Henry Simmons was born in Stamford, Connecticut, as one of three children to Aurelia, a dedicated school teacher, and Henry Simmons, Sr., a diligent IRS agent. Interestingly, he shares a twin sister. Simmons's academic accomplishments earned him a prestigious basketball scholarship to Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. He graduated with a degree in business and initially worked for a financial firm in Stamford. However, he soon realized that this profession was not his calling and decided to pursue his passion for acting.
He relocated to New York City to hone his craft and pursue a career in acting. His first acting role was in the movie Above the Rim (1994),starring the legendary Tupac Shakur. Simmons made his television debut in a 1994 Saturday Night Live (1975) skit, which starred the talented Martin Lawrence. He then secured numerous guest star roles on television, roles in film, and made his New York theater debut in William Inge's "Boy In The Basement". After six years of working in New York, he moved to Los Angeles to explore more opportunities.
Throughout his career, Simmons has made significant appearances in various television shows and films, including the popular "NYPD Blue" for six seasons, the CBS drama "Shark", and the critically acclaimed series "Bones" (2005),"The Cleaner" (2008),"Raising the Bar" (2008),and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (2013). Most recently, he took on the lead role in the Ava DuVernay series, "Cherish The Day".
