When Brian Tyree Henry was approached for the elevated road In the role of James, an auto mechanic from New Orleans who “travels alone through this land of sorrow, pain and shame,” he noted that he was doing something different than himself—judging the character based on “the choices that . . . . he met”, and why he ended up where he was.
“I try to meet a lot [my characters] where they are,” said Henry, who received an Oscar nomination for the role, during a panel discussion for the Apple Original Films film at Deadlines Contenders Film: The Nominees event. “But what really attracted me to James was something that wanted to shake his shoulders and say, ‘What are you doing man? Why do you live like this?’”
elevated road Henry offered his first chance to work with Lila Neugebauer – a famous writer and theater director he met almost 20 years ago – and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, an actress he had long admired. The story is, in Henry’s words, a “two-hander” composed of “silences” that explores James’ connection through trauma to Lynsey, an American soldier adjusting to life at home after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan.
If James was a character Henry was quick to judge, he was also one who “frightened” the actor on first approach, given the emotional nudity he had to bring to his performance. “As an actor you have to… give up certain parts of yourself or let certain parts of yourself go. But… it takes a lot,” said the actor. “A lot of exposure can happen, a lot of vulnerability can happen, and James was definitely that for me.”
Henry’s journey with his elevated road The character – boosted by both Hurricane Barry in 2019 and the outbreak of the Covid pandemic – came full circle as he dug “to the core” of who James was and embraced all aspects of his personality.
“With these black men I play, I want there to be layers. I don’t want people to feel like they can push them aside. I don’t want people to feel like they can bring their own biases against them before they meet them,” Henry said. “At the end of the day, I just want people to care about these men. Because it is very easy for most viewers not to know who they are.
Check back Monday for the panel video.
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
