‘He really pissed me off!' Emmy nominee Brian Tyree Henry on why he loved to hate his character in Dope Thief

Yahoo

08-08-2025

The third time might be the charm for Brian Tyree Henry, who's already been nominated twice before for his work on Atlanta and This is Us. But the nod for Dope Thief is the first time he's being recognized for a leading role. It's also the first time he's been nominated since 2018, so he's looking forward to a 'crazy prom' at the upcoming Emmy Awards next month, where he'll get to hang out with his friends. 'It just feels like it's going to be a big class reunion,' he says.
Here, Henry opens up to Gold Derby about why he felt he had to play Ray, what he learned from being an executive producer, and why Girl Scout cookies saved the day on set.
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What was your reaction to the news that you were nominated?
I forgot that the nominations were that day. My reaction was me in my kitchen, early in the morning, being upset about home ownership because home ownership is a scam! My dishwashers were broken, and I was like, you've got to be kidding. I was looking for the warranty. And then I get this text from my manager and my publicist that was, 'Way to go!' It all clicked in but I was still upset because the dishwashers still aren't fixed. So was it was fraught with anxiety at first because of home ownership, but then it was made better because of the nomination. This is my first lead nomination. So I'm incredibly proud, incredibly happy.
But what about the dishwasher?
I still don't want to talk about it, man! Homeownership is a scam. Hold onto your warranties! I love my home, though. But there's stuff that they don't tell you that you have to deal with when you become an adult.
So let's talk about Ray. What drew you to the role?
Quite a few things. I could tell you all the things that made me want to run from it. Because, you know, television is hard. Television is really, really daunting and time-consuming, but can also be so impactful. I was on a run of television at the time when Dope Thief was brought to me, and I knew I wanted a break. I was like, I just don't know if I can do episodic for a little bit. It just takes so much. And my wonderful producing partner and manager was like, just read it, see how you vibe with it. And within the first six pages I was like, well, I'm not doing anything if there's not a second script. And before I even put the period on end of this and it's the second script was right there. I just couldn't put it down.
What was it about the script that you responded to?
I remember reading the very first scene of Ray and Manny (Wagner Moura) having this conversation about, is that candy? What kind of candy is this? Just the banter and the relationship and the levity between the two of them was just unlike anything I read before. And then I was like, oh, they're about to rob this house. I loved the humor of it. I immediately connected with Ray in so many ways. I had never seen a character like Ray. I knew that there was something that I wanted to bring to him, because I felt like Ray really needed a lot of guidance. And I was like, maybe I could come in and get Ray to the other side. And then I was also offered the executive producer position, which was so generous and so amazing to know that they trusted me that way. And so I couldn't turn it down. And it was the best decision I've ever made making this show and playing Ray was one of the best moments of my life. I was forever changed.
How so?
I felt like people had not seen me in this way. I really wanted to show people more of my range, and I wanted people to see me play something that was a complete antithesis to what they may know me from, be it comedy, be it whatever. I wanted to really dive in and show those layers. So, I have [showrunner] Peter Craig to thank for that because he wrote something so amazing. It was a no brainer to jump on board.
When did you get to see the full season? When did you know everything that was going to happen?
That's the other thing about television. It's wonderful. But it's also like, what's happening? You're kind of going with it, right? Peter Craig wrote every episode, like every single episode, which is such a feat to do. But he knew the story so well, and so you don't necessarily know where you're going, which is something I really do like about television, because it's like a it's a never-ending game of Clue. And so just like, where do we end up? What's going to happen? But it also is kind of gut wrenching because you get attached to certain characters and, you know, as you well know in this show, they may not be there. You can't really be attached to that many people. You have to be incredibly vulnerable. It was an emotional rollercoaster, honestly, to see where Ray was going to go. And it's so funny when I talk to people who are watching Dope Thief to hear their response.
What responses did you get?
For example, [Adolescence star] Stephen Graham and I have become really good friends during this [campaign season]. To hear his journey of watching it, because he watches it with his dad, and everyone is like, it's a panic attack every week. Everyone is in a place of having this visceral reaction to this show that they feel like they need Prozac at the end. And I'm like, that's great. That means that we're actually affecting you, and you are attached to these characters. It was cool to do something so experimental and something so on the razor's edge every week.
