Brian Tyree Henry | |
|---|---|
 Henry in 2024 | |
| Born | (1982-03-31)March 31, 1982 (age 43) |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Brian Tyree Henry (born March 31, 1982)[1][2][3] is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received nominations for anAcademy Award, twoCritics' Choice Awards, threePrimetime Emmy Awards, aScreen Actors Guild Award, and aTony Award.
Henry rose to prominence for his role as rapper Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in theFX comedy-drama seriesAtlanta (2016–2022), for which he received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also was Emmy-nominated for his guest role on theNBC drama seriesThis Is Us (2017) and for his leading role in theApple TV+ limited seriesDope Thief (2025).
His film breakthrough came in 2018 with roles inSteve McQueen's heist filmWidows andBarry Jenkins' romantic dramaIf Beale Street Could Talk. He has since appeared inChild's Play (2019),Joker (2019),Godzilla vs. Kong (2021),Bullet Train (2022), andGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). He portrayedPhastos in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmEternals (2021), and was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a grieving man in the drama filmCauseway (2022). He also voicedJefferson Davis inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and its sequelSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) andMegatron inTransformers One (2024).
On stage, he made his debut performance in theShakespeare in the Park production ofRomeo and Juliet (2007), before making hisBroadway debut in the original cast ofThe Book of Mormon (2011). He was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as a stern yet caring security guard in the revival of theKenneth Lonergan playLobby Hero (2018).
Henry was born on March 31, 1982, inFayetteville, North Carolina and raised partly inWashington, D.C. His father was in the military, and his mother, Willow Dean Kearse, was an educator.[1][4] Henry graduated fromE. E. Smith High School in Fayetteville[1][5] and attendedMorehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia as a business major-turned-actor in the early 2000s. He received his master's degree from theYale School of Drama.[6]
Henry began his career on stage, with roles in numerous plays and musicals. In 2007, he starred asTybalt inShakespeare in the Park's production ofRomeo and Juliet. Henry also appeared inTarell Alvin McCraney's trilogy of plays, titledThe Brother/Sister Plays. In 2011, he received further success in hisBroadway debut as a part of the original cast of the musicalThe Book of Mormon oppositeJosh Gad andAndrew Rannells.[7]
Henry made guest appearances in television series such asNBC'sLaw & Order, andCBS'sThe Good Wife. In 2013, he had a brief but recurring role as Winston Scrapper inHBO'sBoardwalk Empire appearing in the episodes "Havre de Grace" and "Farewell Daddy Blues". The following year he appeared inSteven Soderbergh'sCinemax seriesThe Knick as Larkin in the episode "The Busy Flea". He made his feature film debut in the 2015 comedy filmPuerto Ricans in Paris.
In 2016, Henry received critical acclaim and recognition for his starring role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in theFX comedy-drama seriesAtlanta. For his performance in the series, he received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in the episode "Woods". Chase Hutchinson ofCollider declared Henry the "show's best character" writing, "Uniting [Atlanta] is the irreplaceable Henry's sense of presence and vulnerability he conveys as an actor, an element of the show that would not be the same without him. It makes him one of the best parts of the series and one of the best actors working today for all he manages to do in even the simplest of moments."[8]
From 2016 to 2017, he acted as Dascious Brown in theHBO comedy seriesVice Principals. In 2017, Henry appeared as Ricky in theNBC drama seriesThis Is Us, for which he received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. That same year he starred inDustin Guy Defa's drama filmPerson to Person and Matt Ruskin'sCrown Heights.
In 2018, he returned toBroadway in the revival ofKenneth Lonergan'sLobby Hero oppositeChris Evans,Bel Powley, andMichael Cera. David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter hailed Henry as "terrific" and cited him as "the production's standout performance".[9] For his performance he was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[10] Also in 2018, Henry made his film breakthrough appearing in seven films. He appeared inSteve McQueen's acclaimed heist filmWidows portraying Jamal Manning, a crime boss and politician in theChicago. Alissa Wilkinson ofVox declared "Brian Tyree Henry continues his run as the actor to watch, thanks to his appearance here as a charismatic and menacing political candidate."[11] He also appeared inBarry Jenkins' romantic drama filmIf Beale Street Could Talk based on the 1974James Baldwinnovel of the same name. For his performances in both films he received a nomination from theNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor. That same year he portrayedJefferson Davis in the animated superhero filmSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which received theAcademy Award for Best Animated Feature. That same year he also starred in the dystopian thriller filmHotel Artemis, and the crime dramaWhite Boy Rick.
