Little Goldman podcast sponsors include Paramount Plus presenting the agency. Michael Fastbender, Jeffrey Wright,

Jody Turner Smith, and Richard Gear star in this high-octane look at espionage and putting

your whole identity on the line for your country and your career. Emmy's eligible.

Hello, and Emmy's eligible. Hello and welcome to Little Gold Men,

Vanity Fair's podcast for film, TV, and awards lovers.

I'm David Canfield.

My guest today is Brian Tyree Henry,

who stars in Dope Thief as Ray Driscoll, a recovering addict who poses as a DEA agent to rob drug dealers in Philadelphia.

The role sees Brian oscillating between high-stakes action sequences and hilarious punchlines,

thanks in large part to the writing from series creator Peter Craig.

It's a powerhouse performance that

prodded Brian to dig deep, and at times it felt personal. When I first spoke to him way back in

February, he told me that the show's exploration of Ray's trouble dynamic with his father mirrored his own

past. That wasn't the only added weight he felt on this series. In addition to showing off his obvious acting chops, dope thief also led Brian to his first executive producer credit. In our conversation, we discussed the unique challenges and opportunities of being an EP, his desire to push past his iconic role as Paperboy in Atlanta, and how his Oscar nomination affected his self-perception

as an artist.

Brian, welcome to the show.

Hi.

I wanted to start by talking about the final scene of the Dope Thief finale, which is now streaming

on Apple TV Plus.

Okay.

So your character, Ray, has been on the run for eight episodes, getting himself out of life or death situations.

And we find him alongside Minna, who's played by Marin Ireland.

...