Quick Facts
Biography
Barry Shabaka Henley (born Barry Joseph Henley; September 15, 1954) is an American character actor. Henley is a fixture in many films, most often the films of director Michael Mann, having worked with the director five times.
Life and career
Born Barry Joseph Henley in New Orleans, Louisiana, Barry came somewhat late to acting, with his first appearance at the age of 37 in the unsold television pilot Clippers.
Henley played Herbert Muhammad in Ali, where he appeared with film stars Will Smith and Jamie Foxx. In Collateral, where he appeared again with Foxx and film co-star Tom Cruise, he portrayed a sensitive jazz musician living on borrowed time. He also starred in Steven Spielberg's The Terminal. In Miami Vice, Henley succeeded Edward James Olmos as superior officer, Lt. Martin Castillo, once again with film co-star Foxx along with Colin Farrell. He also appeared in the short-lived television series, Robbery Homicide Division and Barbershop. From 2009 to 2010, he played the recurring character of FBI Agent Vreede in FlashForward, an ABC television series. He also played Buddy in the 1998 film, How Stella Got Her Groove Back. In 1999 Henley supplied the role of Pokerface in the Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence film Life. In 2010, Shabaka played the character Dr. Olson in the season 3 Lie to Me episode "Veronica". As a stage actor, Henley's honors include the Drama Desk, Obie, and Olivier Awards. He was also a member of the West Coast Black Repertory Theatre and the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
In 2011, Henley appeared as the murderer in Body of Proof episode "Letting Go" and in 2012 he reunited with Michael Mann for the TV series Luck, to play the role of a parole officer.
His stage name, Shabaka, is taken from a Pharaoh from Egypt's 25th dynasty, who ruled from 721-707 BC.