Barry Barry

Barry Barry
Waterloo Road character
Carl Au as Barry Barry
First appearance"Bad Boy"
3 January 2013
Last appearance"Dynasty's Choice"
26 February 2014
Portrayed byCarl Au
In-universe information
OccupationStudent
Career criminal
Family
  • Carol Barry (mother)
  • Neil Barry (father)
  • Dynasty Barry (sister)
  • Kacey Barry (sister)
Significant otherOlivia MacAllister
Gabriella Wark

Barry Barry is a fictional character from the BBC school-based drama series, Waterloo Road, played by Carl Au. He first appears in the eleventh episode of the eighth series entitled, "Bad Boy", broadcast on 3 January 2013. The character is introduced as part of the Liverpudlian criminal Barry family, with his mother Carol Barry (Zöe Lucker), and sisters Dynasty Barry (Abby Mavers) and Kacey Barry (Brogan Ellis). Barry is characterised as a villain who is unfocused and troublesome, but also has a complex personality. The absence of Barry's father has impacted his personality and created a dislike for authority. Au extensively researched troublesome children with absent fathers for his portrayal of the character.

Barry's mischievous personality is a recurring theme throughout his storylines. Following his arrival, Barry establishes a feud with Jack MacAllister (Taylor Rhys) after it is revealed that Barry is dating Jack's mother, Olivia MacAllister (Pollyanna McIntosh). The character is also developed through his interactions with other characters, including a vendetta against deputy headteacher Sian Diamond (Jaye Jacobs) which concludes when Sian slaps Barry, a romantic relationship with Gabriella Wark (Naomi Battrick), and the breakdown of his relationship with Kacey after she struggles with her gender identity. Barry is also used to highlight the topic of sexting after he shares explicit images of Rhiannon Salt (Rebecca Craven).

When almost £10,000 is raised towards a boxing scholarship for Kacey, Barry steals the money, but is exposed as the thief, resulting in his exile from the Barry family. Following a short absence, Barry returns for a handful of episodes leading to Au's departure from the series. Barry departs in the ninth series episode "Dynasty's Choice", broadcast on 26 February 2014, when he is arrested for human trafficking after being reported by Dynasty. Au thought it was suitable that Dynasty reported Barry and opined that the character's exit needed to be drastic. The character received a mixed response from television critics: the family were criticised for being a bad representation of a Liverpudlian family, while Clemmie Moodie of the Daily Mirror praised Au's performance in the role.