2 days Ago
From Paper Boi to the MCU , there’s a lot to be a fan of when it comes to Brian Tyree Henry . So when he joined us on Seasoned Sessions to talk about his latest show, Dope Thief, we had to talk to him about his career journey – from Atlanta and beyond. Here are some things we learned! Brian didn’t plan on being an actor – he was originally studying Business, but when he went to the arts department, he knew he’d found his place.
Business was never really an ambition for Brian, “I was just following the herd of like, ‘oh boy, everybody's doing business,’ and I hated it.” He shared that one fateful day on campus changed his life; some friends took him along to audition for an all-Black adaptation of Antigone, and he was sold. Going to Yale was a bit of a culture shock, but his roots proved to be a strong foundation.
Brian shared that from preschool to college, he only went to predominantly Black institutions, and this background really enriched his experience at Yale, an experience which he described as being “exposed to the real world.” “Because I was so ingrained and steeped in heritage and culture and learning about Black playwrights and poets and activists, like I was able to really put that into the work that I was doing,” he shared, saying that his experience at Yale gave him the space to learn all the essentials of acting and collaborate with many wonderful Black artists. He instantly knew he was a perfect fit to play Paper Boi, but he went into the audition with no expectations – he just wanted to have fun.
It wasn’t hard for Brian to get into character: “I knew exactly who this dude was,” he shared, “I immediately was like, oh, that's my best friend .” He had to dress as what he thought the character would wear, which was easy for him – “Camo shorts, black polo, and an Atlanta Braves cap” – and the rest is history. The cast of Atlanta are like family to him.
The chemistry between Brian, Donald Glover , and Lakeith Stanfield was instant. “There was such an immediate connection,” he said, “we were all just laughing and vibing.” The group was so tight that they permanently commemorated their bond on one of Brian's birthdays.
“Donald gave us a tattoo party and we all got the ‘Atlanta A.’ Except Zazie – she got her ears pierced,” he laughed. Brian knows that Atlanta is iconic, but he’s still getting used to people calling him Paper Boi.
“My name is Brian,” he joked, “I had this morbid thought one day: when I die, is the news going to be like ‘Paper Boi Brian Tyree Henry’? And I was like, “I don't want that, but that's okay.” He’s made his peace with it, though, and can thank Paper Boi for making him one of Rihanna’s favourite actors. He brings himself into every role, especially in Dope Thief.
In Dope Thief , Brian plays Ray, a former inmate trying to survive after prison. It’s gritty, raw, and emotional, and he helped shape Ray's story from the ground up. “When I read the script, I was like, ‘if you put my body in this space, it changes the whole narrative,’” he said.
“It's really easy to see narratives where we have a Black and brown man and there's violence and drugs. But with this one, we really wanted to pull back and show the layers of what that friendship is because at the end of the day, these two men love each other. It's a love story.
” Check out the full conversation here , and you can watch Brian in Dope Thief on AppleTV+ now! And if you want to give Atlanta a rewatch, its on Disney+ in the UK, and Hulu in the US!.
