The Insider.com

Currently starring in the CBS drama Person of Interest, this sexy actress was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Brad Pitt's mother in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Here are five things you probably don't know about Taraji P. Henson.

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1. Born Taraji Penda Henson on September 11, 1970 in Washington D.C. - her mother was a corporate manager and her father a janitor.

2. Her first and middle names are Swahili for "expect" and "love."

3. Earned money for arts school by working as a secretary at the Pentagon during the day and as a singing/dancing waitress on a dinner cruise ship at night.

4. Among her first jobs in showbiz were roles on the TV series Smart Guy, ER and The Division.

5. Made her singing debut in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow, providing vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp, which ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song.