HBO’s “Barry” is dubbed as a dark comedy, but over the seasons, the series has been increasingly dark and less on the comedy. Still, the first 3 seasons have managed to snap 9 Emmys (from its 44 nominations). Just when you thought the story about hitman has reached its most conclusive ending, “Barry” surprises us in the best way possible.
With season 4 currently underway, viewers will get to see the powerful, complex and hilarious conclusion to Barry Berkman’s story. In this interview, Henry Winkler talks about playing the ambitious acting coach Gene Cousineau and how his character has changed over the course of 4 seasons. The 77-year-old veteran actor also looks back at his illustrious career and being thankful for the people he’s crossed paths with.
Q: Where is Gene Cousineau at in this final season?
Henry Winkler: I think that he loves Barry, that he finally found somebody who he thinks really needs him, and yet the man killed the woman he loved, and nobody is above the law. That is very 2023, especially in America. And he gets famous off the back of it. I don’t think he planned that. He dreamt of it all his life and he misses it. And then suddenly he’s famous! I think that everything that happens to him is a surprise.
Q: And that has a huge effect on his teaching business for one thing…
Henry Winkler: Gene started as an acting teacher who thought he didn’t care much, as long as everybody paid in cash on time. Then he becomes an international television star. I don’t think that the international television part of it made him a better teacher. I think all it did was feed his ego. And fill his classroom.
Q: Why do you think when Sally comes back that he gets her to take over some teaching?
Henry Winkler: I’m still struggling with that, but she was so good. Remember in my first scene of the entire show when she started, and he literally saw a kernel there… He thought that it would be a good starting place for her to rebuild her life. Ad then when she gets the chance, she imitated Gene. Even her cadence was the same. It doesn’t work out for her because the characters in this particular show are so flawed, are in such disarray that it is hard. You have to be pretty centred to go where it is your dream wants to be. It’s like our sinus, our veins, our muscles are a web inside us and it’s hard to break through.
Q: All of the other characters in the series are obsessed with Barry in some way, but Gene seems to be the least.
Henry Winkler: The most obsessive Gene is, is about himself. He saw something in Barry, that went wrong, so he returns to his first obsessions… Gene.
Q: How would you describe his arc across the whole four seasons?
Henry Winkler: If I’m at the bottom of the well, in the beginning, I am one of those bugs that can skid on the water. I get wings. During season two and three, I fly out of the well and now I’m sitting on the stone surrounding the well. In season four, my wing breaks and I’m starting to fall back into the water. This time I don’t know whether or not I’m going stay on the surface. Now, let’s take a moment here because, come on, that is a great metaphor.
Q: Did you know that “Barry” was going to be a hit?
Henry Winkler: I did not. When you’re working on it, you are trying your hardest to make sure you’re doing the best job you know how, and you’re making an impact. I had Alec Berg and Bill Hader, two of the crème de la crème of making entertainment. You listen to them, you do things that you’re not sure about but you do it and then it turns out that, yeah, they took me to the Promised Land.
Q: Season three was a remarkable season for you because you had this phenomenal two-hander set of scenes, which is both a gift and a challenge for any actor, I imagine.
Henry Winkler: Well I’ll tell you the secret… you get help. You’re climbing a mountain, but you’ve got the great ropes, you’ve got the great picks, you’ve got the great pylons or whatever it is. Look who I had in those scenes, right? Robert Wisdom, when he was nose to nose with me, yelling at me. That ferocious Robert Wisdom, it felt like my hair was blowing. I love that I’m part of that ensemble. I got the “Fonze” and “Happy Days” when I was 27. I got “Barry” when I was 72. I thought at 27, am I ever going do anything as impactful? Now at 77 “Barry” is over, I think, am I ever going to do anything as impactful?
Q: How did it feel as season four came to an end?
Henry Winkler: Well, we were all doing good work, all concentrating on being good at what we do. Remember, we’re isolated from each other. Sarah I only crossed over a couple of times. Stephen Root, I never saw. We were happy when we crossed each other in the makeup trailer, but it was very sad that it should be done. Now, I’m going to see Dorsey on Broadway in a month. I talk to Bill all the time. We have breakfast. Sarah is in London, and we text all the time. She was incredible in this season. Stephen Root and Robert Wisdom and Mrs. Root and my wife, we went for hamburgers in LA. We’re going to do that again. Yeah, we have fun.
Q: Gene shows a lot of vulnerability. You had to go through some…the comedy was great, but you had to imagine, go through some quite difficult places as an actor playing him.
Henry Winkler: That’s your job. That’s what I was trained to do. Then the element that you need is the leader is your guide. I had Alec Berg and Bill Hader. Bill Hader decided that he was gonna direct all eight. He produced, he wrote, he starred in, and you never saw a ripple in the water. Whatever pressure was on Bill, he never put it on the actor. He was incredible.
Q: Do you think that it’s changed the way that people see you?
Henry Winkler: Yes, absolutely. For the longest time I was known as the Fonz, then “Scream”, “Parks and Rec”, “Arrested Development”. Now you go to a Comic-Con and people know me for Gene. And I’ll tell you what, I’ve watched Saturday Night Live since the inception of the show. Colin Jost and his wife came up to me at a show and went, “You are killing it, dude.” Keith Urban and his wife said they love the show. This is amazing. All of these unbelievably talented human beings! I am one lucky dude.
Catch new episodes of “Barry” every Monday on HBO and HBO GO.
