| Stephen Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephen McKinley Henderson August 31, 1949 Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
Stephen McKinley Henderson (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor.
Henderson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Ruby Naomi and Elihue Henderson.[1] He was originally part of Group 1 of the Juilliard Drama School, later finishing his degree at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He later studied at Rose Bruford College in England.[2]
Henderson is known for his role as Arthur in the acclaimed HBO film, Everyday People.[3] Other film credits include Lester in the 2011 film Tower Heist, Bobo in the 1989 version of A Raisin in the Sun, Cooper's husband in the 1985 movie Marie, and roles in the films Keane (2004) and If You Could Say It in Words (2008). In addition to his films, Henderson was a recurring character Omar on the FOX series New Amsterdam, which premiered in early 2008.
Henderson is known mostly for his stage work. Most recently, he portrayed Jim Bono in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences starring Denzel Washington for which Henderson received a Tony nomination as a supporting actor. He also received the Richard Seff Award from Actor's Equity for that performance. Previously, he appeared as Van Helsing in the Broadway production of Dracula, the Musical. On Broadway, he has also performed in Drowning Crow, the revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and King Hedley II. Henderson is especially recognized as a veteran performer of August Wilson's ouvre.[4]
Off-Broadway work includes creating the role of Turnbo in Jitney, for which he won a Drama Desk Award. In addition, he appeared in A Raisin in the Sun and Zooman and the Sign. With the LAByrinth Theatre Company, he portrayed Pontius Pilate in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
Television work includes Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and Third Watch.[5]
His work as an actor, director, and educator has been documented in the book, Acting Teachers of America, and also in the Oxford University Press African American National Biography. He currently teaches in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, NY.