Brian Tyree Henry

In my household growing up in Fayetteville, N.C., music was the great communicator between my parents and me.

Theater's literally where I started.

I think that Atlanta has this huge well of black culture and openness to share all the things that we have made there.

Atlanta's a great city to cultivate your own thing - from fashion to music to food.

I was in show choir in high school.

Being in a club - clubs are, like, not my favorite thing.

If you are conscious and really want change in this world, and you don't vote, then what was all the fighting for? All the things our parents and our parents' parents fought for?

I was in a musical for a while, and I sing around the house all the time, but I don't ever think of myself as a singer.

You play the honesty of the characters and show a side of them that people can relate to and want to get to know.

Life should be art, right?

The projects that I've been fortunate enough to do are all projects where I followed my heart. I didn't follow the money or the names. It's all about reflecting my life and my art.

I discovered that acting gave me this spark, this thing. Honestly, it was a way to survive.

The rap scene is so unique. Every rapper has to bring their own thing.

I went to college in Atlanta, so I know that city.

You see the Paper Bois - easy. Personas are easy to touch and see and digest. But you don't get the chance to really see who the Alfreds are. I want to make sure I did that with him.

When people ask me, 'Are you a singer?' I say, 'No, I'm not a 'singer' - but I love the craft of singing,' going in and finding out what that means or why the hell I'm singing in the first place. My thing is really the craft of it.

I've discovered people in my lifetime who are like, 'I always wanted to sing but... ' It's like, 'Well then, did you try?' My thing was always not caring about failure.

Music has always been a part of my life, and it helps me a lot because it speaks for me when I can't speak for myself.

My school had the dopest arts program - the dopest show choir, the dopest marching band. I couldn't sing or play an instrument a lick, but I was just going to fake it till I make it.

I say this all the time: All I know is I know nothing at all.