‘Barry’ Actor Anthony Carrigan Teases ‘New Side’ of NoHo Hank in Season 3 (Exclusive)

Barry Season 3 premieres April 24, and series actor Anthony Carrigan recently teased that the forthcoming episodes will feature a “new side” of his character, NoHo Hank. Season 2 of the HBO comedy ended with Barry (Bill Hader) essentially betraying Hank and the Chechen mob, leaving the two men at what would be insurmountable odds for anyone else. Hank, however, is not just anyone, choosing to remain inexplicably hopeful and positive in the face of disloyalty. 

During an exclusive conversation with PopCulture.com, Carrigan offered some insight into how Hank has evolved, and continues to evolve, when we see him in Season 3. “As an actor you just really thirst for those times where you get to explore a different facet of a character,” he said, “explore how he’s being fleshed out in a certain way. And I think this season in particular, you just really do see a new side of Hank.” He later added, “There’s this aspect of everyone’s lives taking on… Well, everyone’s arc taking on a life of its own [in Season 3]. And at times Barry is the one who’s trying to keep up then with everyone else. And that’s a cool thing to see happening. And that’s what differentiates it from what’s been going on in prior seasons.”

Carrigan went on to say, “This show does a great job of really making you question who and what it is that you’re really rooting for, to the point where you can be like, ‘Wow, I really wanted that to happen.’ And that’s messed up. And what does that say about me? But it actually is a test meant to just… The show toeing the line of these morally ambiguous concepts and really playing with the idea of who’s the hero and who’s the villain.” In regards to where Season 3 finds Barry managing the relationships with the people in his life, Carrigan said, “Each of these characters, Hank included, I think, is trying so hard to make things work.”

While Carrigan has been part of so many incredible projects over the years, and has played so many phenomenal characters, he says that Hank “might be my favorite.” He elaborated, “I’m always leaving work in a much better mood than getting there because playing a character who’s just so buoyant and so sunny, but also so complicated as well is like a real exercise in… I don’t know, in empathy and understanding someone who’s flawed, someone who really means well, someone who’s trying hard. And I have a lot of love and compassion for this Chechen mob boss.” Barry Season 3 debuts Sunday, April 24, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, on HBO. Subscribers of HBO Max will also be able to stream the series when it premieres.