‘Causeway’ star Brian Tyree Henry on his relationship with co-star Jennifer Lawrence and finding a ‘great source of strength’ in his character

As grieving mechanic James Aucoin elevated road, Lila Neugebauer’s film about a soldier (Jennifer Lawrence) trying to adjust to life in New Orleans after being sent home with a brain injury, Brian Tyree found Henry to be not only the biggest role of his career, but as a catharsis of his own pain. “Some of us hold on to our grief so tightly that we don’t know who we are without it,” says Henry. Henry discusses the emotional impact of the film, both in person and on screen. “I found a great source of strength in James,” he says. “More than I ever thought possible.”

DEADLINE: If you are writing the script for elevated roadwhat did you notice

BRIAN TIRES HENRY: Mainly to be able to do a film with Jennifer Lawrence. I was such a huge admirer of her work and wanted a chance to play with her. The other thing that stood out was that it really wasn’t one of those scripts with a big climax or characters that have to find that conflict and overcome something. It was about two people existing in space and time forming a connection. I really wanted it.

FRIST: From an acting perspective, human existence doesn’t sound very challenging. What is attractive about it?

HENRY: What is really attractive is that we know that existence is sometimes incredibly difficult. Life is incredibly hard to do. What I found remarkable about this piece was that you saw how these two people live in very complicated ways when all they needed to see was that they were not alone. Maybe the friendship will shed light on how they get through this and how they can overcome their lives. That it was really the meat and potatoes of what the script was.

DEADLINE: As far as I know, the starting period for this film was quite long. They were closed due to COVID and during that time you could practice the script. How was the story’s development?

HENRY: We found that Lynsey’s journey evolved based on who she interacted with. Returning from the war to a hometown she was trying to escape from, she suffers an injury that makes it difficult for her to navigate this terrain the way she used to. I don’t think she thought she would make a boyfriend when she got back. We found that with my character there is hope to give her back the home she intended. And we found that it was possible for James himself to do the same. James is a man who has suffered one of the greatest losses of his life in his hometown and must now figure out another way to move through this terrain while holding on to who he was. So, Lila, Justine (Ciarrochi), Jennifer and I really wanted to analyze what it was. Jennifer and I also bonded and we really wanted to show that friendship because what they’re really looking for in the film is friendship.

DEADLINE: Do you think surviving the pandemic affected your performance?

HENRY: Safe. I realized that I had to teach myself to be human again. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true because we’ve all dealt with losses this year in a way that’s been amplified by having to isolate. It was so gloomy and gloomy. Meeting someone new in 2021 was like going to an amusement park. To actually hug someone, to look someone in the eye, even to just sit in silence and stillness with someone, was something our bodies missed. What also happened a lot is we did this thing called trauma bonding, and I realized that when you have a trauma bond with someone, [the relationship] actually stay there. It slows down your growth a bit. So we wanted to find out if these people who started bonding with trauma could somehow get through. That’s the hardest part of grief, I think: finding another way.

DEADLINE: The interesting thing about this film is that you are in a relationship that is platonic from the beginning, but very complex. What was it like portraying this friendship?

HENRY: It’s great because sometimes we get caught up in this boy meets girl story development and suddenly it has to be romantic. We didn’t want that. We really wanted to show that these two people can exist in a way that is just as human. It was what I needed, and I think Jen needed it too, with all the turmoil and turmoil we’ve seen in 2020. We wanted to show that it is possible to just connect with someone who doesn’t have to come. with any kind of weight or obligation other than being human to each other. As it develops, you start to see both layers lose. That’s why I love the pool scene so much, because it’s really about being naked. I call it the baptism scene because it feels like both are being cleaned and everything is being set up. And they are so naked. It was something I really needed at the time. I wondered who really sees me? Is what people see now only the pain? Is it just someone who is really down and really in over his head? And if you see it, do you want to get to know me and see what I’m like? I think both characters had to deal with it.

DEADLINE: You as a person are quite wordy and your character is not. How challenging is it to act out this kind of inner fear?