How did you take care of yourself while you were doing this? You're giving people panic attacks — how did you not give yourself one?
Who sent you? Have you been talking to my therapist? I know for a fact that if this show was presented to me like six years ago, seven years ago, I don't know if I would have made it to the other side. I don't think I had the tools, I don't think I had the life experience yet to really understand it. Because that kind of been my journey. I would play these men and I didn't know how to put them to rest. So whatever their troubles were, it kind of latched itself to me. I was carrying around all this grief of leaving these characters, building these characters, my own personal grief and losses. And when I got Dope Thief, it felt like for the first time, I saw a character that was looking right back at me. I feel like because of the work that I was doing personally, I was able to really guide him to the other side. Now, he pissed me off a lot! But I really understood him. I really felt a calling to play him.
The show succeeds because of your chemistry with Wagner. How did you build that bond?
To meet Wanger is to fall in love with each other. You know, it's so interesting because we both played such characters that people kind of associate us with for the rest of our lives. People are always going to think of him as Pablo Escobar [Narcos] all the time. People are always going to think of Paper Boi [Atlanta] for me. And so when we got a chance to come to Dope Thief, it was such a departure. You know, when you really pull back the story of Dope Thief, it really is a love story between these two men who have been incarcerated since they were 15 years old. This system told this black and brown boy that they can't be anything. All they have is each other. And now here they are as grown men, and they're just trying to figure out how to do things. But with a 15 year old mentality at the same time. I remember his first day, and he just grabs me by the forearms. And he says, 'My name is Wagner. I'm a father of three. English is my first language. I'm really scared.' And I was like, oh, I was like, 'Well, I'm Brian. I've been here for a while. I'll be playing Ray. I'm not going to leave your side. Anything you need, I promise you.' And in that moment, I was like, oh, this is it. And this is how it should be for the rest of the show. And I promise you, we really never left each other's sides.
What did it mean to you to be an executive producer on this?
Everything. So much so there's no going back now. I talk about my theater background when it comes to this because theater requires such collaboration. You can't do it alone. Even a one woman, one man show requires multiple people. Being an EP, you get to be what I call a bridge. Now I'm also at the meetings and a part of the emails because there's so many emails! As an executive producer, they need to tell you that when you sign on. When you're out there in the field with your actors, you got to talk to the producers who are over here, or you want to make sure hair and makeup knows that location is doing this. I loved it because I'm nosy. I'm a nosy actor. And being an executive producer gave me agency. It gave me agency to really stand up for people who didn't feel like they were there, like to be there for the people in the community. There was one day we were filming and this scene is literally me running for my life, and this woman is like, what is going on here? And I'm like, I was so sorry. I thought that someone came to talk to you. And she's like, oh. Y'all want to some Girl Scout cookies? So between takes I got some people down there, and got some of these Girl Scout cookies. There's nothing funnier than when you're running for your life for about four hours, and in between each take, you see the entire crew eating Thin Mints and Trefoils. It just felt like a community.
What's the scene that you're proudest of?
I will always talk about the grenade scene with Wagner, because I don't think I've ever been challenged with something like that. Because you can read it all you want, but nothing is going to prepare you for when you are literally in the back seat with your best friend and he has decided to end his life with the grenade. And we just went for it. And then also getting the news when Manny dies. That one was really hard. Harder than I thought it was going to be because you know, that moment is coming, and you have to play the news as it comes. It still sits with me to this day, because I just remember that receiving the news of a loss of someone that you love so much, and again, nothing you can do, you feel like you're falling, literally. The earth just falls out from underneath you. Those two scenes, I'm really, really proud of because I wasn't sure I would be able to show that or be as vulnerable. Because a lot of me is still trying to protect a lot of things, but don't require me to absolutely be as open and vulnerable. And I felt so safe at the same time.
So maybe television isn't so bad after all....?
No, it's not. I mean, I still need a break, but no, it's incredibly rewarding.
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