Anthony Carrigan Talks ‘Barry’ Season 3 and Creating His Beloved Character NoHo Hank

There is no Barry without NoHo Hank. Season 3 of the HBO series premiered on Apr. 24, and no one is surprised that Anthony Carrigan’s performance continues to elevate the show. Bill Hader, who plays Barry and co-created the show, also delivers one of his best performances to date in the intense comedy-drama, but it is Carrigan’s character who has gained a devoted following. Barry is about a former Marine-turned-hitman who wants to leave his life of crime behind when he falls in love with acting. Before Barry found his new calling, he was hired by Hank, the leader of the Chechen mafia, to kill a man—and that’s how their friendship began. 

Barry’s creators Hader and Alec Berg didn’t plan for Hank to make it through the show’s first episode, but they recognized the actor and the role was too good to kill off because he was so damn funny. And they were right. Hank is the most entertaining character on the show and is easily one of the best supporting TV characters of the last five years. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in terms of my career and roles like this don’t come along very often. Jobs like this never happen. I call this a unicorn job,” Carrigan tells Complex. “To be able to play this character who is so unique and so weird and so fun and upbeat, but also can be very dark and serious, it’s the biggest gift possible. I’m just really trying to not just soak it in, but trying to not take any of it for granted.” 

Season 3 promises a lot of changes for NoHo Hank, including a new forbidden love affair with Bolivian mafia leader Cristobal Sifuentes (Michael Irby)—and Carrigan continues to deliver an outstanding performance throughout. Complex caught up with the Emmy nominated actor ahead of the Season 3 premiere and he opened up about the doors Barry has opened for him, embracing his alopecia, and all the magic and work that went into creating NoHo Hank.