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Alfred had yet another misadventure onAtlanta.
Brian Tyree Henry’s Alfred Miles, a.k.a.
Credit: Curtis Baker/FX; David Crotty/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Paper Boi, has been struggling to adjust his newfound level of fame since season 2 started.
In fact, he’s kind of resisted it.
Well, that’s changed after Thursday’s episode.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Where did the idea for this episode come from?
That obviously starts changing once he gets more exposure and once he sort of steps into the entertainment industry.
I think fame is a tricky thing because you are sort of available to everyone at all times.
It was a pretty simple: He has to either embrace that or not.
“Woods” is tonally different than “Barbershop,” which you also wrote.
The latter was a pretty comedic episode, whereas this one was kind of dark.
What was the most challenging part about writing this episode?
Conveying grief the right way.
It’s sort of within this grief that he sort of has this awakening.
It’s sort of nice to peel back the layer and show him cry and feel.
I still feel this way now, but I don’t know how people are going to react that.
There is anAlice in Wonderlandquality to it, of Alfred walking through the woods and meeting the Cheshire Cat.
Can we expect some decision to be made about the future of their professional relationship?
Yeah, I think that definitely plays into it.
Yeah, I won’t say more on it, but it’s definitely something that’s percolating.
What attracts you to the character of Alfred?
But I’m drawn to Paper Boi and Alfred because I think there is something so complex about him.
There’s almost a weird Kurt Cobain-ness to him, if that makes sense.
You see that inlast seasonand this season as well.
I think that’s so well encapsulated in the pilot episode, actually.
But it’s like, at what cost?
At the same time, I think it’s very natural for people to want safety and security.
Your career is also taking off right now.
In the fall, yousigned an overall deal with FX.
Do you relate to Alfred’s struggle to adjust to fame?
Yeah, I’d say so for sure.
I think there is an adjustment period.
It is sort of this weird push and pull that’s happening, to be completely honest.
It is a confusing time when it hasn’t been a part of your life at all.
It’s an interesting transition, for sure.
Have you found ways of making this transition period more bearable or manageable?
The best way to make it bearable is to enjoy it, which is hard.
It’s not going to last forever, and recognizing that makes it a lot more fun.
There are parts that are incredibly stressful and hard, and that’s just life.
But if you just overthink it or fight the current, then it’s not fun.
Atlantaairs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX.
