The actor writes a tribute to his Bullet Train costar, who is not only “funny as f—,” but is getting Oscar buzz for his performance in Causeway.
In 2016, Brian Tyree Henry got everyone’s attention when he first appeared as the hilarious, perpetually exhausted Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles on Atlanta. Since then, he’s continued to build out an impressive résumé, and this year alone, he rounded out his run on the critically acclaimed FX comedy, stole the show as one-half of a heavily accented, quick-witted brotherhood in Bullet Train — Aaron Taylor-Johnson was the other half — and delivered a devastatingly subtle performance as a man in desperate need of a friend in Causeway, for which he’s (rightfully) receiving Oscar buzz.
To honor Henry as one of EW’s 2022 Entertainers of the Year, Babylon star Brad Pitt — who worked alongside Henry in Bullet Train — pays tribute to his costar.
I was a fan before I ever worked with Brian. I saw him in Atlanta, and I thought, “This guy is hard,” in a good way. He’s the real deal, he’s hard. And then he got cast in If Beale Street Could Talk, for basically what is one extended scene, and I was so moved. I thought, “This guy runs deep.” For me, as an actor, it’s rare that you see someone and get surprised. He’s in this one scene, and he talks about his stint in prison, and it just floored me. The degree of subtlety and difficulty, it’s so finessed. You believe it. You feel this immense pain that the character’s carrying. It’s extraordinary. And then you meet Brian in person, and he’s funny as f—. He’s the kindest, sweetest soul. He’s just infectious to be around.
Pitt Praises Damien Chazelle for ‘Babylon’ Opulence: ‘That’s Not CG’
Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” is clearly the Oscar winning director’s most ambitious film to date. His sprawling tale of Old Hollywood debauchery boasts a three-hour run time, a seemingly endless list of characters, and an A-list cast featuring the likes of Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.
The project was a massive cinematic undertaking, but Chazelle’s cast thinks that he rose to the occasion. In a new interview with ScreenRant, Brad Pitt had nothing but praise for Chazelle and his visual skills as a filmmaker.
“First of all, it’s Damien Chazelle,” Pitt said when asked why he was interested in making the movie. “When he came on with ‘Whiplash,’ it was something new and fresh, and it had a kinetic energy that I hadn’t seen before. And, you know, he’s three for three. Now he’s four for four in my mind.”
Pitt went on to explain that the film’s over-the-top opulence was only possible due to Chazelle’s attention to detail and passion for Hollywood history.
“But this one was different in the sense that there’s always something new I’m finding with new directors, and everyone has their own language and style,” he said. “And what Damien gets so much… I mean, you look at this photo (a ‘Babylon’ poster) – that’s real. That’s not CG. This is all going on at once, and somehow he’s able to capture it all. And this thing moves at a pace that is, again, something I haven’t been a part of. It’s just like keeping up, really.”
Pitt’s Plan B, Mediawan Closes Deal for Majority Stake Sale
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment has closed a deal sell a majority stake to Mediawan, the pan-European media conglomerate.
The parties issued a press release confirming they had entered into a “definite agreement” for Mediawan to buy a “significant stake” in Plan B. Under the pact, which values the company over $300 million, Plan B is also taking a stake in Mediawan.
Plan B Entertainment, which is run by Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner, hired Moelis & Co. to shop for a buyer or potential investors in October. The banner was founded in 2001 by Pitt and Jennifer Aniston shortly after the pair married. Pitt eventually took over the banner after the two divorced in 2005. Its credits include “The Departed,” “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave,” all of which won the Oscar for best picture. The company recently produced “She Said,” a look at the journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story, as well as “Blonde,” an off-beat drama about Marilyn Monroe.
