In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into HBO Max’s beloved series, “Barry” from Bill Hader and Alec Berg. The show follows a hitman named Barry (Bill Hader) who stumbles into an acting class on the job and finds a real passion for theater. As the lines between his life as a hired killer and as an actor begin to blur, Barry must do all he can to keep his new life afloat without anyone finding out about his dark past and other, more deadly pursuits (read our Season 3 review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, actor Anthony Carrigan stops by to talk about bringing everyone’s favorite Chechen mobster, Noho Hank, to life. Anthony went as far back as shooting the pilot when recalling how he knew the character was working.
“I kind of knew that things were catching on in a way, because the first line that I had in the pilot was, ‘Hey, man!’ And, basically, from after I said that line I just started hearing it around set from people in the crew or like just people who were loading the trucks and grips would be like, ‘Hey, man! Pass me that filter!” Carrigan said.
And, while Noho Hank was supposed to die in the pilot by Barry’s hand, Alec Berg and Bill Hader knew they had to keep him around, to the point that Hank is still alive and failing upward right on into Season 3.
“He’s got no choice, really. It’s just the way that he operates. He really does believe that what he’s doing is the smartest possible thing.” Carrigan says of his character surviving disaster after disaster. “And he’s so committed to that way of doing things that it somehow miraculously works out, but don’t get me wrong, Hank, this season, is starting to gain a little more self-awareness in ways that he definitely did not have in previous seasons. And for that reason, I think he’s starting to think about more of what he needs and less about what other people need.”
There’s also been a healthy amount of fan requests for a Noho Hank spin-off show, and, one can only assume that the excellent third season will do nothing but increase those requests. When asked if he’d want Hank to have his own show, Carrigan was on the fence.
“I don’t know. I think, in a way, I like to be blissfully unaware of what’s up next for Hank. So, you know, if something were to transpire, I think I, in a very Hank fashion, would be like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s great! Definitely! Sign me up, mister!’ But it would be a genuine shock and genuine surprise. I wouldn’t necessarily want to try to orchestrate anything.”
Season 3 of “Barry” debuted this past Friday, April 24th. You can listen to the entire podcast below:
Bingeworthy is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse & more. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.