If you ask about taking time off, he bursts out laughing.
Since breaking out as rapper Paper Boi in he's become one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. He's worked consistently 鈥� with directors including Barry Jenkins, Steve McQueen and Chloe Zhao and big-name actors like Brad Pitt, Chris Hemsworth and Melissa McCarthy. Henry's been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award
His latest role is in the limited series 鈥淒ope Thief" for Apple TV+ premiering Friday. Henry and Wagner Moura play Ray and Manny, two longtime friends in Philadelphia who pose as federal agents, conducting fake raids to steal drugs and money. It's a series of easy scores until they rob the wrong people and become targets themselves. Soon they're hiding out from the real DEA and a drug kingpin while trying to keep their family safe.
鈥淭he minute that Wagner and I met each other, it was an instant electricity... We just felt like we knew each other all our lives," said Henry. "That is exactly what you needed for Ray and Manny.鈥�
The first episode was directed by , and the series was created and written by Peter Craig, adapted from a novel by Dennis Tafoya.
Craig describes Henry's versatility as an actor as "like a jazz musician... It鈥檚 fantastic for a writer, because you can throw him all kinds of added moments, and he鈥檒l incorporate and use them all.鈥�
When the opportunity to star in 鈥淒ope Thief鈥� came about, Henry was ready for that long-awaited break 鈥� from TV. He wrapped 鈥淎tlanta鈥� and had 鈥渁bout two days off鈥� before going into another FX show, 鈥淐lass of 鈥�09,鈥� where he played a character鈥檚 past, present and future, and he was exhausted.
鈥淭elevision is hard, you know? Like, I hear myself complaining about it; I know it鈥檚 a first world problem, but you get very attached when you鈥檙e doing a series. You're living with the character for quite a long time."
So, there Henry was at 3 a.m. on a night shoot of 鈥淐lass of 鈥�09," wearing prosthetics as his character鈥檚 future self, when his manager presented him with the script for 鈥淒ope Thief.鈥� 鈥淲ithin the first 10 pages I was incredibly attracted to Ray and also the bond he has with Manny.鈥�
Time off otherwise really hasn't been his thing (hence the laughter), but Henry is quick to remind that he鈥檚 had two long breaks from acting. One was during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, and the other was during the Hollywood strikes.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a person that鈥檚 constantly on the move and the universe tells you to sit your (expletive) down, you kind of have to listen,鈥� said Henry. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have stopped had the universe not said stop.鈥�
Production was underway on 鈥淒ope Thief鈥� when the Hollywood guild strikes were called in 2023. Henry opted to stay in Philadelphia.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 go anywhere. I made sure to be there just in case," said Henry, who for the first time was an executive producer on the project. He wanted to be close in proximity to his local crew. They had a cookout with bouncy castles. 鈥淚 would explore, or we'd go tubing and I would drive to this little town called New Hope that has a wonderful ice cream shop called Moo Hope. It was truly amazing to be present and experience that part of life for myself.鈥�
Henry doesn't just bond with the crew on his sets but actors too, often walking away with new friends who happen to be very famous, like, say, Julia Roberts 鈥� whom he's currently filming a movie with in London. 鈥淪he's somebody I truly cherish,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never going to stop being weird to me," Henry admits. 鈥淭he part that is really hard for me 鈥� that I鈥檓 still fighting with 鈥� is when they tell me they鈥檙e fans of my stuff and I鈥檓 just like, 鈥楽hut up!鈥� I literally say it to their face.鈥�
The biggest revelation about working alongside these accomplished actors is that Henry is now one of them.
鈥淎t the end of the day, now, these are my peers, these are my contemporaries, and I can鈥檛 continue to act like they鈥檙e not. I can鈥檛 continue to act like I have to shrink myself to fit in these spaces. I no longer have to do that. And what I also love is that they鈥檒l reaffirm that for me, too ... and that's the great part.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
