Working as an actor since 1972, 77-year-old Henry Winkler has seen it all – and done it all, as it were. As a result, Winkler knows what he wants for his projects – all of them, but especially ones enjoying the success and acclaim Barry has been receiving. In fact, the Happy Days alum has had a few fears related to Barry, his involvement, and the show’s progression.
Winkler plays Gene Cousineau in Barry, a dark comedy crime drama that premiered on HBO in March 25, 2018. Bill Hader stars as Barry Berkman, an out-of-state hitman who travels to Los Angeles for a job, only to join an acting class and face doubts about his career because of the people he meets. Season four will be the show’s last but, reflecting on this, Barry coming to an end isn’t Winkler’s biggest fear for the series.
Henry Winkler reflects on the impending end of ‘Barry’
First and foremost, Barry is an HBO drama, which means job security is not a leisure all actors can enjoy; characters can and will be killed off. Starting off that was the main fear Winkler lived with in the early days of Barry. “At the beginning of each season, I had one question for Bill,” shared Winkler, “Am I dead?’ So many people have died. Do I get killed?”
RELATED: ‘Happy Days’ Cast Then And Now 2023
But season after season passed with Winkler still in Barry, and the show was renewed for a fourth season, which is also the final one, premiering April 16, 2023. Now, Winkler is mourning the end but glad Barry has a chance to end on a strong note without overstaying its welcome.
“I am sad that the job is over,” Winkler continued. “I love this character. It has completely redefined me. I have the same feeling about Barry that I did when ‘Happy Days’ ended. How am I ever going to do anything as impactful as this?”
Speaking of ‘Happy Days,’ Winkler doesn’t want to repeat every bit of history
History, even history defined by success and a redefined cultural landscape, doesn’t always have to be repeated. That’s the case for Barry, too, and something Winkler is ever mindful of. As Fonzie in Happy Days, he famously jumped over a shark, a stunt so outrageous that it’s become a term synonymous with shows reaching far for plot points when they might be better served by ending.
So, when Hader and Barry co-creator Alec Berg indicated that the show was coming to an end, Winkler voiced no objections. “They were very clear about what they want and where they are going,” said Winkler. “When they saw the end, what am I or (is) anyone going to say? Besides, how many shows overstay their welcome… or even jump the shark?”
