Image: Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington
Derrick A. King, an adjunct instructor in Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, will appear opposite Howard alumna Taraji P. Henson in Tyler Perry’s ‘Why Did I Get Married Again?’, which premieres on Netflix on September 9. King plays Nick, a new character in the third film of Perry’s comedy-drama franchise.
The role is King’s most high-profile project to date and arrives as he balances his acting career with teaching Howard students. He teaches Intro to TV and Film, drawing on his experience in the entertainment industry to address both performance and the practical demands of building a career as an actor.
In the film, King’s Nick is connected to Henson’s character, Roselyn. The production also features returning franchise cast members Jill Scott, Richard T. Jones, Tasha Smith, Sharon Leal, Michael Jai White, Lamman Rucker and Perry, while King and Henson are joining the series for the new installment. The film was shot primarily in Lake Como, Italy, in September 2025, with additional filming in Atlanta.
King said the opportunity could prove career-altering. “I really feel it’s going to be life-changing, definitely career-altering,” he told Howard’s news publication. “I’m playing opposite Taraji P. Henson. I’m still wrapping my head around that.” He described being selected by Perry as an honour and said he hoped the film would establish him within what he called the “Tyler Perry universe.”
The project also connects King with Henson, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Howard in 1995. King said the two did not have much time to work together during the brief shoot, but that Henson congratulated him and spoke about the significance of his teaching role at her alma mater. Their shared Howard connection provided an immediate point of familiarity during their first meeting.
King joined Howard after being invited to apply for the teaching position in spring 2025. His route into acting included years as a background actor, work in television series including ‘4400’, ‘Run the World’, ‘The Game’ and ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’, and teaching more than 100 students through his Actors Rampage studio while living in Los Angeles. He also maintains a corporate job as an analyst manager.
His approach in the classroom centres on helping students identify what makes them distinctive while learning to inhabit characters. “Often in this industry, if you don’t know who you are, they’re going to tell you who you are,” King said. “The only thing that nobody can be in this world better than you is you.” He draws on that experience in his 2026 book, ‘The Acting Book I Wish I Had: Lessons Navigating the Industry Alone’, published by Collective Castle and structured in five acts to reflect the progression of an acting career.
King’s connection to Howard began before his appointment. He was introduced to the College of Fine Arts through the university’s 2024 Acting and Musical Theatre Showcase, where he met Howard professor Eric Ruffin after attending with alumnus Mark McKinnon. He now teaches students at the institution, which has also counted Henson among its graduates and was the undergraduate home of actor Chadwick A. Boseman.
