Born in Seoul, Korea in 1974, Barry was adopted by an American family and raised in rural Maryland. After graduating from Western Maryland College with a degree in the Arts, Barry was accepted to the Maryland State Police Academy where he served as a State Trooper for several years before retiring from an on-duty injury, but not until after receiving Waterloo's Trooper of the Year in 2000. Barry's sister, a New York University Masters graduate who studied Educational Theater, suggested that Barry return to his artistic roots and get into acting. Barry took his sister's advice, but decided to take some on-camera classes and work with an acting coach beforehand. After booking and working on Captain Phillips and various other projects on the East Coast, Barry decided to move to Los Angeles.