Everything you need to know about Barry
Barry follows the story of Barry Berkman, an Afghanistan war veteran and US marine who has turned into a hitman for hire.
His career path has led him down a lonely and depressed path, with him feeling guilt with every kill he makes, combined with his actions while at war.
When he flies to Los Angeles to scope out his next target, he unwittingly finds his true calling after taking part in an acting class.
Determined to get out of the game, Barry decides to pursue his true passion, but his past has a way of catching up with him no matter how hard he tries to hide it.
Barry launched in 2018 and ran through to 2023, and was praised for its depictions of depression and anxiety as the lead character pursues life in Hollywood.
Originally billed as a comedy, the series continues to edge darker with every season as Barry attempts to atone for his sins.
Who starred in Barry?
Five stars appear in every single episode of Barry, with their characters the central protagonist and antagonists of the series.
These are:
- Bill Hader (Trainwreck, The Skeleton Twins) as Barry Berkman
- Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development) as Gene Cousineau
- Stephen Root (Office Space, Dodgeball) as Monroe Fuches
- Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight, The Night House) as Sally Reed
- Anthony Carrigan (Gotham, The Forgotten) as NoHo Hank
Other key characters from the show include:
- D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place, A League of Their Own) as Natalie Greer
- Rightor Doyle (Young Adult, The Walker) as Nick Nicholby
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place, Killing Eve) as Sasha Baxter
- Michael Irby (Mayans MC, SEAL Team) as Cristobal Sifuentes
- Darrell Britt-Gibson (We Own This City, 20th Century Women) as Jermaine Jefrint
- Andy Carey (Paper Girls, Justified: City Primeval) as Eric
- Alejandro Furth (Narcos Mexico, Law and Order True Crime) as Antonio Manuel
- John Pirruccello (Godzilla Vs. Kong, Your Honor) as Detective John Loach
- Sarah Burns (Desperados, Unfrosted) as Detective Mae Dunn
The series also featured a host of famous guest stars as Barry gets further into the entertainment industry, including:
- Melissa Villaseñor (Saturday Night Live)
- Cameron Britton (Mindhunter)
- Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
- Jay Roach (Austin Powers director)
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved By The Bell, Franklin and Bash)
- Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) as himself
- Fred Armisen (Portlandia) as Nestor Flores
- Guillermo del Toro (Oscar-winning director)
- Bill Burr (stand-up comedian)
How many episodes of Barry are there?
Barry ran for four seasons for a total of 32 episodes.
Each season ran for eight episodes each.
How successful was Barry and what awards did it win?
Barry became a massive cult hit, building up a devoted audience throughout its run.
This resulted in wide awards recognition, with 220 nominations in total from awards bodies, and 54 wins in total.
Award wins include:
- 10 Primetime Emmys
- Three Satellite Awards
- Three Writers Guild of America (WGA) awards
- Four Critics Choice awards
Nominations also included:
- 11 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards
- 10 Golden Globes
- Four Directors Guild of America (DGA) awards
What is the age rating of Barry?
Barry’s official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the complete run.
This means scenes may not be suitable for a younger audience.
Reasons for the rating include:
- Implications of sexual activity - though no nudity or active sex scenes.
- Depictions of dead bodies
- Frequent blood and gore including blood spatter and body mutilation
- Regular use of profane language including the word c**t
- Moderate depictions of gun violence including death as a result of gun use
How to watch Barry in the UK
Barry is available to stream in full on Sky Comedy and NOW.
Sky is the exclusive home of Barry in the United Kingdom, with HBO distributing the show in the United States.