# Stephen McKinley Henderson

Stephen McKinley Henderson is an American actor. Henderson trained at Juilliard School for acting and later became a resident member of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis from 1976 to 1981. He came to prominence as a character actor often performing the plays of August Wilson. He has received nominations for two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Vulture named Henderson as one of "The 32 Greatest Character Actors Working Today".
Henderson made his Broadway debut in Wilson's King Hedley II in 2001. He later earned Tony Award nominations for his performances in Wilson's Fences in 2010 and Stephen Adly Guirgis's Between Riverside and Crazy in 2023. He also acted in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun in 2014. He made his film debut in A Pleasure Doing Business (1979) and has since appeared in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), Lincoln (2012), Fences (2016), Manchester by the Sea (2016), Lady Bird (2017), Dune (2021), Causeway (2022), Beau Is Afraid (2023), and Civil War (2024).
His television debut came in 1984 in PBS's The Killing Floor. He has since appeared in Law & Order (1995–2010), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2005–2006), The Newsroom (2013), The Blacklist (2018), Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019–2020), and Devs (2020).

## Early life and education

Henderson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Ruby Naomi and Elihue Henderson. He spent a year at Lincoln University, Missouri and was originally part of Group 1 at the Juilliard School Drama Division before he left. He finished his BFA in Acting at the North Carolina School of the Arts (1972). He later studied at Purdue University where he received his Master of Arts in Theatre (1977). He also spent summer sessions at Rose Bruford College in London and William Esper Studios in New York City.

## Career
### Stage

Henderson is known mostly for his stage work. He won the 2015 Obie Award for Best Actor for his starring role of Walter "Pops" Washington in the Atlantic Theatre Company and Second Stage productions of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Between Riverside and Crazy. He portrayed Jim Bono in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, starring Denzel Washington, for which Henderson received a nomination for a Tony Award as a supporting actor, as well as the Richard Seff Award from Actor's Equity. He reprised the role in Washington's 2016 film adaptation.
On Broadway, he performed in Drowning Crow, the revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and the premiere of King Hedley II. Henderson is recognized as a veteran performer of August Wilson's oeuvre.
His signature August Wilson role is the gossipy Turnbo in Jitney, for which he won a Drama Desk Award as part of the ensemble. He had created the role in the 1996 premiere at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, then honed it in other regional theaters before its arrival Off-Broadway in 2000. Though it did not transfer to Broadway, he and the core of the cast took Jitney to London, where it won the 2002 Olivier Award for best new play. In addition, he appeared in A Raisin in the Sun and directed Zooman and the Sign.
In 2005 Henderson appeared as Pontius Pilate in the production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman at the Public Theater. He appeared as Van Helsing in the Broadway production of Dracula, the Musical.
In 2023, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lucille Lortel Awards ceremony.

### Screen

Henderson's films include his role as Cooper's husband in the TV movie Marie (1985), Bobo in A Raisin in the Sun (1989), Arthur in Everyday People (2004), Lester in the film Tower Heist (2011), White House servant William Slade in Steven Spielberg's film Lincoln (2012), along with roles in the films Keane (2004), If You Could Say It in Words (2008),
In 2016, Henderson appeared in Kenneth Lonergan's film Manchester by the Sea, starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, playing the boss of Affleck's character. The following year, he played the role of Father Leviatch in Greta Gerwig's 2017 film Lady Bird, and in 2021 appeared in Dune (2021).
In addition to his films, Henderson was a series regular on the FOX series New Amsterdam, which premiered in early 2008. His other television work includes Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Newsroom, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Third Watch, Blue Bloods, and Devs.

## Personal life

Henderson is married to Pamela Reed and have a child together.

