Anthony Carrigan | 'Superman'

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Anthony Carrigan | 'Superman'

Date: August 16, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features Anthony Carrigan, celebrated for his role as NoHo Hank in HBO's "Barry" and now starring as Metamorpho in the new "Superman" film. The conversation explores Carrigan’s breakthrough in "Barry," his journey navigating Hollywood with alopecia, and his enthusiasm for joining the DC Universe. With Stephen Colbert’s signature mix of humor and warmth, the two discuss acting, personal challenges, comic book lore, and memorable behind-the-scenes stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Anthony Carrigan’s Breakout and "Barry" Fame

• Carrigan recalls his first on-set moment on "Barry," realizing the character's catchphrase had caught on instantly:
  • “My first line was, you know, ‘hey, man.’…before I knew, I just heard people around the set just being like, ‘hey, man.’…so yeah, I was like. I was like, okay, this is cool. Maybe I'm not getting fired today.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (05:04–05:32)
• The joy of working with Bill Hader: Carrigan reflects on making Hader “break” during scenes:
  • “Bill wouldn't, like, he wouldn't be able to look at you… you would just see his shoulders go like that. And I knew I got him.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (06:03–06:24)
• Encountering devoted fans and peer recognition: Carrigan shares the surreal experience of meeting fans, including celebrities like Jeff Bridges:
  • “When Bill told me that [Jeff Bridges] was a fan of the show, I was so—I mean, I was, like, over the moon. And the way he said it, too…‘yeah, where'd you get that bald guy, man?’”
    — Anthony Carrigan (06:56–07:22)

Navigating Hollywood with Alopecia

• Facing industry prejudice and embracing self-acceptance:
  • “I found something within myself, this kind of self acceptance that I’d never had as a kid. And now, I mean, that's like my superpower.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (08:10–08:28)
  • Colbert expresses admiration, leading to a segue about superpowers and Carrigan’s new DC role.

Bringing Metamorpho to Life in "Superman"

• Introducing Metamorpho: Carrigan discusses playing the “element man,” a DC hero never before seen on screen:
  • “He can change himself into any element. Right. Including kryptonite…he’s got super power.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (09:42–09:50)
• Comic fandom and cast camaraderie: Carrigan shares being gifted Metamorpho’s first comic appearance by actor Steven Root:
  • “Right here is the first appearance of Metamorpho. And this was actually gifted to me by…Steven Root…when he found out that I booked the part.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (08:58–09:24)
• Teasing his movie introduction: The segment briefly describes the on-screen powers of Metamorpho and his complex heroism:
  • “He's a good guy in a compromised position, though.”
    — Anthony Carrigan (09:51–09:53)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 05:04 | “My first line was, you know, ‘hey, man.’…before I knew, I just heard people around the set just being like, ‘hey, man.’” | Anthony Carrigan | | 06:24 | “Bill wouldn't… be able to look at you… you would just see his shoulders go like that. And I knew I got him.” | Anthony Carrigan | | 06:56 | “You don't know what to do. Jeff Bridges. Got to meet Jeff Bridges, you know…‘yeah, where'd you get that bald guy, man?’” | Anthony Carrigan | | 08:10 | “Fully get out. Yeah. You’re never gonna act again. You're not attractive anymore. You should stop. And this was when my hair was just really going.” | Anthony Carrigan | | 08:28 | “I found something within myself, this kind of self acceptance that I'd never had as a kid. And now, I mean, that's like my superpower…” | Anthony Carrigan | | 09:42 | “He can change himself into any element. Right. Including kryptonite.” | Anthony Carrigan | | 09:51 | “He's a good guy in a compromised position, though.” | Anthony Carrigan | | 10:26 | “We got hydrogen and deuterium and we got helium and…” | Anthony Carrigan (Joking in character) | | 10:31 | “Hey, bro.” | Anthony Carrigan (Joking in character) | | 10:36 | “He's doing something!” | Sidekick/Co-host (comic moment) |

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [04:02] – Introduction of Anthony Carrigan
• [05:04] – Carrigan on his first day on "Barry" and instant character catchphrases
• [05:48] – Working with Bill Hader & set anecdotes
• [06:35] – Experiencing fan reactions (and peer fandom)
• [07:26] – Discussing living and acting with alopecia
• [08:36] – Segue to playing Metamorpho in "Superman"
• [08:58] – Gift of Metamorpho’s comic by Steven Root
• [09:37] – What to expect from Metamorpho in the new film
• [10:26] – Comic on-air roleplay between Colbert and Carrigan

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Episode Tone & Style

True to The Late Show’s ethos, the conversation is brisk, witty, and underscored by mutual respect and lighthearted banter. Carrigan’s candor about overcoming industry hardships with alopecia is both moving and empowering, while his infectious enthusiasm for comic books and new roles elevates the conversation with humor and authenticity.

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For Listeners

This episode provides an engaging, behind-the-scenes look at breaking into Hollywood, thriving through personal adversity, and the fun of superhero storytelling. Carrigan’s relatable humor and Colbert’s deft hosting ensure a memorable, meaningful, and frequently hilarious episode for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Sidekick/Co-host]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Sidekick/Co-host]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Sidekick/Co-host]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[Sidekick/Co-host]

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[Sidekick/Co-host]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome back, everybody. Ladies and gentlemen, you know my next guest tonight from his breakout role is the Chechen mobster Noho Hank in the HBO series Barry. He now stars in Superman. Please welcome to the Late Show, Anthony Kerrigan. Hey. Hey. Nice to meet you. I'm a fan of your work and I've only bumped into each other like on a red carpet or something of.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

That kind of stuff. Yeah, red carpet stuff.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is really lovely. Are you having fun with Superman?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

