Dwight Henry

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Henry moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, when he was a young child. Having lived there through adulthood, he founded Henry's Bakery and Deli near his home in the historic Tremé neighborhood. The bakery was successful enough that Henry planned to open a second location of his store, until Hurricane Katrina changed his plans. Though he had no professional training or experience as an actor, the filmmakers of Beasts of the Southern Wild cast him in the film, while allowing him to operate his bakery regularly during shooting. Henry earned positive reviews for the film, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, but insists that his primary career is managing his bakery, now called the Buttermilk Drop Bakery. He agreed to open a second location of his store in Harlem in the near future. He continued his acting career and appeared in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). He will portray Marvin Gay, Sr., the father and killer of the late soul music icon Marvin Gaye in the biopic Sexual Healing.