Anthony Carrigan interview: ‘Barry’

WARNING: Spoilers ahead in this article and video about the series finale.

In the end, there was no happy ending for NoHo Hank. In the recently-aired series finale of HBO’s dark comedy “Barry,” everyone’s favorite Chechen gangster was one of several main characters to meet an untimely demise. But for Anthony Carrigan, who earned Emmy nominations in 2019 and 2022 for his work as Hank, the ending made perfect sense. In an exclusive video interview with Gold Derby (watch above), Carrigan describes his last day on set, Hank’s choices in the final season and what causes Hank’s “house of cards” to come down around him.

While the final season of “Barry” begins with Hank in domestic bliss with boyfriend Cristobal (Michael Irby), it isn’t long before circumstances force Hank to take drastic action in order to survive. Those choices ultimately result in Hank ordering Cristobal’s murder, leaving the happy-go-lucky Chechen past the point of no return. When the series jumps forward in time, Hank is a rich businessman, but is still in denial about how he acquired his power.

“With Hank, the fact that he was not able to be honest about the fact that he was responsible for the death of his love comes crashing down in a really intense way,” argues Carrigan. “I think that ultimately what you see is Hank sees the reality of the choices he’s made.”

That failure to accept responsibility ultimately leads to Hank’s death at the hands of Fuchs (Stephen Root). Carrigan argues that it is that sense of denial that causes Hank to destroy himself. “You have to keep that kind of belief about what you want to be true,” he says. “So that’s the question at the end: can he come to terms with it? Unfortunately, the tragic part is he can’t.”

Ironically enough in an industry where plot chronology and shooting schedules are rarely in sync, Hank’s death was also Carrigan’s last day of filming. He vividly recalls his emotions on that final day. “I made such an intention to soak it all in and take stock of just how marvelous these past seven years have been,” he says. “It’s really special. ‘Barry’ is a really special show and I didn’t wanna waste anytime by worrying about anything. I really just wanted to talk to the crew and appreciate every second of it because when you have something that special and that unique, you’ve got to take stock and be very grateful for it.”