Tyler Perry praises Sinbad taking on his first role since stroke 5 years ago

Nearly five years after suffering a major stroke, Sinbad has made his return to the silver screen.

The 68-year-old actor and comedian makes his return to acting in Tyler Perry’s Straw. Sinbad, who real name is David Adkins, stars alongside Taraji P. Henson,  Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Glynn Turman, and Rockmond Dunbar in the whodunnit thriller that premieres on Netflix June 6.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight during a screening of the film in New York City on Tuesday, Perry praised the Coneheads star for his resilience after a “really difficult” time.

“It’s so important to me, as a man, that men want to support and take care of their families,” Perry, 55, told the outlet. “I know it’s been really difficult for him, so to give him this opportunity made me feel amazing. I’m really excited for him. And he delivered.”

Sinbad suffered an ischemic stroke in October 2020. At the time, his family released a statement sharing that he had suffered a stroke due to a blood clot traveling from his heart to his brain, and they were “faithful and optimistic that he will bring laughter into our hearts soon.”

Two years after the health scare, the Jingle All the Way star’s family posted a photo of him learning how to walk again on Instagram. At the time, the family said in a statement, “He continues to receive therapy, fighting for every inch. His progress is nothing short of remarkable.”

The comedian has made virtual and in-person appearances since then, including a virtual appearance at the A Different World HBCU College Tour event in March 2024 to join his fellow castmates from the beloved sitcom to raise money for HBCU scholarships and encourage enrollment.

Two months after that, he took the stage at the Netflix is a Joke Presents: Sinbad Tribute Show at the YouTube Theater in L.A. Hosted by Doug E. Fresh, the tribute show benefited the Sinbad Special Needs Trust, and featured comedic performances from Deon Cole, D.L. Hughley, Byron Allen, Mark Curry and DJ Trauma.

Now, Sinbad is taking another leap in his recovery with his role as Benny in Straw. The Netflix film follows Janiyah (Henson), a struggling single mother caught up in a chaotic conspiracy that forces her to make impossible choices to care for her sick daughter.

“This one is a thriller, and I’ve never done a thriller with Tyler, so I was interested in that,” Henson previously told Entertainment Weekly of the film. “There’s a twist that happens that you don’t see coming — a whodunnit, in a sense. I can’t give away too much, so I’m trying to talk around it, but there’s some crazy twists and turns in there that’ll take you by surprise, that absolutely take the character by surprise.”

Henson was struck by how Straw “showcases how easy it is for people in a vulnerable position to be disregarded or disenfranchised by a system that is supposed to protect them.”

“That seems to be still an ongoing thing in society today,” she added. “I often see people having mental breakdowns on Instagram, and people post it in jest or making fun of it, but I’m like, at the end of the day, was that person treated like trash, or were they treated like a human who needed help? So I’m always interested in that, and that’s what I found very interesting about playing this character. This woman is just trying to make it through her day and take care of her child by herself, with all the odds stacked against her. I’ve been there before.”

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The knowledge that “we’re all one paycheck away” from becoming Janiyah is something that Henson said she hopes inspires empathy in viewers after seeing everything she goes through on screen.

“That’s why I’ve made it a mission of mine to actually see people,” she says. “I was a struggling mom before. I remember when all I could afford was Hamburger Helper meals. It wasn’t hard for me to reach back to those memories. It makes me grateful for all of that I’ve accomplished, for sure.”

Straw arrives on Netflix Friday, June 6.