Cary Guffey
Actor · Born May 10, 1972 (54) · Douglasville, Georgia, USA
Cary Guffey (born May 10, 1972) is an American former child actor and financial planner. He is best known for his debut in the role of Barry Guiler in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
Biography from TMDB.
- May 10, 1972 (54)
- Douglasville, Georgia, USA
- Actor
- 8 on Motif · 10 credits in all
Known for
What are Cary Guffey's films like?
Across their 7 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7
Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 0
Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 0
Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3
A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0
Casual 6 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 6 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 0
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Herald: 2 of 5 analyzed roles.
- Heraldas Barry Guiler in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
- Allyas H7-25 in The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)
- Heraldas H7-25 in The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)
- Tricksteras H7-25 (aka Charlie Warren) in Everything Happens to Me (1980)
- Allyas Timmy Mezzy in Poison Ivy (1985)
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Cary Guffey's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 8 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Cary Guffey's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
10 credits, 8 with a Motif page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Poison Ivy(1985)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
The Bear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)
Mutant(1984)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Chiefs (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)
Cross Creek(1983)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Stroker Ace(1983)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Everything Happens to Me(1980)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 10 titles from 1977 to 1985; peak year 1979.
Biggest box office
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Highest rated
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Film career
Peak 1979 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1977Screen debut· Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Cary Guffey's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Cary Guffey work with?
People who share at least 2 of Cary Guffey's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michele Lupo shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Michele LupoShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Michele Lupo
Writers
- Francesco ScardamagliaShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Francesco Scardamaglia
- Marcello FondatoShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Marcello Fondato
Actors
- Bob BalabanShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Bob Balaban
- Melinda DillonShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Melinda Dillon
- Richard DreyfussShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Dreyfuss
- Teri GarrShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Teri Garr
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- John WilliamsShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with John Williams
- Eugenio AlabisoShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Eugenio Alabiso
- Franco Di GiacomoShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Franco Di Giacomo
- Guido De AngelisShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Guido De Angelis
Producers
- Elio ScardamagliaShared titles: Everything Happens to Me (1980), The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Elio Scardamaglia
Mixed roles
- Michael KahnShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Kahn
- Steven SpielbergShared titles: The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (2001), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Steven Spielberg
