To kill or not to kill
Bill hader is calling it quits on the assassin game as a bored hitman in dark comedy series Barry.
Sketch- comedy superstar Bill Hader admits that he’s dug “almost all the way to China” to create one of TV’s driest, crustiest, most unsatisfied hitmen in Barry (2018- current). “Just look at his face – he literally would rather be doing anything else than being here, forced to kill people for money,” says Bill, who is the lead star, co- creator and executive producer. “Look, this guy is good at what he does – he’s a retired Marine and he’s been to war. He’s seen so much bloodshed. This guy sits and plays videogames during the day and then gets a call from his handler Fuches (Stephen Root, Judge Mike Reardon in action show Justified, 2010-2015).” And it’s this relationship between employer and employee that drives the show, because while Barry is ready to hang up his guns for good, his manager can’t afford to lose him. Little does Fuches know that he’s the one who sends Barry running towards his next career: acting in stage plays.
JUST BEING BARRY
Episode 1 sees Barry take a holiday to Los Angeles. It’s more of a working trip because he’s been hired to take out “easy target” Ryan (Tyler Jacob Moore, Tony in dramedy Shameless, 2011- current). The aspiring theatre actor is sleeping with Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg, Lolly in 2015 comedy series Hindsight) and that has upset Barry’s new employers. He’s flown out to LA and is greeted by white-as-a-sheet hairless Chechen gangster NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan, hitman Victor Zsasz in sci-fi action show Gotham, 2014- current). NoHo does all the talking for his awkward sweater-wearing mob boss Goran Pazar (Glenn Fleshler, Orrin Bach in drama series Billions, current; see more on p51). Barry is handed his assignment in the most awkward hitman- client meeting ever seen, complete with a graphic video of the offence and he starts his investigating. Cue a new line of work…
WHO’S ACTING?
Barry follows Ryan and Sally to their acting class, run in a dingy backroom theatre by “acting master’ Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, Flip in comedy show New Girl, 2011- current) who is less skilled at acting and more adept at taking cash-only fees from his students and moving venues to “a nice empty space that has better acoustics,” says Gene in his sneaky voice.
Barry follows Ryan into the class in episode 1 and is mistaken for one of the students, which he doesn’t protest too much. It’s clear that Ryan, Gene and the rest of the wannabe actors have “absolutely no clue what they’re doing”, laughs Bill, “but it opens Barry’s eyes. He realises that he can walk away from being a gun for hire and rather take up this ‘hobby’ as a new profession.” Not that it’s going to sit well with Fuches or the Chechens, who’re not happy that their hitman is spending time prancing around a stage instead of taking out his target. They should remember that Barry’s got a gun and he’s not afraid to use it…
FOR THE FIRST TIME
While Bill has taken the reins as director on each episode, he didn’t film the pilot because he was too nervous: “I’ve never done it before and I wanted it to be done properly. You have a certain view when you’re in front of the camera and we really wanted this show to do well, so we brought in a team of people who know their stuff.” And while it’s too early for a season renewal at the moment, Bill is already planning a second season, adding that “maybe Barry will end up in a Hollywood movie or a TV series. But we are already throwing ideas around, just waiting for that renewal call…”