I'm having the best time with super. I mean, it's Superman, you know, it's.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, right. I want to talk about that before we get. I do want to talk about Noho Hank. Here you go. This put you on a lot of people's radar. The cheerful mobster Noho Hank in Barry. It's a fantastic show. Haters, of course. Great. You know, when you're doing a new role, there's a point at which you go, I think people might be watching the show. What was that moment for you?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Well, I mean, I think, you know, on my first day of filming, I kind of knew that we were onto something special, that we were really kind of cooking with it, because, I mean, my first line was, you know, hey, man. Right. And it was the first thing that came out of my mouth on that show. And before I knew, I just heard people around the set just being like, hey, man. You know, and then even, like, as I was getting mic'd up, like, the sound guy was just, you know, just under his breath, he was like, hey, man. You know? So, yeah, I was like. I was like, okay, this is cool. Maybe I'm not getting fired today.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, I've never worked with Bill Hader. I've had him on as a guest. We've had fun doing games and stuff like that. He seems like a nice guy to work with. What was that like?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

He's a lovely guy. I mean, he's the best. He's the best guy to work for work with. And, you know, he's, like, so funny and such a legend, so I really kind of took pride in getting him to break.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, okay.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

And, yeah, so. But the funny thing is, Bill wouldn't, like, he wouldn't be able to look at you so that the tell would be, like, you know, doing a scene, right? And then you just see, like, the camera's on me, and then he would just turn away, and then I would just see his shoulders go like that. And I knew. And I knew I got him as soon as I saw. As soon as I saw the shoulder. Shoulder bumps. Yeah, I knew I got him.

[Stephen Colbert]

Everybody I knew in comedy loved that show. Did you run into fans in the Wild?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Yeah. I mean, a lot of people would just scream my lines at me, so that was really sweet. I mean. Yeah. You know, that show is so special and just in so many ways. So, yeah, tons of fans. I mean, still.

[Stephen Colbert]

Any people you were fans of? Cause that's the great thing is that when you realize, oh, my God, this person that I love liked what I did, that's. It's almost. You don't know what to do with that feeling.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

You don't know. Yeah. You really don't know what to do. Jeff Bridges. Got to meet Jeff Bridges, you know, and actually, Bill. Yeah, no, he's the dude. I mean. Yeah. You know, when Bill told me that he was a fan of the show, I was so. I mean, I was, like, over the moon. And the way he said it, too. You know, he said something sweet as well. He was like, yeah, Where'd you get that bald guy, man?

[Stephen Colbert]

You know?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Yeah, you know, that bald guy's great, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you've been very open about your alopecia, which causes sort of the radical hair loss. What was it like starting out in an industry that puts such a premium on sort of, like, standard normative looks?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

For sure. Well, I mean, it was obviously quite a journey because when I had it, you know, I had it since I was a kid, and I would cover it up because it was just spots at that time. So it started as something that, you know, I would cover up. I had a lot of shame over. Didn't really, you know, like anyone knowing that I had alopecia and then getting into the industry, obviously, I chose the right industry to, you know, get into. But eventually, like, I got to the place where, you know, after being told I was never gonna act again, and.

[Stephen Colbert]

Really, they said, you should get out.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Oh, fully get out. Yeah. You're never gonna act again. You're not attractive anymore. You should stop. And this was when my hair was just really going. So, you know, I found something within myself, this kind of self acceptance that I'd never had as a kid. And now, I mean, that's like my superpower, so.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, well, you got another super. You got another superpower. Right?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

I didn't even mean to segue.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, it was a perfect segue. You should do this job. You've got another superpower. In a movie called Superman, you play a superhero who is in the comic books but has never been represented on screen before.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tell them what the name of your character is.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

The character's name is Metamorpho.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's right. And what do we have here? So.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Right here is the first appearance of Metamorpho. And this was actually gifted to me by the wonderful, iconic Steven Root, perhaps, like, one of the best character actors ever to live.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tremendous.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

And we were out at Musso and Frank just kind of having a couple martinis, and he gave this to me when he found out that I booked the part.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is 60 years old.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

I mean, it's incredible. It's Perfect.

[Stephen Colbert]

January of 65, we have a clip from the movie. Anything we need to know about what we're about to see?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Well, this is a scene in which, you know, you first see Metamorpho.

[Stephen Colbert]

What does he do? What's the power?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

He can change. He's also known as the element man. So he can change himself into any element. Right. Including kryptonite. So what? Yeah, so he's got super power.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is He a good guy? Is he a good guy?

[Anthony Kerrigan]

He's a good guy in a compromised position, though.

[Stephen Colbert]

So, like, no ho. Hank.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Yeah, but a bit. Yeah. Typecasting, you know?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, exactly. All right. So you and Superman are here together.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

We're here together. And, yeah, I'll say things are rather intense, Jim. I can't make a sun.

[Stephen Colbert]

I know.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

I can only make something kind of like a sun.

[Stephen Colbert]

What? All right.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

We got hydrogen and deuterium and we got helium and.

[Stephen Colbert]

What are you doing? Hey, hey. No, no, no. Stop. No. You're gonna get all of us in trouble.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Hey, bro.

[Stephen Colbert]

What are you doing? Doing something in here. Guards. Guards.

[Sidekick/Co-host]

He's doing something.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, you are not going to take footage of this. I am the one that saw it first. These two are going to get up. Kill. Thanks so much for being here, Anthony. Superman is in theaters now. Anthony Kerrigan, everybody. Buddy, thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit or break the sound barrier.

[Anthony Kerrigan]

Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is.

[Stephen Colbert]

Learn [e-mail], america's Navy forged by the sea.

[Navy Announcer]

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