Bill Hader’s hit HBO series Barry hasn’t aired since 2019, but Season 3 is coming. Season 2 left Barry in a tight spot, though only the audience knew how bad the situation was. Now, as Gene Cousineau potentially knows Barry’s big secret, actor Henry Winkler is paranoid that his character will be killed off.
Henry Winkler spoke to Insider regarding production on Barry Season 3, which kicked off in August after COVID-related delays. Winkler specifically spoke about his experience on set and how he needed reassurance from Bill Hader with what’s happening with Gene in the upcoming season.
I had anxiety every minute and every time I say to Bill, 'Am I still alive?' And he said, 'Yes, you are.'
The actor’s fears are somewhat justified, as Gene Cousineau is seemingly aware Barry is responsible for the death of his police officer girlfriend, Janice Moss. Gene learned the information from Barry’s old hitman handler Fuches, who hoped in part to ruin Barry’s chances at a normal life so he’d return to contract killing with Fuches managing his jobs. Henry Winkler knows Janice died not long after she discovered Barry’s double life, which definitely explains his paranoia filming Season 3.
Barry doesn’t have a release date for Season 3 yet, but the writing team has the series written up through Season 4. Henry Winkler knows Gene will be around in Season 4, but he still has some anxiety about how long he’ll be around despite that reassurance.
I just don't know if I'm alive for the whole season.
Henry Winkler must have a soft spot for Barry and his character Gene Cousineau, which isn’t hard to understand. After decades in Hollywood and five prior Emmy nominations, Winkler finally won his first Emmy ever for his work on the show. Winkler had nothing but kind things to say about Barry co-creators Bill Hader and Alec Berg during his acceptance speech, noting that if any talent got the opportunity to work with them in the future to “Run, don’t walk.”
Barry’s Gene drama plays into the larger story of Season 3, in which we’ll see whether or not Barry is able to keep his two lives separate. Following all that transpired in Season 2, I’m not so sure, but if Gene is guaranteed to be alive and kicking in Season 4, who knows what the future holds? Gene is a weird guy, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he completely misinterpreted what Fuches told him and twisted it into some weird message that throws him in a completely different direction. We can only wait and see, and of course, continue to hope Henry Winkler remains calm throughout the filming process.
Barry Season 3 is on its way to HBO, but we don’t have a release date just yet. I can’t wait for footage to see where all the characters are now and whatever hijinks NoHo Hank may have gotten into.
