The Spin-off
Sterling K. Brown & Brian Tyree Henry on their breakout year
Actors and long-time friends Brian Tyree Henry and Sterling K. Brown tell us how they first met (there were drag queens involved!), their evolving careers and why 2016 was a year that stood out and changed both of their lives. They both played memorable parts on FX shows -- Brown portrayed prosecutor Chris Darden in The People vs. O.J. Simpson and Henry introduced us to rapper Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Atlanta.
By Michael Schneider • • 38m ListenActors Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry first met a decade ago in New York, when they were both playing drag queens in a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Since then, they've been friends and cheerleaders of each other's careers.
This past year was huge for both of them. Broadway alum Henry landed the part of Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Donald Glover's FX show Atlanta. He also had a role on HBO's Vice Principals. Previously known for his work on Supernatural and Army Wives, Brown won an Emmy for his portrayal of Chris Darden on FX's ‘The People vs. O.J. Simpson' and currently plays Randall Pearson on NBC's new hit family drama This Is Us.
In this episode of The Spin-off, recorded on the eve of the Golden Globes (where both of their shows were nominated), Henry and Brown join Michael Schneider for a candid conversation about what 2016 has meant for them, both in terms of their careers, as well as their approach to life overall. They talk about their enduring friendship, why their support for each other has meant so much, occasionally auditioning for the same role (like Darden!) and what they view as the role of an artist under a Trump presidency.
Photo: Actors and friends Sterling K. Brown and Brian Tyree Henry with Spin-off host Michael Schneider (C)
