[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the first episode of Season 3 of Barry.]From co-creators Bill Hader and Alec Berg, the HBO dark comedy series Barry is back for an eight-episode third season, as Barry (Hader) would prefer to focus entirely on acting but instead keeps getting drawn back into the violent world of contract killing. While trying to be a supportive boyfriend to Sally (Sarah Goldberg), who’s getting her own TV series off the ground, and give a helping hand to his acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), who he’s feeling some well-placed guilt about, Barry can’t seem to stop being drawn back into the orbit of NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), which complicates everything.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Carrigan talked about the surprises in store for fans this season, how Season 3 evolved while they were on a break from filming due to COVID, what he’s loved about NoHo Hank from day one, Hank’s journey in Season 3, the Hank-Barry dynamic, and what makes Barry so special.
Collider: If the first four episodes of this season are any indication, Season 3 is going to be a wild one. What are you most excited about fans getting to see this season?
ANTHONY CARRIGAN: There’s the obvious thing, of getting to see these characters again and where they are now, which I think will be surprising to a lot of fans. I think people will have certain theories about where each of these characters have gotten to. Aside from that, I think what I’m really excited for is for people to see the detail that has been stitched in this season, in particular. Obviously we’ve had the super long hiatus and break, but what was able to be done during that break was to make this really special and really nuanced and just add so much detail to it. I’ve watched those few episodes a few times now, and I’m still picking up new things.
How did it work with the season? You were going to go into production, and you had scripts, but then Bill Hader decided to take time during COVID to figure out the next season, and then rework Season 3. Did you get new scripts? How did you find out about how that affected things?
CARRIGAN: Yeah, we would get scripts. But honestly, my favorite medium of learning about the storyline is honestly just talking to Bill. We would have these long phone conversations and he’d just get so excited about what he thought were gonna be great moments. Now granted, some of those things were red herrings because some of those things wouldn’t actually make it into the final cut. They would just be things that he thought were hilarious. But when those scripts did start to roll in, it was just a breath of fresh air, getting back to this thing that we all love to do and that we’re never gonna take for granted, ever again.
Did anything major ever change, at any point, that you were disappointed about?
CARRIGAN: You have to remain non-attached, in a certain way. There would be these brainstorming sessions, where he would talk to be and be like, “I think they’re gonna do this, and then this will happen, and then this will happen.” And I was just going with it and being like, “That’s incredible.” As far as I’m concerned, I would pay to see any of these ideas come to life, but obviously, the ones that they chose, they chose for a good reason.
What have you loved about NoHo Hank, from day one?
CARRIGAN: I think just how pure and sweet and innocent he is. Of course, he’s a Chechnyan mobster who’s a horrible person that’s done horrible things, but I have a soft spot for him in my heart. He’s just such a unique character. I haven’t played anyone else like this character. The writers have done such an amazing job, in terms of just giving me a gift of such beautiful writing. I’m just so grateful.
What do you enjoy most about the Hank of Season 3? With where he’s at now and what his mindset is now, what was the fun of that journey?
CARRIGAN: Up until this point, Hank has been predominantly focused and fixated on really making sure that his crime syndicate is a well-oiled machine, and that they’re essentially well-trained great guys that are super happy and super well-fed. This season, I think it’s gonna be really interesting to see a new side of Hank, and who Hank is behind closed doors. Getting to play that has just been phenomenal, as an actor, to flesh a character out in that way.
He is unnaturally excited and happy about being interrogated.
CARRIGAN: Yeah.
What kind of achievement is that for Hank, being interrogated, but not like actually getting punished for anything?
CARRIGAN: I think it’s equivalent to getting his wings. This is a moment to prove himself. This is an initiation of sorts. He’s excited to try to prove himself. Does it completely work? I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. But he certainly gives it his all, as he always does.
What was it like to shoot all of that and to see Hank have his Law & Order moment?
CARRIGAN: Great, especially considering I was on Law & Order and got to have that moment too, as an actor. I was in a room with these incredible actors, doing this scene, which was just a playground for me. I got to go in so many different directions because it switches from one thing to the next. You think he’s in control, and he’s not. It was a real exercise as an actor, in terms of just having fun and playing.
I absolutely love the relationship between Hank and Cristobal. It’s giving me life, on this show. How has that been to find and navigate with Michael Irby? What have you enjoyed about working with him and exploring that dynamic?
