If you ask Brian Tyree Henry About taking a free time, he laughs.
Since he came out as a boi paper rapper in The FX series “Atlanta” It has become one of Hollywood’s busiest actors. He has constantly worked, with directors such as Barry Jenkins, Steve McQueen and Chloe Zhao and renowned actors such as Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Hemsworth and Melissa McCarthy. Henry has been nominated for two Emmy star awards, a Tony award And an Oscar.
His last role is in the limited series “Dope Thief” for Apple TV+ Premiering Friday. Henry and Wagner Moura play Ray and Manny, two lifelong friends in Philadelphia who pose federal agents, making false raids to steal drugs and money. It is a series of easy scores to follow the wrong people and become the goal.
“At the time Wagner and I met, it was an instant electricity … We felt that we knew all our lives,” said Henry. “That is exactly what you needed for Ray and Manny.”
The first episode was directed by Ridley ScottAnd the series was created and written by Peter Craig, adapted from a novel by Dennis Tafoya.
Craig describes Henry’s versatility as an actor as “as a jazz musician … is fantastic for a writer, because you can throw all kinds of additional moments, and he will incorporate and use them all.”
When the opportunity to star in “Dope Thief” arose, Henry was ready for that expected rest, from television. He wrapped “Atlanta” and had “approximately two days off” before entering another FX show, “Class of ’09”, where he performed the past, the present and future of a character, and was exhausted.
“Television is difficult, you know? As, I listen to complaining about it; I know it’s a first world problem, but you get a lot when you make a series. You are living with the character for quite some time. ”
Then, Henry was at 3 in the morning in a night session of “class of ’09”, with prostheses as the future of his character, when his manager presented him the “Dope Thief” script. “In the first 10 pages I felt incredibly attracted to Ray and also by the link he has with Manny.”
The free time, otherwise, has not really been his thing (hence the laugh), but Henry quickly remembers that he has had two long breaks of acting. One was during the pandemic blocking phase, and the other was during Hollywood strikes.
“When you are a person who is constantly in motion and the universe tells you to feel (expletive), you have to listen,” said Henry. “I don’t think I would have stopped if the universe did not stop.”
The production was underway in “Dope Thief” when the Hollywood guild attacks were called in 2023. Henry chose to stay in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t go anywhere. I made sure to be there just in case, “said Henry, who, for the first time, was an executive producer in the project. He wanted to be close to his local team. They had an outdoor meal with inflatable castles.” I would explore, or we would go tubing and lead to this small city called Nueva Esperanza that had a wonderful ice cream shop called Moo Hope. It was really incredible to be present and experience in that part of life.
Henry not only joins the crew in their sets, but also the actors, often moving away with new friends who are very famous, such as Julia Roberts, with whom she is currently filming a film in London. “She is someone who really appreciates,” he said.
“It’s never going to be weird for me,” Henry admits. “The part that is really difficult for me, with which I am still fighting, is when they tell me they are fans of my things and I am only like, ‘Shut up!’ I literally say it to the face. “
The greatest revelation about working along with these consummated actors is that Henry is now one of them.
“At the end of the day, now, these are my colleagues, these are my contemporaries, and I cannot continue acting as they were not. I can’t keep acting as if I had to fit to fit into these spaces. I don’t have to do that anymore. And what I also love is that they will also reaffirm it for me … and that is the great part. “
