Actor Brian Tyree Henry talks about his love of villains and says there’s always more behind these characters than meets the eye. “Transformers One” It’s scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters on September 20th.
Henry voices the young Megatron, also known as D-16. The film tells the origin story of Megatron and Optimus Prime, once friends and rivals.
Henry, an Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award-nominated actor, says he’s had a lifelong fascination with villains.
“When I was a kid, my parents would always buy me villain toys… and I would play with them like they were heroes. I always felt like villains were misunderstood,” he told “CBS Mornings.” “We always portray them as dark and evil, but they somehow got there. What happened?”
So it was important for Henry to take on the role of young Megatron.
“I wanted to get to the heart of who Megatron is. I wanted people to walk out of the theater and say, ‘You know, I actually get it. I feel it. I might be a Decepticon right now. ‘”
Henry explained that he tried to put himself into the characters at that moment, thinking that viewers would meet Megatron and Optimus Prime when they were 18 or 20 years old.
“In this film, you can actually hear them as children, you can hear them laugh. You can hear them joke. You can hear their fears and their dreams.”
So when he was preparing for the role, he thought about moving to Atlanta when he was 18 and going to Morehouse College.
“I was just a young, smart, incredibly stubborn kid trying to figure out how to be a man,” he said.
Henry also stars in “The Fire Inside,” which is set to hit theaters in December. He said he tries to focus on the heart of every character he plays.
“I’ve been introduced to a lot of characters who are people you wouldn’t want to invite into your living room or people you’d rather turn your back on,” Henry said. “I think every guy I’ve been fortunate enough to play is someone we know, and I think they should be reflected.”
“Transformers One” will be distributed by Paramount Pictures, part of CBS parent company Paramount Global.
