the show. She further added:

“This is literally what I’ve been wanting to do for 20-something-odd years.”

Abbott Elementary isn’t the only achievement of this Academy Award-nominated actress. In her more than three-decade-long Hollywood career, Henson has been part of many great movies and shows.

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Who is Taraji P. Henson? The actress's career and notable projects explored

Taraji P. Henson gained prominence from her role as Yvette in the film Baby Boy (2001). This role gave her initial attention as a budding actress in Hollywood. The other early films she has appeared in are Streetwise and Hair Show. The 2005 movie Hustle And Flow is one of her early notable projects where she played the role of a good-hearted prostitute named Shug.

But her breakthrough role came when she portrayed the character of Queenie, the adoptive mother of Brad Pitt’s character, Benjamin Button, in the movie The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008). This role earned Henson an Academy Award nomination. Another role for which she was praised is Katherine Johnson in the movie Hidden Figures (2016). Her most recent role is in the popular movie The Color Purple (2023), where she played the role of Shug Avery.

Apart from movies, Taraji P. Henson has also garnered critical praise and awards for her television roles. For her role as Cookie Lyon in the show Empire (2015-2020), she won her first Golden Globe Award and many Emmy Award nominations for the role. Her role as Vanetta Teagues was loved by the viewers of Abbott Elementary. She has also appeared in shows like Person Of Interest (2011-2013) and most recently in the miniseries Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist as Vivian Thomas.

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More about Taraji P. Henson

As previously mentioned, Taraji P. Henson’s career, spanning more than three decades, has allowed her to achieve many feats as an actress from a minority community. Other than working in films and television, she has also written an autobiography, Around The Way Girl, which is a memoir released in 2016 that was an instant hit with readers.

She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019 and has been on the list of Time’s 100 most influential people around the world twice, in 2016 and 2024.

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Catch season 4 of Abbott Elementary on ABC Network.