Barryseason 4 star and creator Bill Hader admitted that he was so stressed out from filming the show’s final season that he gained 25 pounds between episodes while the show filmed its last season due to stress eating.
HBO’s hit dark comedyBarrywill start airing episodes for its fourth and final season soon. Hader admitted to his newfound habit of stress eating while detailing the lack of aworkout regimen while filmingBarry.More than that, he acknowledged that the weight he gained was not him doing any method acting whatsoever while playing the show’s titular character.
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In an interview withAccess Hollywood, Hader gave the full details of how he developed his stress-eating habit. “I don’t train at all. I eat a lot of doughnuts and stress. I put on, like, between episodes 3 and 4, I put on 25 pounds from sheer stress-eating. None of that is for the character,” he said. “That is purely a guy directing all the episodes and writing everything and just kind of stress-eating like crazy. I’m in the process of trying to lose it.”
Throughout the series, Barry Berkman’s physical appearance changes. In the show’s first two seasons, Barry is a normal-looking person because he desires a regular happy life. Sadly, following the events ofBarryseason 2’s finale, where he shot up a monastery to get revenge on his former handler Monroe Fuches, Barry embraced the darkness of his character from there on outinBarryseason 3. In addition to gaining some weight, he also grew out his facial hair while donning a paler complexion, demonstrating how dead he is inside. By season 3, the number of casualties at the hands of Barry - or Barry by proxy - and the emotional toll led to his conscience being destroyed bit by bit.
Hader’s stress-eating habit makes sense given how darkBarryis as a show. He’s ending one of the more well-acclaimed shows of the late 2010s/early 2020s, and he’s trying to stick the landing. Playing the lead actor is one thing, but executinghis role asBarry’s showrunner, director, and writer at the same time is one heavy burden to carry. Those roles alone are tall tasks for anyone to take on. By taking all four, Hader has been the brains and the heart ofBarry. Following the acclaim the show received, he wanted to verify that not only would the show continue its quality but that it would end as well as it started.
Also, it makes sense that Hader was stressed outforBarry’s final season, knowing that fans are eager to see what happens next. This season, there’s no more plot armor stoppingBarryfrom facing his consequences head-on. Now he’s in prison for what he’s done, he’s lost his girlfriend, his mentor/idol sold him out, and all indications are he’ll be meeting with Fuches again in prison. While there’s no telling where the show will go, the ambiguity should keep fans interested to see how it all ends for Barry.
Barryseason 4 will begin airing episodes on HBO on June 15, 2025.
