'Atlanta' star Brian Tyree Henry: TV should 'reflect the lives of (all) people'

From left, Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks and Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in a scene from FX's 'Atlanta.' (Photo: Guy D'Alema, FX)

Fearless.

It’s not just a saccharine tagline uniting FX's channels. It’s the ethos of the network, a tenor that Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry says other networks should take note of.

Because it was that very fearlessness that prompted FX to greenlight Atlanta, actor-musician Donald Glover’s auteur project chronicling life in the city affectionately known as the black Mecca.

"It shouldn't be taking a chance at this point," Henry says, "but, you know, most networks still feel that way. Most people are still afraid to put people like (Atlanta characters) Earn and Paper Boi in folks' living rooms at night."

"What does it serve us to act like we don’t know what’s going on?" the actor asks. "What good does it do when... we constantly have to face discrimination and judgment … and (are told) that our black women aren’t worthy enough and that our black men need to go to jail? What does it serve any studio to not reflect the lives of people who are giving you money, who are crying out to you, 'Hey, please tell our stories.'"

Atlanta wanted to tell those stories — not in a removed, voyeuristic way but with the kind of tacit empathy that only comes from a writing staff and cast members that know the struggle all too well.

"I feel like our show is trying to show the absurdity of how people walk in this world and the absurdity of these prejudices and micro-aggressions," Henry says.

And as Atlanta casts a spotlight on the black experience, Henry says he hopes just having that representation helps to normalize inclusivity in television.

"What we’re hoping that this show has opened up is 1) conversation, 2) visibility and 3) unity," he says. "You know, I hope that there’s a little black boy somewhere in Montana that never thought that he would see a reflection of himself and he turns on the television like, 'Oh my God, thank you.' And that doesn’t just go for our show. That goes for the Black-ishs of the world, that goes for the Insecures of the world… and I don't want to be just called diversity in television. I want to just be called television. This should be the norm. I feel like Atlanta is walking side-by-side with these other shows that are pushing for this ... and I hope people continue to embrace it."