Entertainment

‘Barry’ star Anthony Carrigan recalls being bullied growing up in Winchester

"I have zero bitterness."

Winchester-born Emmy nominee Anthony Carrigan opened up to the Wall Street Journal about his alopecia. Evelyn Freja/The New York Times

By Clara McCourt

1 minute to read

Actor Anthony Carrigan got candid about his struggles with alopecia during his childhood in Winchester.

Carrigan, 40, is best known for his scene-stealing performance as NoHo Hank on HBO’s “Barry,” which recently began its fourth and final season. He recently sat down with the The Wall Street Journal to discuss his Massachusetts upbringing and his journey to self-acceptance.

The actor told the paper that he was diagnosed with alopecia at the age of three, when he began to lose his hair in patches. His condition worried his family, namely his mother, who worked as a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Advertisement:

“The unfortunate byproduct of their protective concern made me feel I had to hide my condition or else,” Carrigan told the Journal. “My fear of being exposed was terrifying, made worse by bullies. As soon as they knew I had an insecurity, they made my life miserable. The teasing started when I was 6 or 7, when kids called me ‘baldy’ and beat me up.”

Carrigan first discovered his love for acting in Winchester Cooperative Theatre children’s program, auditioning for a role in “Peter Pan.”

“As soon as I realized the audience wasn’t going to make fun of me, my anxiety eased. It was a cathartic moment.”

Advertisement:

Carrigan continued performing throughout high school and college, covering his hair loss with makeup and wigs. But he was forced to confront it directly in 2009, when he began to fully lose his hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.

“Now I’m in a place where I no longer care. In fact, I now think alopecia is a beautiful thing. It weirds some people out, but those people are closed-minded.”

The actor said he also came to terms with his childhood when he bumped into an old classmate from Winchester years later.

“Not long ago, I was at an L.A. bar when a guy I played hockey with in high school approached me. He apologized for teasing me back then. The apology was heartfelt, but I didn’t need it. I had gone through a journey of self-acceptance. I have zero bitterness.”

“Barry” airs on HBO Sundays at 10 p.m.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com