Long before he ever walked a mile in their shoes, actor Brian Tyree Henry knew his characters.
He empathized with the rapper he plays in the FX series “Atlanta[1],” Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles, and understood what it meant to grapple with newfound fame, and struggle to feel at home in a city he’s known his whole life.
He also knew the security guard William in Kenneth Lonergan’s play “Lobby Hero[2],” a fast-talking, upstanding man who takes authority seriously. When his brother is arrested and accused of committing a horrible crime, William is forced to weigh his strict morals against the realities of how law enforcement and the criminal justice system treat black men.
“I know him. I know that life,” Henry says of William, whom he currently plays on Broadway. “I live in Harlem, I know what it’s like to walk down the street and be made to feel that way.”
Henry, 36, has been nominated for a Drama League Award for his performance in “Lobby Hero.”
Meanwhile, the current, second season of “Atlanta” (subtitled “Robbin’ Season”) has also given him more muscle to flex, as Alfred’s storyline intensifies in step with his growing fame. Season 2’s episode, “Woods,” forces Alfred to confront questions about his place in the world, and whether he feels at home anymore in Atlanta.
Henry spoke with MarketWatch about his own rising fame, and how his life intersects with his characters’ lives.
How was it filming the “Woods” episode of “Atlanta,” which really delves into your character and how his new status as a famous rapper has changed him?
Alfred, you don’t really know much about what made him, you know what I mean? We can at least see [Donald Glover’s character] Earn’s parents, we can see Earn has a child and a relationship. But for Alfred, who was born and raised in Atlanta, we don’t really know anything about him. We know he has his own apartment. We know that he sells drugs and he does music. I think that this episode showcases that he doesn’t know anything about him either. It’s basically about you being in a place that you know your whole life. You know every corner, you know every alley. You know when the streetlights come on. But what if it’s the same exact place but you don’t know how to navigate it at all? I think that’s what’s going on with Alfred this season. Now he has to walk in this place that has changed for him, and has become more dangerous. I think all the weight of that kind of exposure is on him and you get to see how he’s always fighting to be real. People are saying that he’s famous, but he’s like, “that took a lot.” This episode, you see all of that stuff chipping away. It’s just too much and he’s exposed. He’s lost...