When Brian Tyree Henry's manager sent him the script for Dope Thief, an Apple TV+ limited series launching March 14, he had no intention of reading it. Henry had just done the FX limited series Class of '09, which he dove into upon wrapping the final season of Atlanta. And, frankly, he was tired.
"I was very much like, 'I can't do TV again.' It's so daunting. And it requires so much of you," says Henry, who earned his first Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role as Ricky, William's (Ron Cephas Jones) cousin and bandmate, in NBC's This Is Us. His second Emmy nod was for his portrayal of rapper Paper Boi on FX's Atlanta. (The actor, whose film credits include If Beale Street Could Talk, Eternals, Bullet Train and The Fire Inside, also scored an Oscar nomination for his turn as a grief-stricken mechanic in 2022's Causeway.)
But Henry's manager persisted, and while reading the first episode of Dope Thief, Henry was immediately drawn to Ray, the Philadelphia scammer he would ultimately sign on to play. The opportunity to be an executive producer on the project and to work with Ridley Scott, who directed the first episode and executive-produces the series, also got Henry to an enthusiastic yes.
Dope Thief is based on the novel by Dennis Tafoya. Created for TV by executive producer Peter Craig (The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick), the series finds Ray and his best friend, Manny (Wagner Moura, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), whom he has known since they were in juvie together, posing as DEA agents to rob small-time drug dealers.
It's lucrative enough that Ray can support his foster mother, Theresa (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Prodigy), and no one gets hurt — until "the knuckleheads," as Henry affectionately refers to Ray and Manny, seriously botch a heist, making powerful enemies.
"Ray holds such a special place in my heart, because he reminds me of a lot of people I grew up with," says Henry, who was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. "He grew up within the system, and all he's trying to do is find a way out."
Henry speaks of Ray as though he's a cherished friend: "The biggest thing I want for him is for viewers and audiences to protect him and care about him. That's how it's always been with every character I've played. I care about these Black men so much."
Years ago, despite encouragement from everyone around him to pursue acting, Henry couldn't imagine himself making a living at it. "I knew what society looked like," he says. "I was like, 'There is no way this six-foot-two Black man from the South is going to be leading anything.'"
After he was accepted to the Yale School of Drama, he thought, "Okay, let's see where this goes." But even after earning his master's degree from the prestigious program, Henry was plagued by imposter syndrome. He felt like he was "playing along" and would only get so far in his career.
"I played along when I got Shakespeare in the Park. I played along all the way to Broadway," says Henry, who originated the role of the General in The Book of Mormon and earned a Tony nomination for his role as security guard supervisor William in Lobby Hero.
It took him a while, but Henry says he finally admitted to himself, "Hey, man, you belong here. This is what you love to do, and this is what you need to do. You need to see these characters reflected back to you, because you didn't think this was possible."
Dope Thief is now streaming on Apple TV+.
This article originally appeared in emmy Magazine, issue #1, 2025, under the title "Playing Along."
