Barry Shabaka Henley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barry Shabaka Henley
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Henley in 2011
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Barry Joseph Henley
September 15, 1954 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
Barry Shabaka Henley (born Barry Joseph Henley on September 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for playing many different kinds of characters in movies and TV shows. He has worked often with director Michael Mann. From 2019 to 2024, he was a main actor in the TV show Bob Hearts Abishola on CBS, where he played Uncle Tunde.
His stage name, Shabaka, comes from an ancient Pharaoh of Egypt. This pharaoh ruled a long time ago, from 721 to 707 BC.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Barry Shabaka Henley was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother was a dance teacher. He often went with her to watch dance shows. When he was a child, his family moved to San Francisco. He went to San Francisco Polytechnic High School there.
Henley had his first real audition when he was 17 years old. He heard that a theater needed an actor for a certain role. He got the script and thought he might not be right for the part. But on the bus ride home, he decided to memorize the lines. He spent several years acting on stage before he started working in movies and TV. He even performed with the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
Acting Career Highlights
Henley started his screen acting career at age 37. His first TV appearance was in a pilot show called Clippers.
He has played many memorable characters in films. In the movie Ali, he played Jabir Herbert Muhammad. He was a kind jazz musician in Collateral. He also appeared in How Stella Got Her Groove Back as Buddy in 1998. In 2004, he worked with director Steven Spielberg in The Terminal. There, he played a U.S. Customs Officer at an airport. He also played Lieutenant Martin Castillo in the 2006 movie Miami Vice. In 2016, he was in the film Paterson.
On television, Henley has been in many series. He was a regular in Robbery Homicide Division and Barbershop. From 2009 to 2010, he played FBI Agent Vreede in FlashForward. In 2015, he played a police detective in Better Call Saul, which is a spin-off from Breaking Bad. In 2019, Henley joined the cast of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. This show is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He played Dr. Marcus Benson.
From 2019 to 2024, Henley was a main actor on the CBS TV show Bob Hearts Abishola. He played Uncle Tunde, a beloved character.
As a stage actor, Barry Shabaka Henley has won several important awards. These include the Drama Desk, Obie, and Olivier Awards. He was also a member of the West Coast Black Repertory Theatre.
Film Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Fear of a Black Hat | Geoffrey Lennox | |
| What's Love Got to Do with It | El Paso Doctor | ||
| The Thing Called Love | Reverend Raymond | ||
| 1994 | The Scout | McDermott | |
| 1995 | Destiny Turns on the Radio | Dravec | |
| Lord of Illusions | Dr. Toffler | ||
| Devil in a Blue Dress | Woodcutter | ||
| 1998 | Fallen | Uniformed Cop | |
| Bulworth | Man at Frankie's | ||
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Buddy | ||
| Rush Hour | Bobby | ||
| Patch Adams | Emmet | ||
| 1999 | Life | Pokerface | |
| 2001 | Ali | Jabir Herbert Muhammad | |
| 2004 | The Terminal | Officer Thurman | |
| Collateral | Daniel | ||
| 2005 | Four Brothers | Councilman Douglas | |
| Shackles | Virgil | Direct-to-video | |
| 2006 | Miami Vice | Castillo | |
| 2009 | Horsemen | Tuck | |
| State of Play | Gene Stavitz | ||
| Streets of Blood | Captain Friendly | Direct-to-video | |
| 2010 | The Dry Land | Col. Stephen Evans | |
| Virginia | Willie | ||
| 2011 | The Big Year | Dr. Neil Kramer | |
| 2012 | Stolen | Reginald | |
| 2013 | Water & Power | Preacher Broyard | |
| Carrie | Principal Morton | ||
| 2016 | Paterson | Doc | |
| 2017 | Mad Families | Pops | |
| Lucky | Joe | ||
| 2018 | Office Uprising | Clarence | |
| A Star Is Born | Little Feet | ||
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Demond |
Television Appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1992 | The Royal Family | Willis Tillis | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 1992–1994 | Roc | Ernie | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 1993 | Johnny Bago | Detective Venezia | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | ER | Detective | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | Charlie | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Horrible Looking Giant #1 (voice) | 1 episode |
| 1995 | The Client | Linton Bell | 1 episode |
| 1995; 2004 | NYPD Blue | Roger Billings/Archie Day | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Malcolm & Eddie | Mr. Derian | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Sparks | Stan Lawrence | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Duckman | Additional voices | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Brooklyn South | Mr. Anders | 1 episode |
| 2000 | The Steve Harvey Show | Tom Cunningham | 1 episode |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Delmar Forchette | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Oz | Lieutenant Schmand | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Crossing Jordan | Omar Maltese | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Providence | Mr. Adams | 1 episode |
| 2002–2003 | Robbery Homicide Division | Sgt. Albert Simms | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Asante Odufemi | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Shakey Winfield | Television film |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Mr. Patterson | 1 episode |
| 2005–2006 | Close to Home | Detective Lou Drummer | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | Barbershop | Eddie | Main role, 10 episodes |
| 2006 | Numbers | Coach Grady | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Hustle | Thomas Jackson | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Heroes | Detective Bryan Fuller | 4 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | FlashForward | Agent Shelly Vreede | Recurring role, 13 episodes |
| 2010 | The Good Guys | Dr. Vincent Olson | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Lie to Me | Al Chapman | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Fairly Legal | Agent Donovan | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Luck | Parole Officer | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | Veep | Fast Food Executive | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Shameless | Judge Glen Aufseeser | Episode: "A Long Way from Home" |
| 2013 | Remember Sunday | Baptiste | Television film |
| 2013 | The Crazy Ones | Pete | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Better Call Saul | Detective Sanders | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Extant | Senator Gabel | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Black-ish | T Jackson | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Unforgettable | Leo Hackett | 1 episode |
| 2016 | NCIS: New Orleans | Baton Rouge Detective Todd Lamont | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Elementary | Wendell Hecht | 1 episode |
| 2017 | NCIS | Earl Goddard | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Captain Jackson #3 / Female Captain Jackson #8 | 2 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Bosch | Terry Drake | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2019 | Station 19 | Oscar Delgado | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Dr. Marcus Benson | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2019–2024 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Babatunde "Tunde" Olatunji | Main role, 80 episodes (season 1–4) Recurring role, 6 episodes (season 5) |
| 2019 | Black Jesus | Judge Horation Homey | 1 episode |
| 2025 | Forever | George | Recurring role |
| TBA | Death by Lightning | Blanche Bruce | Upcoming miniseries |
See also
In Spanish: Barry Shabaka Henley para niños
