The Sunniest Sociopath: Carrigan Breaks Out in "Barry"

CMU Alumni Billy Porter, Cherry Jones, Eugene Lee and Ryan Tanker take home Emmys

Anthony Carrigan is the nicest bad guy on television.

Carrigan, a 2006 alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, plays NoHo Hank, a mobster who is as likely to bring someone a submarine sandwich as he is to kill them in HBO's "Barry." He's been nominated for an Emmy Award for"Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy."

Carrigan is in good company. Two other "Barry" actors are up for the same award, Henry Winkler and Stephen Root. He's also one of at least 16 Carnegie Mellon alumni nominated in 12 categories this year. The 71st Emmy Awards will be televised on Fox beginning at 8 p.m. ET, Sept. 22 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Carrigan has made a name for himself as playing bad guys in surprising ways. He's appeared as villains in Fox's "Gotham" and the CW's "The Flash."

"I love playing the villain," Carrigan said. "I think it's very fun, and the villain - in his own right - sees himself as the hero."

To play complicated characters, he makes choices that might seem unexpected. For example, NoHo Hank, a Chechen mobster living in Los Angeles, has a sunny disposition and childlike optimism. Bill Hader, the co-creator of the series, said earlier this year that NoHo Hank wasn't going to survive past the pilot, but thanks to Carrigan's abilities to create a memorable persona two seasons and 16 episodes later, he's still around.

His life, and looks, have changed since his time as a student. Carrigan has Alopecia areata, a common autoimmune skin disease that can cause hair loss. He said he was on a different path before losing his hair and eyebrows, but where he is now he wouldn't change for the world.

"We live in a very image-obsessed culture, and this industry in particular can be very judgmental, very fickle, and I think it can be easy to be down on yourself," Carrigan said. "I think it's important to know that your confidence doesn't have to be sidelined by your experience. You can always champion the thing that you feel that might be quote — 'wrong with you' — and turn it around into something that's very cool, very unique something that sets you apart."

Next year he will appear as a villain in "Bill and Ted's Face the Music." But not all of his roles have had a dark side. He played Kyle Davies in "The Forgotten and appeared in "Parenthood." He'll also appear as the best friend to Kevin Hart's character in next year's "Fatherhood," based on the book "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love" by Matthew Logelin.

Carrigan, a native of Winchester, Massachusetts, said Carnegie Mellon's reputation as the oldest drama conservatory in the United States, is what put the university on his radar, but it was visiting for a Sleeping Bag weekend that sealed the deal.

"I made so many friends and had such a wonderful experience, and felt so welcomed into the program," he said. "My classmates and I keep in touch, and it's always wonderful to see them."

Carrigan still draws on skills he learned in school, from things such as movement work to learning how to break down scripts.

"I use everything I learned at Carnegie Mellon in terms of what I do," Carrigan said. "When you're in school it's important to work as hard as you possibly can. The faculty are there to help you build these muscles as much as you possibly can before taking them out to the world. It's a really wonderful time to sharpen your tools, and it will help you to be the best actor you can possibly be."

He helps to pay that forward by attending CMU showcases in L.A., where drama students have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals.

"I love just showing up and helping these kids get into the business," he said. "It's just an exciting time."