Less than an hour after now three-time Emmy-nominated Barry star Anthony Carrigan was unveiled as one of the stars of DC’s forthcoming Superman: Legacy, the actor got on the phone with Deadline to talk about his excitement regarding the role, the resonance it had for him, his preparation for the audition and more.
“I’m gobsmacked,” Carrigan admitted when it came to the Superman news. “I think it’s just such an exciting new chapter, and such an exciting new chapter for DC. I think this movie has the potential to just really knock everyone’s socks off, and with James Gun at the helm, I think it’s just going to be so much fun.
Continued the actor on his casting, “I’m thrilled to be a part of it. I’m honored to be playing this part, and I’m playing a hero. So, on top of everything, that’s pretty rad.”
Carrigan stars opposite David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and more in the forthcoming Superman: Legacy, a project discussed as introducing a reset for DC, which will have him playing the superhero Metamorpho. “I certainly think that at least in the source material, Metamorpho, when he was transformed into his superhero state, I think he was very reluctant to have it because he felt like he was a freak and he felt like he was no longer who he was,” Carrigan told Deadline. “I can certainly kind of relate to that, in terms of my alopecia. So, that’s definitely something that I’ll be channeling and am excited to bring to the character itself.”
In terms of his process in preparing for the Superman audition, Carrigan placed his focus on trying not to get “freaked out.” Said the actor, “Especially with something of this magnitude, it can be very easy to get in your head and get psyched out. But at the end of the day, you just try to find truth with the character, and align yourself as much as you can with what you’re saying, and try not to forget your lines.”
Carrigan also spoke this afternoon about his role as upbeat Chechen mafia leader NoHo Hank in Barry, which was a stand-out from the show’s debut and has become at least as iconic as Bill Hader’s titular hitman Barry Berkman. The actor said there’s been “grief” in putting the character to rest, but also “a deep sense of satisfaction” as far as where things were left off with the finale. NoHo Hank has “meant the world to me,” said Carrigan. “This character has gone from honestly this guy who was supposed to die in the first episode to this presence that has really just changed my life and changed my career. I’ve just been so happy that people have gotten a kick out of him and gotten some laughs from him. That’s what I’ve really hoped for.”
Carrigan said that while he’d be interested in doing a horror movie as he looks ahead to the next stage of his career, what he’s really focused on is trying to showcase different dimensions to himself as a performer. “Things come your way, and you get what you get, and you try not to get upset. But I would like to surprise people,” said the actor. “I think a lot of people know me as NoHo Hank and would probably be expecting me to do something similar, and I kind of want to just keep people on their toes and keep stretching in different directions.”
The actor additionally touched briefly on the WGA strike, as well as a potential forthcoming work stoppage on the part of his guild, SAG, by evening’s end. “I want to be hopeful that the actors and the writers are going to get their fair due and that we can all acknowledge the worth that these human beings are bringing to the table,” he said. “Because ultimately, that’s what’s been generating art for as long as we’ve known. I hope we can get our way and get everything that we feel we deserve.”
While Barry didn’t make the Emmys category of Outstanding Drama Series this year, the show will contend at this year’s ceremony with a total of 11 nominations. It’s scheduled to take place on September 18th.