NoHo Hank Actor Anthony Carrigan Details Work With Bill Hader On Barry And A Film Icon's Season 4 Cameo - Exclusive Interview
Contains spoilers for a cameo in the upcoming Season 4, Episode 3 of "Barry"
Since 2018, Anthony Carrigan has no doubt been on one of the wildest rides of his career playing NoHo Hank, the hilariously offbeat Chechen hitman-turned-mob boss on the dark comedy series "Barry." Not only has Carrigan won critical acclaim for his work on the series, but he's also earned a pair of best supporting actor in a comedy series nominations for the second and third seasons, and he'll surely be a serious contender for the fourth and final season of "Barry," which debuts Sunday, April 16, on HBO and Max.
The title character of "Barry," of course, is played by actor-writer-director Bill Hader, who begins Season 4 behind bars. Barry was arrested at the conclusion of Season 3 in connection with the murder of police Detective Janice Moss (Paula Newsome), the girlfriend of his narcissistic acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). Meanwhile, Barry's girlfriend, Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg), is in complete shock over the drastic turn of events; NoHo Hank and his former mob rival-turned-lover and crime cohort Cristobal Sifuentes (Michael Irby) are not only reeling from their near executions at end of Season 3, but they're also facing a new threat from Barry's former mentor Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root). On top of that, NoHo Hank receives a desperate plea from Barry — who, despite their ups and downs, he still considers a friend — as the Midwest hitman-turned-Hollywood actor faces an uncertain fate in prison.
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Carrigan explained why working on "Barry" with Bill Hader has been such a thrill and revealed some of his favorite NoHo Hank lines. He also gushed about his scene with a film icon who makes a cameo appearance in Episode 3 this season and gave his thoughts on the show coming to an end after only four seasons.
Carrigan loves how Barry nails a very difficult tone
One of the first bits of dialogue I heard in the fourth season is a line by Sarah Goldberg, who says, "The guy I was dating in LA killed my acting teacher's girlfriend." This is one of the many great lines of the dialogue that Bill Hader wrote for this season for you, Sarah, Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, and other actors in "Barry" — where else would you hear a line like that? It must make you feel like, "I'm one of the luckiest actors on earth to be able to say this dialogue."
Without a doubt. I'm counting my blessings still that I was on a job so special, so smart. It's something that is unlike anything else on television. The tone that it strikes is such a difficult tone to nail. The fact that it can swing from one direction to the other in 30 minutes' time is a testament to how brilliant it is. To be of service to it is a remarkable experience. I'm so grateful.
This somewhat puts you on the spot because you have four seasons of great dialogue. We can't discuss all the aspects of Season 4, but if there's a line that sticks out to you on the series — a NoHo Hank line that you're most proud of uttering — is there one in particular, or do you have a bunch?
I don't know. I have a bunch. I get yelled at constantly from fans, their favorite ones. "50/50!" with Cristobal, even sometimes with the dance as well. That's one that I get all the time. The line about Fleetwood Mac — "You guys are like Fleetwood Mac. You break up, you get together. You break up again, you get back together, and then you create a great album like 'The Best of Fleetwood Mac.'" These are things that I'm like, "How do people come up with this stuff? They're hysterical." To get to say them is the coolest.
Carrigan geeked out over his cameo scene with a film legend
HBO PR said it's okay to mention this — I don't like spoiling things, nonetheless, but how surreal was it to share the screen with a major Hollywood icon like Guillermo del Toro, who plays Toro in Episode 3? He's one of my favorite people in Hollywood. What an icon — and all of the sudden, Hank and Cristobal are on the screen with Toro. What's going through your head at that time?
I feel lucky that I was chosen to share the screen with the aforementioned character and a legend of Hollywood. It's such a rad experience, because one of the things that people will see and know is that he's the coolest, most down-to-earth, and most open-hearted person I've ever come across. He's hilarious, too. Oh my God, that scene is so funny. He's so funny. He knocks it out of the park, and I can't wait [for viewers to see it]. People are going to flip out.
Fans are going to flip out. Did you geek out with him over his stuff afterward?
Definitely. I let it peek out a little bit, but I could have stayed there all day to pick his brain and chew his ear off about how talented he is. I hope to keep that ball rolling because I have a lot more great things to say to him. I hope to get to say them to him soon.
The changing demeanors of NoHo Hank and Barry
NoHo Hank and Cristobal are on the edge at the beginning of Season 4, which is understandable with all the tumult they went through at the end of Season 3. They're both paranoid. Maybe Hank is partly delusional, and the tension is definitely affecting their romance. Still, playing that intensity has to be one of the greatest joys of working on "Barry." You must feel like, "Wow, I get to give NoHo Hank even more dimension this season."
For sure. It's cool because each season, progressively, I've gotten a chance to explore a different facet of this character. Even from the very beginning, even if he hadn't changed at all, I was so thrilled to be playing a character that was so different, funny, and out there. But then to explore this different, deeper aspect of who he is, of his psyche, and ultimately things that lend themselves to real pathos and a real dimension of human being — it's the opportunity of a lifetime. All I was trying to do was live up to the writing and be in service of this incredible character.
I'm sure that you've gotten to know Bill Hader well over these past four seasons, and he's shown a lot of range with the dark comedic stuff. But man, Bill goes dark this season.
Yes.
On top of that, you get to see him behind the camera with everything materializing all at once as the actor and the director. Witnessing how Bill is taking the character deeper into the darkness than we've seen before, you must be flabbergasted.
It's insane. Don't get me wrong — the darkness that you see on the screen is not at all matched by the tone on set. Bill as a director is so lighthearted, playful, and excited about what he's working on. It's infectious. When Bill's laughing or when Bill is excited about something, everyone else is excited, too — especially the darker stuff, that's when you have to keep it light and buoyant. But I'm so impressed with how the show manages to strike that tone. It's such a difficult thing to do, but it does it so well. I think it's going to really wow audiences this fourth season [with] how deftly it navigates it.
With Barry coming to an end, Carrigan would love to jump back into comic book adaptations
I'm such a big fan of the series, so I'm saddened to see you coming to an end with Season 4. It's like "Succession," were you think, "Four seasons? We could watch more than that!" Still, are you satisfied with all that you've accomplished in these four seasons, or do you think it could have gone longer?
Selfishly, I want it to go on forever, but at the same time, I know that we're ending it at the right time. We're ending it at a time that is going to maintain its integrity, which is going to keep what we've done intact and can keep it that lean, intelligent machine that it is. We're backing up at the right time for sure.
In my opinion, one of the most menacing villains in the DC Universe, film, and television is your Victor Zsasz in "Gotham." Looking ahead, do you have any aspirations to leap back into the comic book superhero TV or film realm now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking the DC Universe in an all-new direction? Is there a character in that realm in DC or maybe Marvel that you'd love to play?
There's a few. I don't want to name names specifically because I would be happy with any number of them. I want to surprise myself. I want to surprise other people with what I can bring to the table. I love that world, and it's a world that I want to play in again. I love those guys, and I'm excited to collaborate and see what we can drum up.
How about one name, Anthony? Let's put the feelers out there, because I want to see you there!
All right — DC, I would say, obviously, Lex Luthor. He is the go-to bald guy for sure, but I would have a field day with that ... Deadman as well. Deadman would be a rad one. I would have such a good time playing Deadman. Silver Surfer on the Marvel side of things would be cool. But again, I'm down to [create] a fun character with whatever I'm given and surprising the hell out of people, so let's go. Let's do it!
"Barry" Season 4 debuts Sunday, April 16, on HBO and Max.
This interview was edited for clarity.