HENRY: There is something so remarkable in the silence. I swear to God, when I got the opportunity to explore the silence of this character, it was a real relief. As I went through the grief, I realized you want to be held and you look left and right and realize no one is really holding you. Then you start making up these stories that no one understands what I’m going through. I brought a lot of that to James because he’s a man who I think is a very nice, beautiful person, but because of the circumstances of what happened to him, he lives his life as a person who felt what he deserves What I really wanted for James when I played him, and what I wanted for Brian, was a release from not having to explain why you feel weak sometimes. Another thing is that he might be sitting there with his thoughts. There are many of us who like to be busy so that we don’t have to think about what we have lost and what obstacles lie ahead. When he met Lynsey, she really gave him a place to just sit and think about what he was missing. True power lies in standing where you are and truly revealing what it is. It was a big challenge for me.

DEADLINE: Because you had so much influence on this film, did you ever think about turning the accident into something else, because you lost your own mother in a car accident? Or was there a catharsis in some way?

HENRY: I wanted it to stay the way it was because I didn’t want to run away from it. I really didn’t want to do what those two characters did at the beginning of the film. I wanted to face it my way. I wanted to get over that too. I didn’t want it to paralyze me like it did at the beginning of my career. I didn’t want it to be that ominous cloud. When I saw what he had lost, I told him immediately. And the part I struggled with the most was him losing his leg. No, I didn’t lose a body part, but I lost one of the most important people in my life. Actually my creator. So I didn’t want them to change that because it’s a big part of who he is. But I also wanted to make sure it wasn’t his only story. Honestly, I found strength in James because most people who get into such a horrible car accident would probably never drive again, but James did. Most people who have lost a life in a car accident probably wouldn’t work on cars, but James did. There is a power in this man that he just needs to be reminded that he is there.

That’s how unimportant the universe is: no matter how much you run, wherever you go, there you are. It’s like one of the oldest proverbs ever. And this is very true. I found a great source of strength in James, more than I ever thought possible. We went back and really tried to investigate it: He asked for a roommate for breakfast. That he has someone in the house. Let someone drive for him. There is a lot to say about this. I didn’t want them to change any part of the crash or his work because that’s where he really drew strength from. And I think I got my strength from him to get through it.

DEADLINE: As someone who has wanted to work with Jennifer for a long time, how have those expectations been met? And how do you think your friendship would be if these characters appeared on screen?

HENRY: It was much further than that. I guess I could never imagine working with someone who is such a great scene partner. The great thing is that it was a true manifestation of our collaboration. During the pandemic, Jen and I broke the rules once and we met when we realized we were apart. And we just sat in her garden and talked about everything that was going on. We talked about politics, we talked about COVID. We talked about social injustice. We just left it out. It was such a purge that at one point we stopped and looked at each other and thought, “Oh, well, here’s James and Lynsey.” That’s all they wanted. The comfort of being able to sit across from each other, to sit in loss, to sit in anger. There really is a sense of healing. I think this is what most of us yearn for.

After we had this gathering in their garden, there were three earthquakes that night. I remember texting her at 3am and thinking, look what a hookup does? See what happens when you open your heart and let the universe take its course?” I think exposing yourself to someone who really sees you is an indictment. And I think that’s what we found, not just working together, but putting these characters in front of us. We knew we wanted to do what was right for them, and we wanted to make sure they got to the other side, regardless of their grief and loss, because we had to see it.

DEADLINE: Your next project is spring chassis for AppleTV+. Is it fun to go back to TV afterwards?

HENRY: It’s all about this. I had a good run. Tonight is the series finale of Atlanta And I say all day it’s the end of an era. Alfred was a kind of testimony to me. Of course there were parts of him that were supposed to be funny, but there was also so much catharsis in playing him. In last week’s episode, he finally got his own place on a farm, but also had to fight for his life just to come out the other side. There is still humor in it, but also a source of emotion. As long as I engage with these types of stories and characters, I will always be fulfilled. So I’m really looking forward to getting back to television spring chassis. I really want to peel back the layers of who this character is and what life is. It’s an adventure, isn’t it? The whole thing is an adventure. Who knows what the goal will be, but I’m just grateful every time to get characters like that. It really is a blessing.