## Filmography
### Film

Key :
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1979 | A Pleasure Doing Business | Bank teller | |
| 1985 | Marie | Cooper's husband | |
| 2004 | Everyday People | Arthur | |
| 2004 | Keane | Garage employee | |
| 2006 | Waltzing Anna | Pete | |
| 2008 | If You Could Say It in Words | Baseball fan | |
| 2009 | The Good Heart | Psychiatrist | |
| 2011 | Tower Heist | Lester | |
| 2011 | Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close | Walt the locksmith | |
| 2012 | Red Hook Summer | Deacon Yancy | |
| 2012 | Lincoln | William Slade | |
| 2014 | Da Sweet Blood of Jesus | Deacon Yancy | |
| 2014 | The Romans | Birdman | |
| 2016 | Manchester by the Sea | Mr. Emery | |
| 2016 | The American Side | Stickney | |
| 2016 | All at Once | Robert | |
| 2016 | Fences | Jim Bono | |
| 2017 | Lady Bird | Father Leviatch | |
| 2019 | Native Son | Mr. Green | |
| 2019 | The True Adventures of Wolfboy | Nicholas | |
| 2020 | Bruised | Pops | |
| 2021 | Dune | Thufir Hawat | |
| 2022 | Causeway | Dr. Lucas | |
| 2023 | Beau Is Afraid | Therapist | |
| 2024 | Dune: Part Two | Thufir Hawat | Film scenes that were later excluded from the final version. |
| 2024 | Civil War | Sammy | |
| 2025 | The Dutchman † | TBA | Post-production |
| 2025 | Good Fortune † | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1984 | The Killing Floor | James Cheeks | Television film |
| 1989 | A Raisin in the Sun | Bobo | Television film |
| 1995–2010 | Law & Order | Judge Marc Kramer | 7 episodes |
| 1995 | New York News | Sherman Wakes | Episode: "Fun City" |
| 2000 | Third Watch | Boudreaux | Episode: "Know Thyself" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Abernathy | Episode: "The Faithful" |
| 2005–2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Judge Bernard | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Conviction | Judge | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | New Amsterdam | Omar York | Main cast, 8 episodes |
| 2008 | Brotherhood | | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Fred Jones | Episode: Father's Day |
| 2012 | Blue Bloods | Judge Harlan Haywood | Episode: "Reagan V. Reagan" |
| 2012 | The Newsroom | Solomon Hancock | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Elementary | Groundskeeper Edison | Episode: "One Way to Get Off" |
| 2017 | Survivor's Remorse | Solomon | Episode: "Future Plans" |
| 2018 | The Resident | Darryl Phillips | Episode: "The Elopement" |
| 2018 | The Blacklist | Dr. Francis Woerner | Episode: "Nicholas T. Moore (No. 110)" |
| 2018 | Strangers | Billy Caldwell | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Fear the Walking Dead | Clayton | Episode: "Blackjack" |
| 2019 | Proven Innocent | Judge Fry | Episode: "Acceptable Losses" |
| 2019–2021 | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Uncle Hollis | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Devs | Stewart | Miniseries; 8 episodes |
| 2020 | Run | John | Episode: "Run" |
| 2024 | Extended Family | Dr. Eldridge Davenport | Episode: "The Consequences of Gaming" |
| 2024 | The Madness | Isiah | Miniseries |
| 2024 | A Man on the Inside | Calbert Graham | 5 episodes |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Venue |
| 1986 | A Raisin in the Sun | Bobo | Union Square Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1994 | Zooman and the Sign | Emmett Tate | McGinn/Cazale Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2000 | Jitney | Turnbo | Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway |
| 2001 | King Hedley II | Stool Pigeon | Virginia Theatre, Broadway |
| 2003 | Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Slow Drag | Royale Theatre, Broadway |
| 2004 | Drowning Crow | Sammy Bow | Biltmore Theatre, Broadway |
| 2004–2005 | Dracula, the Musical | Abraham Van Helsing | Belasco Theatre, Broadway |
| 2005 | The Last Days of Judas Iscariot | Pontius Pilate/Uncle Pino | The Public Theater, Off-Broadway |
| 2006 | Seven Guitars | Red Carter | Peter Norton Space, Off-Broadway |
| 2007 | King Hedley II | Elmore | Peter Norton Space, Off-Broadway |
| 2010 | Fences | Jim Bono | Cort Theatre, Broadway |
| 2014 | A Raisin in the Sun | Bobo | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway |
| 2014 | Between Riverside and Crazy | Walter "Pops" Washington | Linda Gross Theater, Off-Broadway |
| 2015 | Between Riverside and Crazy | Walter "Pops" Washington | Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway |
| 2017 | A Doll's House, Part 2 | Torvald Helmer | John Golden Theatre, Broadway |
| 2022–2023 | Between Riverside and Crazy | Walter "Pops" Washington | Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2000 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Ensemble Performance | Jitney | Won |
| 2010 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Fences | Nominated |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Between Riverside and Crazy | Nominated |
| 2015 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Between Riverside and Crazy | Nominated |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Between Riverside and Crazy | Nominated |
| 2015 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play | Between Riverside and Crazy | Won |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | Fences | Nominated |
| 2017 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | Lady Bird | Nominated |
| 2023 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Play | Between Riverside and Crazy | Nominated |
| 2023 | Lucille Lortel Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Award | Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award | Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |