Meet Halima Henderson | Actor and Teaching Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Halima Henderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Halima, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
Quitting a stable full-time corporate job with benefits and a 401k. It was a fun and exciting job working for a nationally televised, iconic Thanksgiving Day parade. I started as a temp in a position that was only supposed to last 8 weeks! 8 years of parades and firework shows later, I was still there! I had also gone through three of the most challenging years of my life personally, and lost my Mom to cancer like far too many people experience. The job started with lots of flexibility to audition and perform, and allowed me to take time off and be home in Michigan with my Mom. I will forever be grateful for that, but with my growing experience in large event planning, so did my obligations. The job no longer afforded me the time or brain space to work towards a career as a working actor. I took a leap of faith, and left that job on the Fourth of July to enter a yoga teacher certification program. And I haven’t looked back since! Ok, that’s not necessarily true, they always say don’t burn bridges. I was happy to come out of parade “retirement”, and was asked to come back during the pandemic to prepare for the parade. And that time, it was a true 8 week stint!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am very much a working actor. And all the hats (actor, mentor, producer, teaching artist, yoga instructor, freelance event producer) I wear prove it. A career in the arts is not easy. Especially as a Black actor. In the beginning, I did a lot thinking that I needed to be able to assimilate into what I saw on stage and screen. DRAMA! TEARS! SHAKESPEARE! It wasn’t until I saw a casting notice in Backstage for a play written by an upcoming writer. The role was for a very quirky, Black female. I COULD NOT believe it. Awkward characters had always been my favorite to work on, but so rarely were they written for Black women. That show changed the way I looked at myself, how I thought about comedy and the type of work that is most exciting for me to work on. While you can’t overcome every challenge in one production, every show has helped me to grow, and the lesson I have learned in my years of working professionally in NYC is you have to trust your own magic. It’s enough, and if you do the work, and can be courageous and vulnerable to share your own brand of magic, the opportunities will come. This little career that I am building has been a long road, no overnight success over here, but I am proud to still be here and loving every time I get to bring words off a page.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Upstate Manhattan, above Washington Heights but just below Inwood. Loads of trees and nature up here and not as much foot traffic as Midtown Manhattan. I would take friends to visit Fort Tryon Park, which is my FAVORITE park in the City. After a trek up to the Cloisters, we’d visit Uptown Garrison for a good meal and a fun cocktail. If friends have never seen the City, a quick ferry ride on Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, some ice cream at Ample Hills in Brooklyn after walking the bridge . A bicycle ride around Governor’s Island with a nap in the hammocks and if we could squeeze it in, a trip out to the Rockaways by ferry for some great beach time and the best boardwalk fare at Rippers at Beach 86!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Building a career as an actor takes a village! I am so lucky to have a community of friends that rushed to support me when I left my full-time job! They employed me at their jobs doing part-time work, and more than a few them helped me to book my first corporate (read: well paid) yoga teaching jobs. One of my friends led me to the non-profit that I teach for, Opening Act. I originally started at Opening Act because the then executive director was college friends with a good friend of mine. That ED needed a stand-in for a celebrity, who I had been friends with. I was hooked after one day in the rehearsal room and was asked if I had every considered being a theater teaching artist. I had being interested in working in a classroom, but had NO IDEA where to begin. Thankfully, Opening Act took a chance on me. I can wholeheartedly say that without this organization, I WOULD NOT BE ACTING. There is something about teaching young people daily to dream big and put actions behind their goals that really builds a fire in your own belly! Teenagers call bullshit quick, so I had to practice what I preach and get out there. I have been teaching youth development through theater education in under resourced NYC Public Schools through Opening Act for 8 years and it is one of the biggest and most rewarding thrills of my professional life. The gifted, motivated, thoughtful, and talented artists of Opening Act deserve a huge shoutout!

Website: halimahenderson.com

Instagram: @halimahenderson

Twitter: @halimahenderson

Other: IMDB @halimahenderson

Image Credits
For headshots: Jovani Demetrie