Brian Tyree Henry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Tyree Henry
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Henry in 2024
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| Born | March 31, 1982 |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Brian Tyree Henry (born March 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the TV show Atlanta. For this role, he was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Brian Tyree Henry has also been in many popular movies. These include Widows, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Joker. He played Phastos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Eternals. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his role in Causeway. You might also know his voice as Jefferson Davis in the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movies. He also voiced Megatron in Transformers One.
Besides movies and TV, Brian Tyree Henry has acted on stage. He performed in plays like Romeo and Juliet and the musical The Book of Mormon. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the play Lobby Hero.
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About Brian Tyree Henry's Early Life
Brian Tyree Henry was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He grew up partly in Washington, D.C. His father was in the military. His mother, Willow Dean Kearse, was a teacher.
Henry went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He first studied business but later changed to acting. He then earned a master's degree from Yale School of Drama.
Brian Tyree Henry's Acting Journey
Starting Out: 2007–2015
Brian Tyree Henry began his acting career on stage. In 2007, he played Tybalt in a play called Romeo and Juliet. This was part of Shakespeare in the Park in New York City. He also acted in a group of plays called The Brother/Sister Plays.
In 2011, he joined the original cast of the famous musical The Book of Mormon on Broadway. He also made guest appearances on TV shows. These included Law & Order and The Good Wife. In 2013, he had a small role in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. His first movie role was in the comedy Puerto Ricans in Paris in 2015.
Becoming Famous: 2016–Present
In 2016, Brian Tyree Henry became widely known. This was for his role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the TV show Atlanta. Critics praised his performance. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role. Many people called him one of the best actors working today.
From 2016 to 2017, he was in the HBO comedy series Vice Principals. In 2017, he appeared in the NBC drama This Is Us. He was nominated for another Emmy for this role. He also starred in the films Person to Person and Crown Heights.
In 2018, Henry returned to Broadway in the play Lobby Hero. He acted alongside Chris Evans. Critics loved his performance, calling it "terrific." He was nominated for a Tony Award for this role.
That same year, Henry had a big breakthrough in movies. He appeared in seven films. He played Jamal Manning in Widows. He also starred in If Beale Street Could Talk. For these roles, he received more awards nominations. He also voiced Jefferson Davis in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This movie won an Oscar.
In 2019, he was in the movies Joker and Child's Play. He also voiced characters in animated shows like HouseBroken and Big Mouth.
In 2021, Henry joined the monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong. He also played Phastos in the Marvel Studios superhero film Eternals. In 2022, he was in the action-comedy Bullet Train with Brad Pitt. His role in the drama Causeway earned him an Oscar nomination. Critics praised his deep and moving performance.
Brian Tyree Henry voiced a younger Megatron in the animated movie Transformers One. He is the first Black actor to voice this character. In 2024, he also became the new voice of Smokey Bear.
Personal Life
Brian Tyree Henry's mother, Willow Deane Kearse, passed away in early 2016. The episode "Woods" of the TV show Atlanta was dedicated to her memory.
Filmography
Movies
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Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Puerto Ricans in Paris | Spencer | |
| 2017 | Person to Person | Mike | |
| Crown Heights | Clayton "Massup" Benton | ||
| 2018 | Irreplaceable You | Benji | |
| Family | Pete | ||
| Hotel Artemis | Honolulu/Lev | ||
| White Boy Rick | Det. Mel "Roach" Jackson | ||
| Widows | Jamal Manning | ||
| If Beale Street Could Talk | Daniel Carty | ||
| Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Jefferson Davis (voice) | ||
| 2019 | Don't Let Go | Garret Radcliff | |
| Child's Play | Detective Mike Norris | ||
| Joker | Carl | ||
| 2020 | The Outside Story | Charles Young | |
| Superintelligence | Dennis Caruso | ||
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Bernie Hayes | |
| The Woman in the Window | Detective Little | ||
| Vivo | Dancarino (voice) | ||
| Eternals | Phastos | ||
| 2022 | Bullet Train | Lemon | |
| Causeway | James Aucoin | ||
| 2023 | The Magician's Elephant | Leo Matienne (voice) | |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Jeff Morales (voice) | ||
| The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story | Jefferson Davis (voice) | Short film | |
| 2024 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Bernie Hayes | |
| The Fire Inside | Jason Crutchfield | ||
| Transformers One | D-16 / Megatron (voice) | ||
| 2025 | Golden |
TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse |
Jeff Morales (voice) | In production |
Television Shows
| 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 and Jesse Tyler Ferguson vs. Chrissy Metz" | |
| 2018 | BoJack Horseman | Cooper Wallace Jr. / Strib | Voice, episode: "The Amelia Earhart Story" |
| Room 104 | Arnold | Episode: "Arnold" | |
| ... History | Berry Gordy | Episode: "Game Changers" | |
| 2021–2023 | HouseBroken | Armando | Voice, recurring role |
| 2022 | Big Mouth | Elijah / Chief | Voice, recurring role (season 6) |
| 2023 | Class of '09 | Tayo Miller | Miniseries |
| 2025 | ... Thief | Ray | Upcoming miniseries |
Theatre Plays
| 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 |
Awards and Nominations
Brian Tyree Henry has been recognized with many awards and nominations for his acting. Some of his most notable nominations include:
- Emmy Awards: He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in Atlanta and for This Is Us.
- Tony Awards: He received a Tony Award nomination for his work in the Broadway play Lobby Hero.
- Academy Awards (Oscars): He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the movie Causeway.
These nominations show how talented Brian Tyree Henry is as an actor in both TV, movies, and theatre!
See also
In Spanish: Brian Tyree Henry para niños