In 2019, he appeared inTodd Phillips'spsychological dramaJoker,[12] the science fiction horror filmDon't Let Go and the horror filmChild's Play, the latter being a remake of the1988 film.[13] The following year he appeared inThe Outside Story andSuperintelligence. During this time he also appeared in theNetflix animated seriesBoJack Horseman, theHBO anthology seriesRoom 104, and portrayedBerry Gordy an episode of theComedy Central sketch seriesDrunk History. He also has recurring roles as Armando in theFox animated seriesHouseBroken (2021), and as Elijah in theNetflix animated seriesBig Mouth (2022–2023).
In 2021, he starred as Bernie Hayes inGodzilla vs. Kong alongsideMillie Bobby Brown and asPhastos in theMarvel Studios filmEternals directed byChloe Zhao. In 2022, he starred inDavid Leitch's action comedyBullet Train oppositeBrad Pitt. In his final role of the year, Henry starred inLila Neugebauer'sA24 dramaCauseway oppositeJennifer Lawrence as mechanic James Aucoin. Henry received critical acclaim for his performance, garneringAcademy Award,Critics' Choice,Gotham Award, andIndependent Spirit Award nominations.[14][15] In a review forThe Independent, Adam White wrote: "Henry lends each hushed gap in James's tale the feel of a sledgehammer."[16] Mary Siroky forConsequence praised Henry's performance and said that he "is so grounded here that there are moments we feel like we are intruding into his life."[17]
Henry voiced a youngerMegatron in the animated filmTransformers One, making him the first Black actor to voice the character.[18] In 2024, he became the new voice ofSmokey Bear.[19][20]
Henry's mother, Willow Deane Kearse, died in early 2016. TheAtlanta episode "Woods" was dedicated to her.[21] His father died during the filming ofDope Thief.[22]
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Law & Order | Ben | Episode: "Dignity" |
| Last of the Ninth | Uniform | Television film | |
| 2010 | The Good Wife | Randall Simmons | Episode: "Double Jeopardy" |
| 2013 | Boardwalk Empire | Winston 'Scrapper' | Episodes: "Havre de Grace" and "Farewell Daddy Blues" |
| 2014 | The Knick | Larkin | Episode: "The Busy Flea" |
| 2016–2017 | Vice Principals | Dascious Brown | Episodes: "The Good Book", "Gin" and "Tiger Town" |
| 2016–2022 | Atlanta | Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles | Main role |
| 2017 | How to Get Away with Murder | Public Defender | Episode: "Go Cry Somewhere Else" |
| This Is Us | Ricky | Episode: "Memphis" | |
| Drop the Mic | Himself | Episode: "David Arquette vs. Brian Tyree Henry andJesse Tyler Ferguson vs.Chrissy Metz" | |
| 2018 | BoJack Horseman | Cooper Wallace Jr. / Strib | Voice, episode: "The Amelia Earhart Story" |
| Room 104 | Arnold | Episode: "Arnold" | |
| Drunk History | Berry Gordy | Episode: "Game Changers" | |
| 2021–2023 | HouseBroken | Armando | Voice, recurring role |
| 2022–2023 | Big Mouth | Elijah / Chief | Voice, recurring role (seasons 6–7) |
| 2023 | Class of '09 | Tayo Miller | Miniseries; main role[24] |
| 2025 | Dope Thief | Ray Driscoll | Miniseries; main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | Shakespeare in the Park |
| The Brothers Size | Oshoosi | The Public Theatre | |
| 2009 | In The Red and Brown Water | The Egungun | |
| Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet | Oshoosi Size / Terrell | ||
| 2011 | The Book of Mormon | General | Eugene O'Neill Theatre |
| 2014 | The Fortress of Solitude | Robert Woolfolk | The Public Theatre |
| 2018 | Lobby Hero | William | Helen Hayes Theatre |
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