Barry began his acting career in 1988 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, with a Kawasaki TVC. At that stage, it was still a secondary job while he served in the Royal Australia Air Force as a Police Dog Handler. It wasn't until 1997 that he took the plunge into a career in show business. 

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Barry completed a year at the South Seas Film and Television School and graduated with an NZQA in Multi-Camera and Drama Directing and Screenwriting.