Barryis a great mix of comedy and drama, and its star-studded cast perfectly understands the assignment. Set in LA’s chaotic arts scene, the show is centered around Barry, a hitman who attempts to get rid of his violent past and give acting a try, causing the lives of everyone around him to fall apart.
Barryis a show unlike any other, and offers new exciting facets from Bill Hader, who not only takes the lead role, but is also one of the producers, writers, and directors of the show. The role of the anti-hero here is constantly put at stake, taking the character to unbelievable extremes as fans find themselves cheering for anyone but him. It takes a lot of talent to switch from comedy to drama, sometimes even horror, so quickly, but the cast ofBarryhas an incredible repertoire to exalt their talent.
Jaeden Martell & Bill Hader — It Chapter One & Two (2017-2019)
Barry’s final scene left many fans wondering where they knew Barry’s grown-up son from, and the answer is the latest adaptation of Stephen King’sIt. Although the young actor,Jaeden Martell, doesn’t have more than 10 minutes of screen time in the whole show, his quick appearance wrapsBarrywith the perfect punch line. Divided into two parts, the first following a group of friends when they are teenagers and the second revolving around their older selves reuniting,Itis about the loss of innocence in the face of an ancient supernatural threat: a shape-shifting monster that haunts the city of Derry every 27 years.
Itis a special recommendation forBarryfans because it not only features Martell, but alsoBill Haderhimself. While he doesn’t play Martell’s older version, Hader is another fan favorite in the film, Richie, the group’s comical relief. Similar to his performance inBarry, Hader brings a lot of pain underneath Richie’s humorous surface. Additionally, Hader might have been highly influenced byIt’s narrative as he recently opened up about wishing todirect a horror movieafterBarry.
Related:Barry: The Real Meaning of Season 4’s Time Jump
Stephen Root — Office Space (1999)
Stephen Root’s talent for comedy dates way back to the late-80s, but his iconic performance as Milton Waddams inOffice Spacebrought him to a whole other level. Root takes over the role of Fuches inBarry, breaking every best-buddy stereotype as he extorts his best friend Barry in every possible way. However, his character is so outrageously funny that it becomes harder and harder to truly hate him.
InOffice Space, Milton is an introverted employee who seems to be constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He can’t finish a whole sentence without stuttering and is constantly ignored by his colleagues, but when Milton gets caught up in a secret scheme orchestrated by his co-workers he earns the chance of his lifetime. Among other hilarious stars such as Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston, Root steals the show to himself in this accurateportrayal of modern office culture.
Sarah Goldberg — The Night House (2020)
Sarah Goldberg’s career shows that she knows a thing or two about range. While comedy is her comfort zone, Golbderg explores the horror genre in an underrated supernatural thriller:The Night House. The film follows Beth, a widow struggling to recover from her husband’s unexpected suicide. Alone in their luxurious lake house, a series of disturbing secrets about her husband leads Beth to unleash an unspeakable evil in the house.
Goldberg plays Claire, Beth’s supportive best friend. While her screen time is limited, her chemistry with Rebecca Hall, amongtoday’s best actors, delivers great moments of relief amid the film’s terrifying moments. As opposed to Goldberg’s character inBarry, an over-the-top actress trying to find her place in LA, her performance inThe Night Houseis subtle and grounded.
Anthony Carrigan — Gotham (2014-2019)
Barry’s most likable character, NoHo Hank, won the fans' hearts with his sweet, passive-aggressive attributes, butAnthony Carrigan’s hilarious performance has nothing to do with his frightening role as Victor Zsasz inGotham.
The show adapts the darkest aspects of Bruce Wayne’s lore to create a compelling crime drama centered around Detective James Gordon, one of the few genuinely good men in a city swept by corruption and violence. Carrigan’s Zsasz is a recurring villain in the show, a ruthless hitman who quickly climbs up the food chain by becoming one of the most influential people in Gotham, and also one of the most violent.
Related:Barry: How the HBO Show Questions if Psychopaths Can Ever Change
Henry Winkler — Arrested Development (2003-2019)
Similar to his character Gene Cousineau,Henry Winklermight be the most influential actor in the star-studded cast ofBarry. He’s been an active figure in the entertainment industry ever since the 70s and starred in many popular projects, such as the showHappy Daysand the moviesHolesandClick. However,Arrested Developmentstands out as a perfect option forBarryfans, for those who haven’t already watched it.
The show went through a lot of ups and downs, canceled when it was at its best, thenbrought back by Netflixyears later with still a few glimpses of brilliance — the overall result is still one of the funniest shows of all time.Arrested Developmentfollows a reasonable son trying to put his dysfunctional family together after the patriarch’s arrest. Winkler plays the family’s attorney; a master in making things worse.
Michael Irby — Mayans M.C.
Michael Irbyplays the sensitive and kind-hearted Cristobal inBarry, maybe the only genuinely good character of the show despite the violent business he’s in charge of. Apart from playing the leader of the Bolivian mob inBarry, Irby is also the Vice President of the Mayans Motorcycle Club inMayans M.C., a successfulSons of Anarchyspin-off.
Differently from what people think, viewers don’t need to watch the original show to follow Obispo “Bishop” Losa in his path of violence. While both shows share similar themes and stylistic choices, Mayans M.C. story stands on its own, and its Santo Padre setup throws back to Cristobal and NoHo Hank’s crime affairs.
