If it wasnt our show, these subjects wouldnt have gotten out there, he said. We can take on certain topics people are afraid to approach. We can flip them on their head. (And yes, he is all for slavery reparations.)

And race is still very much a central part of the show. The first episode has Alfred and his crew in Amsterdam where they encounter a disarming amount of Blackface, which is largely verboten in the United States but not so much in Europe.

And Alfred learns that fame often turns his humanity into a commodity, Henry said. Racism is not just an American thing. During a poker game in episode three at a rich mans home, Alfred is told its a $20,000 buy in and almost to overcompensate over the presumption he might not have that amount to gamble, he whips out $60,000 in cash.

No matter what level of success he finds himself in, Henry said, he still has to prove he belongs at this table. He experiences a lot of dichotomous situations.

One of the stranger situations is in a Netherlands jail, where he is treated like a king and he likes it so much, he takes a nap before leaving, even after Earn had paid for his bail. And when Alfred gets out and has some extra cash, he just throws it at his adoring fans as if they were a bunch of strippers at Magic City.

Hes leaning into the perks of being Paper Boi, Henry said. They dont need to know Alfred. He is bringing these fans a certain kind of joy.

Henry himself feels that dichotomy as well, given his own level of fame thanks to all the film work hes done in recent years. He has been feted in serious films like If Beale Street Could Talk and Widows and crowd-pleasing big-budget films like Godzilla vs. Kong or Eternals. He, like Paper Boi, is now recognized everywhere.

It doesnt matter if Im Paper Boi or in a Marvel movie, he said. I cant afford not to be conscious about my standing. Thats the same with Alfred. People love him, but something is always dragging him back.

And he knows even in these press interviews, theres an artifice to it all, that he cant be entirely vulnerable to a random journalist. We shouldnt give parts of ourselves away to people who dont deserve it, he said. We have to navigate to make those parts precious and keep to ourselves.

Als relationship with his cousin Earn has become more business, less personal. As his manager, Earn is mostly there for logistics and problem solving, whether its scrounging up cash to get Al out of prison in time for a concert or to interrogate suspects who may have stolen Als smartphone.

During the fifth episode, Al attempts to connect with Earn during a quiet moment, asking how hes been doing, noting how he seems busy all the time. Earn, in pure business mode, provides Al nothing except to agree, saying. Busys good before leaving the room. Earn, as usual, seems disconnected and vaguely unhappy.

There are glimmers of them trying to hold on to the family aspect during the season, Henry said. But there are things pulling Alfred away.

In comparison, the relationship between the surrealistically quirky Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) and Alfred remain rock solid. Its an unspoken understanding that their friendship is authentic with no strings attached. That is something that never deviates, he said.

Fame and success, though, has clouded Als ability to make music. And he admits to a stranger, a possible culprit who might have stolen his phone, that he wasnt really into rapping but its what he does and its too late to do anything else.

Henry has spent the past ten months in Atlanta, after finishing Atlanta to shoot another FX series called Class of 09, an upcoming sci-fi thriller that just recently wrapped. But he will always treasure Atlanta, which is ending after four seasons.

While Atlanta doesnt reach the eyeballs of some of Henrys big-budget movies, the show is a representation of home for me. These other projects take me all over the world. Even when we shot Atlanta in Europe, it felt like coming home. It still felt like it was ours.

ON TV

Atlanta, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX and available on Hulu the next day

Read more here:
INTERVIEW: Brian Tyree Henry on the pure genius of Atlanta and evolution of Alfred/Paper Boi - The Atlanta Journal Constitution