Bill Hader

Bill Hader
Biographical Information
Born	June 7, 1978
Gender	Male
Nationality	American
Show Information
Portrays	Barry Berkman
First Appears	"Chapter One: Make Your Mark"
Last Appears	"wow"

Bill Hader is an American actor, comedian, writer, and director who portrayed Barry Berkman in HBO's Barry. He also served as a writer, director, and executive producer.

Creating Barry

"A guy who is really good at something, but that thing is destroying him."

―Alec Berg

Bill Hader has retold the conceptualization of Barry several times. Hader had signed a contract with HBO, and Alec Berg was interested in working on a show together. Hader was eager to branch out from his sketch comedy roots and delve into deeper subject matter. Alec Berg and Bill Hader brainstormed ideas for months until Hader proposed a series about a hitman. Berg did not want to create a clichéd, formulaic show, but was assured that it would be different, because Hader would play the hitman. They quickly decided that the hitman would try to escape his violent life by aspiring to be an actor. Together, they explored the contradictions that a hitman would face in his quest to become an actor. Both Hader and Berg admit that if Barry Berkman was to achieve his acting dream, it would lead to his demise.

Clint Eastwood's 1992 film Unforgiven has been mentioned several times as an inspiration for Barry. Both works explore the idea of violence and its psychological effects, acting to counter works which portray violence as gratuitous or glorified.

Appearances

Season 1

• "Chapter One: Make Your Mark"
• "Chapter Two: Use It"
• "Chapter Three: Make the Unsafe Choice"
• "Chapter Four: Commit... to YOU"
• "Chapter Five: Do Your Job"
• "Chapter Six: Listen With Your Ears, React With Your Face"
• "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going"
• "Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth"

Season 2

• "The Show Must Go On, Probably?"
• "The Power of No"
• "Past = Present x Future Over Yesterday"
• "What?!"
• "ronny/lily"
• "The Truth Has a Ring to It"
• "The Audition"
• "berkman > block"

Season 3

• "forgiving jeff"
• "limonada"
• "ben mendelsohn"
• "all the sauces"
• "crazytimeshitshow"
• "710N"
• "candy asses"
• "starting now"

Season 4

• "yikes"
• "bestest place on the earth"
• "you're charming"
• "it takes a psycho"
• "tricky legacies"
• "the wizard"
• "a nice meal"
• "wow"

Episodes Directed

Season 1

• "Chapter One: Make Your Mark"
• "Chapter Two: Use It"
• "Chapter Three: Make the Unsafe Choice"

Season 2

• "ronny/lily"
• "berkman > block"

Season 3

• "forgiving jeff"
• "limonada"
• "710N"
• "candy asses"
• "starting now"

Season 4

• "yikes"
• "bestest place on the earth"
• "you're charming"
• "it takes a psycho"
• "the wizard"
• "a nice meal"
• "wow"

Episodes Written

Season 1

• "Chapter One: Make Your Mark" (With Alec Berg)
• "Chapter Two: Use It" (With Alec Berg)
• "Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth" (With Alec Berg)

Season 2

• "The Show Must Go On, Probably?" (With Alec Berg)
• "ronny/lily" (With Alec Berg)
• "berkman > block" (With Alec Berg)

Season 3

• "forgiving jeff" (With Alec Berg)
• "limonada" (With Alec Berg)
• "710N" (With Alec Berg and Duffy Boudreau)
• "starting now" (With Alec Berg)

Season 4

• "tricky legacies"
• "wow" (With Alec Berg)

Notable Other Works

• Saturday Night Live
• Hot Rod
• Super Bad
• The Skeleton Twins
• Documentary Now!
• Inside Out
• It: Chapter Two