Brian Tyree Henry is an Actor and artist based in New York **.

[17]** He has performed in various significant Stage plays and has played roles in television shows like *Boardwalk Empire * and *The Knick *. He plays the character of Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the FX series, *Atlanta.

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Background

Henry grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina as the youngest of four sisters.

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Henry, who has a teddy-bear charisma and is quick with a joke, grew up in North Carolina with his four sisters until his parents separated, and his mother moved with the five children to Washington, DC.

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Henry's mother was a special education teacher.

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Education

He moved to Atlanta, Georgia when he was 18 and graduated from Morehouse College in 2004.

His initial pursuit in college was to obtain a degree in Business administration, but then decided to study drama instead.

Henry earned an Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama.

Right after High School He is a friend of Lupita Nyong'o and they met during their days in Yale University.

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career

Theater

Throughout his college experience of studying performance and being a part of their productions, he also worked in projects for theatre companies.

He performed on stage characters in plays such as *Romeo and * Juliet, *Othello *, *The Fortress of Solitude *, and The Brothers Size, in which he earned Helen Hayes Award nomination.

He earned press from the NY Times who went on to write about one of his performances: "It's the kind of performance that sweeps you away."

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He became the first Black actor to play the role of General Butt-Fucking Naked, the iconic antagonist who murders and threatens villagers to convert.

He received positive reviews for his performances.

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Henry on acting:

TV/Film

His television debut began with a small part in Law and Orde r, which set him to be a part of other shows playing small role *The Good Wife * and My America. He played a recurring character in the HBO Television series, *Boardwalk Empire.

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On the show, Vice Principals, he plays the part of Travis Brown.

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He was in the movie *Puerto Ricans in Paris * which was directed and written by Ian Edelman, and stars Luis Guzman.

*Atlanta *

He lived in Atlanta during his younger years when he attended Morehouse College.

When he received news that he would be getting a role in Donald Glover's Atlanta, by playing the main character, Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles, the southern Trapper who's tune becomes the sensation of the city, he became nostalgic for the city itself.

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The character he plays is iconic to the culture and genre of music that personifies the style of rappers who represent Atlanta like Gucci Mane.

Alfred, the drug dealer uses the alter-ego of Paper Boi to lyrically paint the message of the attitude his conveying about his experiences in life.

Through the cultural value of southern rap as exemplified in the Trap music sub-genre, topics of Racism, Gang violence, Gun violence in the United States, Pop culture, the Internet, the use of the N-word, and Socio-economic challenges at the margins in which African Americans are portrayed in the Mass media.

Henry plays a character the resembles that unapologetic attitude of the Atlanta vibe.

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Henry says the following about his character: