Before shooting their first major scene together in Apple TV+’s “Dope Thief,” Wagner Moura pulled Brian Tyree Henry into a makeshift green room and pressed his forehead against his costar’s. Moura had been hired only days earlier and had no time to prepare.
“We grab each other’s forearms, and he’s like, ‘My name is Wagner Moura. I’m Brazilian. I have three kids. I’m married. I’m incredibly scared. I don’t really know what’s going on. English is not my first language,’” Henry said. “I’m like, ‘That’s cool. My name is Brian. I’ve got your back. I’m scared too. No matter what, just look at me if you need anything. I promise I’ll never leave your side.’ And I meant it.”
Created by Peter Craig (an Oscar nominee for his “Top Gun: Maverick” script), “Dope Thief” tells the story of two men who became friends while incarcerated as teenagers. After their release, Ray (Henry) concocts a seemingly victimless scheme: He and Manny (Moura) pretend to be DEA agents and rob low-level drug dealers of their supply and cash. But when the two target a dealer who is a much bigger player than they realized, their lives spiral. At its core, “Dope Thief” tests the bonds of friendship — what would you and your best friend do if you were
being hunted by an unrelenting drug lord?
TheWrap: Ray and Manny’s relationship is fascinating because they love each other as friends, but as the series progresses, it becomes more toxic. How did you construct this relationship?
Wagner Moura: There’s a lot of love and explicit demonstrations of love, which I think is beautiful among two men and two friends. You can see that they care for each other. They touch each other; they hug each other. I have not seen that in this kind of show. There’s lots of love, but [by the end of the show] it’s not healthy anymore.
Brian Tyree Henry: We didn’t want this to fall into this classic trope of a Black and brown man with drugs and violence and all that sh-t that we have seen a million times. We really wanted their love to be the thing. I remember thinking when I met Wagner, I want to know him for the rest of my life. There was an immense want to care for one another that came so naturally for the both of us that it couldn’t help but reflect in the series. Peter watched and saw that there was no place for bravado. There was no place for machismo.
We see these men at their lowest. We see them cry. How did you channel that?
Moura: Manny is probably the most vulnerable character I’ve ever played. In every single scene, his heart and his soul are completely exposed. I connected with that empathy that I felt for him. It’s so well done because Ray is cerebral. He wants to control the situation. He thinks he can take care of everything. Ray is Batman and Manny is Robin. Another thing about this character is that he’s an artist. He drew birds on Ray’s cast when they were little, and Ray tattooed those birds on his arm. If you see his house, there are many drawings that he did. So he has this sensitivity, which makes him suffer even more.
Henry: They are both doing terrible jobs of hiding from themselves. So for me to lock into that, I had to remember when I was that guy, truly. I do that with every character that I play. I have to come from a place of, what would I need to see if it was not me? If this show came out and it wasn’t me playing it, what would I want to see?
How did you emotionally reset after big scenes?
Moura: You start learning how to protect yourself. When I was doing “Narcos” [playing Pablo Escobar], for example, it was a very violent show and I got that question. The answer is you go into your mind. But what’s interesting with actors is that things happen in our bodies. So your mind is free of everything, but it’s almost as if the characters continue somehow in your body. You do a very emotional scene and when you finish, your mind is like, “OK, good. The scene was great. I’m going to go home. I’m going to have a beer.” But when you grab a glass of water, your hand is shaking because your body doesn’t know.
Henry: Five years ago, if this had come to me, I would not have had the tools to get through it at all because Ray asked for quite a lot by asking for so little. To see his struggle with grief and loss was real to me. It was very important to me to see him battling addiction and to see him battling to make it day after day. It was all very exciting, but it was all very exposing at the same time, because I had to be honest with everyone on set. I had to be like, “I don’t really know if I’m ready to confront this relationship with my father yet.” But Ray has some words that he has to say [about his father]. “I don’t think I’m ready to confront suicidal ideations just yet.” Have I confronted my own? I have my own systems in place. I was going to therapy every week. I was making sure that I was talking to people I needed to talk to. I would talk to Wagner. So I’m grateful because me five years ago would not have done that. Me five years ago would have absolutely bled out.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
This story first ran in the Limited Series & TV Movies issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the Limited Series & TV Movies issue here.
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