Brian Tyree Henry

American actorTemplate:SHORTDESC:American actor[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

**Brian Tyree Henry** (born March 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Paper Boi" in the FX comedy-drama series *Atlanta* (2016–present), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Henry made his film breakthrough in 2018, with starring roles in the heist film *Widows*, the romantic drama film *If Beale Street Could Talk*, and the animated superhero film *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*. In 2019, he starred in the thriller film *Don't Let Go* and the horror film *Child's Play*.

Henry has also appeared on stage, with starring roles in *Romeo and Juliet* (2007), *The Book of Mormon* (2011), and *The Fortress of Solitude* (2014). For his performance in the 2018 Broadway revival of *Lobby Hero*, he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

## Early life

Henry was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and raised partly in Washington, D.C. His father was in the military, and his mother, Willow Dean Kearse, was an educator. Henry attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia as a business major-turned-actor in the early 2000s, and received his master's degree from Yale School of Drama.

## Career

### 2007–2015: Early career

Henry began his career on stage, with roles in numerous plays and musicals. In 2007, he starred as Tybalt in Shakespeare in the Park's production of *Romeo and Juliet*. Henry also appeared in Tarell Alvin McCraney's trilogy of plays, titled *The Brother/Sister Plays*. In 2011, he received further success as a part of the original cast of the musical *The Book of Mormon.*

Henry made guest appearances in the television series *Law & Order*, *The Good Wife*, and *Boardwalk Empire*. He made his feature film debut in the 2015 comedy film *Puerto Ricans in Paris*.

### 2016–present: Breakthrough

In 2016, Henry received critical acclaim and recognition for his starring role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the FX comedy-drama series *Atlanta*. For his performance in the series, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. From 2016 to 2017, he appeared as Tavis Brown in the HBO comedy series *Vice Principals*. In 2017, Henry guest starred as Ricky in the NBC drama series *This is Us*, for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2018, he starred in the Broadway revival of *Lobby Hero*, which earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Also in 2018, Henry made his film breakthrough, with starring roles in the dystopian thriller film *Hotel Artemis*, the heist film *Widows*, the romantic drama film *If Beale Street Could Talk*, and the animated superhero film *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*.

In 2019, he co-starred in the psychological thriller films *Joker* and *Don't Let Go* as well as the horror film *Child's Play*, the latter being a remake of the 1988 film.

## Personal life

Henry's mother, Willow Deane Kearse, died in early 2016. The *Atlanta* episode "Woods" was dedicated to Kearse.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brown, Emma (September 7, 2016). "Discovery: Brian Tyree Henry". Brant Publications. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160908164645/http://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/discovery-brian-tyree-henry. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
2. ↑ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (September 6, 2016). "Who Plays Paper Boi The Rapper on 'Atlanta'?". https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/atlanta-paper-boi-actor-brian-tyree-henry. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
3. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ2F-LBTS
4. ↑ Blagrove, Kadia (20 April 2018). "Atlanta and the Unfolding of Paper Boi's Depression". https://medium.com/@KazzleDazz/atlanta-and-the-unfolding-of-paper-bois-depression-4c7130f49b6d.
5. ↑ "How Brian Tyree Henry Became Paper Boi, Atlanta's Rising Rap Star" (in en), *Vulture*.
6. ↑ "Brian Tyree Henry". http://www.playbill.com/person/brian-tyree-henry-vault-0000116960. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
7. ↑ "The Tony Award Nominees - Artists - Brian Tyree Henry" (in en). https://www.tonyawards.com/en\_US/nominees/artists/2018-04-30\_brian\_tyree\_henry\_lobby\_hero.html.
8. ↑ Brian Tyree Henry Teases Joker by Zack Scharf, IndieWire.com, June 12, 2019.
9. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda; N'Duka, Amanda (20 September 2018). "Gabriel Bateman To Star As Andy In MGM's 'Child's Play' Remake, Joining Aubrey Plaza & Brian Tyree Henry". https://deadline.com/2018/09/gabriel-bateman-aubrey-plaza-brian-tyree-henry-childs-play-remake-mgm-1202468306/.
10. ↑ "'Atlanta' Writer on Paper Boi's Heartbreaking Loss, 'Teddy Perkins,' and Life After 'Deadpool'", *IndieWire* (April 20, 2018). Retrieved on April 22, 2018.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Brian Tyree Henry - Awards - IMDb". IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3109964/awards?ref\_=nm\_awd. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
12. ↑ "Brian Tyree Henry - Playbill". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/person/brian-tyree-henry-vault-0000116960. Retrieved August 9, 2019.

## External links

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