How Brian Tyree Henry became the ‘mayor’ of New Hope
During the Hollywood labor strikes, the “Dope Thief” actor lived in Philly and fell in love with the directness of its people.
Most actors don’t spend a lot of time in the cities where their shows are filmed or set, but when it came to Philadelphia, Brian Tyree Henry, inadvertently, took a different approach.
A star and executive producer of the crime drama Dope Thief, airing on Apple TV+, Henry arrived in Philly in January 2023 and filmed half a season before production halted due to the Hollywood labor strikes. Unsure of how long the delay would last, Henry decided to stay put in Center City instead of returning home to Los Angeles — and wound up living here for more than a year.
“I had the time of my life here. It truly felt like a renaissance for me,” said Henry in a recent interview with The Inquirer at the Ritz-Carlton. “I wanted to make sure that I understood what the neighborhoods and the streets were like, what the people of Philly were like, what the culture was like … I found myself not wanting to leave.”
Dope Thief marks Henry’s first lead role, but the decorated actor has been recognized for his skills across genres, picking up Tony, Emmy, and Oscar nominations in the past decade for unforgettable roles, from Paper Boi in Atlanta to the General in Book of Mormon.
It was during his years on Broadway that he first visited Philadelphia, hanging out with friends at Temple University on weekends and holidays. (Today, he’s close to Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Pulitzer winner James Ijames.)
All of his time on the ground provided essential insight into his Dope Thief character, Ray. Based on a book by Philadelphia novelist Dennis Tafoya, the story follows Ray and best friend Manny (Wagner Moura, of Narcos fame) who run a successful con posing as DEA agents to rob small-time drug dealers.
When they unintentionally hit a major narcotics operation, their mistake triggers a wild chase around the region with a wide cast of characters, from a Vietnamese mob boss in Chestnut Hill to Amish farmers in Lancaster County.
Fueled by an expanded script from The Town and Top Gun: Maverick writer Peter Craig — an executive producer alongside legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, who directed the pilot — the series delivers a refreshing, diverse, and disarmingly funny take on Philadelphia crime scenes.
Henry’s unparalleled performance is key to that comedy. It’s not often that gritty, violent shows can make viewers laugh out loud as much as they clench their jaws in suspense, but Dope Thief nails it.
In one scene, Ray’s adopted mom (a scene-stealing Kate Mulgrew, with killer comedic timing and an authentic Philly accent) reads him a serious letter about how his constant drinking and drug use has impacted her life. Ray interrupts: “Is this supposed to help me get clean or help me kill myself, which one?”
“What I love the most about Ray is that there’s humor, and I find that in Philly,” Henry said, laughing. “No matter where you go, Philly is just gonna keep it real at all times. I loved the directness of the people of this city, I loved the levity.”
During the months that he lived here, Henry dedicated himself to seeing as much of the region as possible. He lived across from the Kimmel Center on Broad Street and began regularly biking along the Schuylkill and sipping bubble tea in Manayunk.
His favorite place was a short drive up river to New Hope, where, he jokes, he became the mayor and frequented the Meaning of Things for candles and knickknacks.
“My cast knew if I really, really cared about them, I would take them out there, because it was like my personal little secret,” he said. “One day I took Wagner out there, and I was like, ‘Yes, it’s a date. I’m taking you to New Hope.’ The pictures of the grin on this man’s face!”
Their characters’ friendship on-screen is similarly heartwarming as the pair tries to survive together while their world unravels. They fight like a married couple, with compassion and frustration, as danger surrounds them.
Moura, who once played narco-trafficker Pablo Escobar, brings a vulnerable tenderness to Manny that balances the overthinking motormouth Ray.
Henry’s best memory of filming in South Philly came during one of the many scenes where his character is running for his life. It was Girl Scout Cookie season and one mom, seeing the film production on her street, came out to see if they wanted cookies.
Henry said it was a no-brainer: In between takes, the crew stopped by her porch to buy boxes of their favorite flavors.
“There would be times that I would run to the end of an alley and someone would just throw a cookie in my mouth,” Henry recalled.
He favors Lemonades, Tagalongs, and frozen Thin Mints. “That was the best feeling, because she felt like she was a part of the show and we were giving back.”
“Dope Thief” airs on Apple TV+ on Fridays through April 25.