The excitement from accomplishments can lead to all sorts of situations, from the awkward to the sweet. Brian Tyree Henry recalled to Variety the moment he found out about his Oscar nomination for Causeway, when he found himself in an elevator with a stranger he hugged. It was the balance of sweet and awkward, but it worked out.
To get the morning started, Brian Tyree Henry put his phone on silent as he worked out in the gym, missing out on any notifications about his Oscar nomination. When he wrapped up, he looked at his phone in an elevator with this “poor guy.” He had countless messages and notifications, and when he read “congratulations,” he “screamed” in response. He told the “poor white man” that he was nominated. The man said, “That’s great, for what?” When told about the Oscar, he asked about the movie, to which the actor said, “Who cares?” They hugged and went their separate ways.
“He hugged me and it was very sweet. And if the fates are as strong as I think they are, we will never see each other again. I feel so bad for trapping him in this space and screaming.”
Brian Tyree Henry hugged a stranger after learning about his Oscar nomination
The film the Atlanta star landed a nomination sees him alongside Jennifer Lawrence. She plays a soldier returning to the U.S. to adjust to civilian life while struggling with PTSD. It was directed by Lila Neugebauer (The Sex Lives of College Girls), who has known the Bullet Train star since their days in Yale, as she revealed to Variety.
Brian Tyree Henry has scored his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He is up against Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin, Judd Hirsch for The Fablemans, Barry Keoghan for The Banshees of Inisherin, and Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The Academy Awards recognizing the star comes in at the right time, as his career has seen a major spike in growth. He got to join the MCU with Eternals, had a successful run on Atlanta, fought Brad Pitt in Bullet Train, and was on the ground while Godzilla fought King Kong in Godzilla vs. Kong. The future is also looking bright as he will star in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Apple TV’s Sinking Spring, and more.