Barry Grant

Barry Grant is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'', played by Paul Usher. The character debuted on-screen during the first episode of ''Brookside'', broadcast on 2 November 1982. Barry is one of the show's original characters and the only character to appear in the first and final episodes of ''Brookside''. Usher decided to leave ''Brookside'' in 1984, but returned the following year and remained a regular cast member until 1995. He then returned for guest stints in 1997 and 2003. Actor Joe McGann was originally cast as Barry, but when McGann failed to gain an actors equity card, producers decided to recast the role to Usher. Barry is characterised as a "hard man" and constant law breaker. Writers transformed Barry into ''Brookside's'' long-standing villainous character. Despite his hard man characterisation, Barry has a special relationship with his mother Sheila Grant (Sue Johnston). He would do anything to protect Sheila and to the extent that it created problems with his father Bobby Grant (Ricky Tomlinson).

In his early years, writers portrayed a close friendship and double-act between Barry and Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan). Writers ended this when they created an affair between Barry and Terry's wife, Sue Sullivan (Annie Miles). Producers then turned Barry into a murderer when he kills Sue and her young son Danny, by pushing them off a scaffolding. The story helped celebrate ''Brookside's'' 1000th episode and was played out as a "whodunit" story, with viewers initially unaware that Barry was responsible. Another notable plot included scenes in which Barry threatens to kill a dog. The story created controversy with viewer complaints and news stories. Other stories include his association with gangster Tommy McArdle (Malcolm Tierney), his relationship with Tracy Corkhill (Justine Kerrigan) and her subsequent pregnancy. The character has proved popular with television critics and journalists, who often commented on Barry's numerous crimes and "bad boy" persona. Usher's performance was so memorable that Barry was still critiqued twenty years after ''Brookside'' was cancelled by Channel 4. Provided by Wikipedia