Brian Tyree Henry Played The General In The Original Broadway Production Of Book Of Mormon, And It Changed His Life [Exclusive]
Brian Tyree Henry is an actor who carved his initials into some of Hollywood's biggest stories, including an as yet brief stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an inventive godlike figure in "Eternals." In 2022 alone, he starred in two films that couldn't be more different, Sony's ensemble action comedy "Bullet Train" and the Apple TV+ drama "Causeway," a traumatic story also starring Jennifer Lawrence. In nearly every project that he features, Henry is a noted stand out who goes the extra mile, with our own "Causeway" reviewer Chris Evangelista describing his performance as one varnished in a "warm, looming presence" and brimming with "slow, methodical ... pregnant pauses that seem to say more than the words themselves."
That's why it's funny, almost dissonant, to imagine his abilities blending with anything related to "South Park," and yet, that's exactly what happened back in 2011. Early in Henry's career, the actor took the stage on Broadway in "The Book of Mormon," an irreverent religious comedy about a couple missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that was written by the co-creators of "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone, as well as Robert Lopez, who would go on to co-create the music and lyrics for Disney's "Frozen."
In an interview with our own Ethan Anderton, as part of the press coverage for "Causeway," Henry described his professional musical theatre debut as being a life-changing experience.
Brian Tyree Henry adored South Park
Near the close of the aforementioned interview, Ethan Anderton broached the topic of "The Book of Mormon" and Brian Tyree Henry dove into the topic with a heartful response. He shared how "South Park" injected his childhood with unforgettable humor and reems of quotable material. He also spoke about how he felt when the opportunity to become a Broadway performer arose, saying:
"I had always respected musicals, but I never saw myself in one. That's just a certain discipline that I wasn't sure that I had. But when Trey Parker and Matt Stone ask you to be a part of their musical, you say, 'yes' ... I thought they were geniuses in how they could really take what was going on in real life and make it a satire and make it just as filthy, but also just as timely ... they wanted me to play the part of The General ... and I never thought that it would blow up the way it did ... I was like, 'My character is saying f*** every night on stage in front of a Broadway community that isn't used to hearing f*** on stage' ... I get to blow a dude's brains out on stage every night and say, 'f*** you, God,' on Christmas. What are we doing?!"
Like we said earlier, "The Book of Mormon" is deeply irreverent. The bits that Henry is referring to here aren't even the wildest things that his antagonistic character, inappropriately named "General Butt-F**king Naked, does in the show. And since this is a production from the co-creators of "South Park," you can guess the kind of content he's talking about. Or you can watch the clip above from the musical's showcase at The Tonys on CBS.
Eight shows a week changes a man
It wasn't all four-letter-words and nostalgia, though. "The Book of Mormon" drug Brian Tyree Henry through his paces. Any theatre kid worth their jazz hands knows how intense a professional run can be, especially if the show features dancing. While Henry was lucky enough to dodge the choreography, he still faced a challenge of endurance. Henry went on to discuss just how consuming a Broadway run could be — consuming, but rewarding. He said:
"It was an experience that truly, truly helped me grow, man. The people that I met in this, it changed my life. It helped me understand collaboration, because it was a true collaborative piece that we did ... It's the hardest thing I think I've done, as far as stage is concerned. Everybody who does a Broadway musical deserves some kind of accolade ... it is really hard to do eight shows a week, six days a week, and 'Book of Mormon' created a phenomenon even before 'Hamilton.' People were in the streets. You had to block our streets off, and the ticket raffles were crazy. It was everywhere. So I'm really honored. And it also gave me the opportunity to perform at the Tonys ... I'll never forget that. They had to bleep me on the Tonys. It was a crazy thing. But yeah, man, it was truly a life-changing experience and one I'm truly grateful for."
While Henry has yet to return to Broadway proper, his subsequent off-Broadway (there's a whole tiered system) credits suggest that the Great White Way isn't really closed to him. Maybe he's still catching his breath? We certainly would be. But as far as starring in a live-action musical movie, Henry also told us, "It's not off the table. You might be surprised soon."