CARRIGAN: What’s so funny is that it just happened so naturally. We never really had to have extra conversations, in terms of who these guys are with each other. It basically all just started happening pretty organically. That kind of trust to have with another actor is just fantastic. I can’t say enough things about Michael Irby. He’s such an amazing actor. He so funny. He’s such a generous performer. I think his work in this season, in particular, just pops.
I couldn’t stop laughing during the scene between you and him, where you’re laying in bed and arguing. What was that like to shoot?
CARRIGAN: Don’t get me wrong, there were certain elements of that scene, just in terms of it being a conversation that many people will have, which is an argument disguised as a conversation. We had such a blast. It actually didn’t take that long to shoot, but the scene itself was just so much fun. We were cracking up a lot, actually.
How was that scene to read, the first time you read it? What was your first impression of it?
CARRIGAN: There are times where even just reading it, you can hear it and see it. That’s a testament to just how brilliant the writing is. You can just see it all unfolding before. And then, when you shoot it, it somehow turns out even better than you imagined.
Clearly, Hank’s relationship with Cristobal is important to him. Do you feel like Hank has more of a work/life balance this season? Is that something he actively actually wants?
CARRIGAN: It’s one of those dynamics that is a common theme in the season, which is compartmentalizing. You’re compartmentalizing who you are in business and who you are in your personal life, and when that line begins to blur, specifically with this show, things start to get very dangerous. I think that gets ramped up even more this season, as opposed to the last couple of seasons. That’s gonna be a treat for audience members.
Things are not terribly great between Barry and Hank, at the beginning of the season, but Barry does need Hank, so he’ll have to work through that a bit. How would you describe their relationship, at this point? Do they just need each other, whether they like it or not?
CARRIGAN: Yeah, that’s hitting the nail on the head. Obviously, it’s a situation where Hank started from a place of idolizing Barry, as this hitman extraordinaire. He’s so talented, he’s so handsome, and everything about him is just so wonderful. And then, Barry does start to tick Hank off a little bit. He takes advantage of him. And this is an opportunity where Hank will stand up for himself, for the first time. Obviously, it’s true friendship, so they’ll always try to come back to each other. We’ll see.
How has it been to work and collaborate with Bill Hader on this? What’s it like to work alongside him and have your characters evolve together, but also have him so creatively involved and directing episodes? What is it like to have a co-star who is also wearing all of those hats?
CARRIGAN: What’s funny is that you wouldn’t actually know that he’s wearing all those hats because he’s doing it so effortlessly. It’s so easy to think, “Oh, he’s just acting right now. That’s it.” But what’s fascinating is that he’s doing all these things at once. We’ll be shooting a scene and we’ll be doing his coverage, and you can see the wheels turning. He’ll be acting with you, but then he’ll stop and be like, “Wait, let’s go back to this line.” And then, he’ll stop at a certain point because he’s already editing it in his head. He’s already editing what he needs. It’s so cool to have someone who just knows what he’s doing, trusts his vision, and is able to communicate clearly and effectively. As an actor, it’s very refreshing to have another actor who’s directing you, who speaks the language.
You’ve been in this business and you’ve been a working actor for a while now, and you’ve played quite a variety of interesting characters. What makes Barry special? What makes the show stand out as different for you?
CARRIGAN: It’s a really tough show to pin down exactly what it is. I find that that’s the most interesting thing. If you were to tell a friend, “It’s a show about a hitman from the Midwest who moves to Los Angeles to become an actor,” you immediately think, “Okay. Yeah. Sure.” But when you actually watch the show and you see how nuanced it is and how it’s tonally unlike anything else on television, all of a sudden, you’re watching something that is so unique and is the type of thing that just leads you to think about it. You question, “Well, who’s in the right, in this situation?,” or “Is this person actually a hero? Is this person actually a villain?” It really leaves you with some real questions.
I’m always terrified for pretty much every character on this show, at all times.
CARRIGAN: Yeah.
What can you say about what’s to come for your character, in the second half of the season? How worried for him should we be?
CARRIGAN: Oh, boy. Hank is the eternal optimist, or eternal optometrist, as he would put it. It gets intense. It gets really intense this season. #PrayForHank He’s barely getting by, but he’s trying his best. Bless his heart.
Barry airs on Sunday nights on HBO and is available to stream at HBO Max.