The CSI Character Everyone Forgets Taraji P. Henson Played

Taraji P. Henson is among Hollywood's most prominent stars. Regardless of the role, the Golden Globe winner has a keen talent for keeping the audience enthralled. This can even be seen in her earlier works, like the 2006 "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" episode "I Like to Watch." The upsetting Season 6 episode shows Henson giving a harrowing performance as real estate agent Christina, a sexual assault survivor grappling with the fact that she initially can't recount details regarding a terrifying assailant's depraved actions toward her.

When she wakes wearing a hospital gown, the real estate agent realizes she is injured, causing her to sob. The already upsetting situation escalates when Christina discovers the documentary crime series "Hard Crime" caught her extremely vulnerable state on tape without her consent. Toward the end of the "CSI" episode, Christina allows the "Hard Crime" cameras to roll as she recounts aspects of the attack. She explains she wants the assailant to bear witness to the harm he has done once he gets caught. "He'll watch it in jail," says the interviewer. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Taraji P. Henson opened up about her early career in a December 2023 interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The actress explained that she decided to attempt to make it big upon seeing her Howard University classmate Paula Jai Parker in the 1995 film "Tales from the Hood." After taking home her theater arts degree, Henson moved to Los Angeles with her then-1-year-old son, Marcell Johnson, and secured a job at a temp agency while going to auditions. The actress recalled thinking, "I have a baby now, so I have to set up shop, if you will. I have to be able to pay the bills, put food on the table."

Henson also explained how she has chosen to portray each one of her countless characters. She never wants to reduce any individual she plays to negative clichés. "I play these characters, and I'm very particular about the characters I pick because these are women that, if not handled properly, they just come off as stereotypes," said the actress.

She also stated that she feels the need to fully understand her characters. "I go real deep because it's important. If I don't connect, how will the audience connect?" asked the mother of one.