Avery Barkley’s personality in Nashville reflects the introspective creativity of an ISFP paired with the cautious loyalty of a 6w5. Played by Jonathan Jackson, Avery evolves from insecure dreamer to steadfast partner, making his type combination especially compelling to examine.
ISFP 6w5 Characters
Introverted Feeling
Avery has the healthiest dominant Fi on the show, since he is always forgiving and accepting, but also will not compromise his own morals for anyone else. When Scarlett kisses Gunnar behind his back, Avery breaks up with her, not to create drama or punish her, but because his internal sense of betrayal is unbearable. He withdraws from her, shuts down, and refuses to pretend like things are okay between them, because they are not. When Juliette spirals into postpartum depression and addiction, Avery’s response is profound internal pain rather than anger or blame; he cries alone, feels responsible, and tries to protect their daughter from the emotional fallout. He refuses to “sell out” early in the show, by sabotaging his own career multiple times because he can’t do music that doesn’t feel true to him. His decisions are always based on an emotional truth of some kind; his feeling that he needs to be true to his relationship, that he needs to forgive Juliette for cheating on him and move back in with her, that he needs to be a responsible dad, that they need to get married, that he has to move forward with his life.
Extraverted Sensing
Like Gunnar, Avery has immediate emotional responses, which lead into direct action—he sleeps with people as soon as he feels attracted to them, he attacks Gunnar for kissing his girlfriend, he storms out of the house. When he starts producing music for Layla and others, Avery doesn’t strategize about what they are going to do, he just dives into the equipment, has them test out their sound, experiments with the tunes, and adapts as he goes forward. He’s eager to work with a rock star, until he finds out the man is an unstable, reactive jerk, and then he walks away from the job on the spot, because he won’t put up with the star’s behavior. He makes decisions on the spot (diving into relationships without hesitation, moving in with Juliette, asking her to marry him, taking his daughter away from her house to live with his parents for a while, joining Gunnar and Will in a boy band and going on tour, having a relationship with Layla, etc).
Introverted Intuition
When Juliette is gone a long time to Bolivia, Avery “senses” something is wrong and tries to pursue it, but he refusal to speak to him causes him to give up. They have miscommunication a lot, where he assumes the worst about her intentions rather than his insights being on target (he calls Juliette when their daughter is sick and thinks she is ignoring him, when her drunk friend never gave her the message). He only realizes Juliette’s erratic behavior is due to mental illness after weeks of strange reactions, guilt, spiraling, avoidance, and confusion. He also realizes only after the fact that he should not have dated someone, should have told the truth earlier, or that he is repeating his mistakes. Avery is afraid to be a bad father, or to fail as a partner, showing his anxiety about long-term relationships. But he also writes deep music, and wants to bring out something in Layla and the other musicians he produces, to peel back the surface and introduce a different side of them to the world—Ni searching for depth and meaning and beauty.
Extraverted Thinking
Avery can be pragmatic when he needs to be; he points out that he may not like someone, but he “has” to work with them because he needs the money for rent, food, and to take care of his daughter. He tells Gunnar not to sleep with the new girl in their group, because it is going to “ruin” the band. Over time, he matures and sees the consequences of his own decisions and those of other people. But he can also be cutting when upset; he has angry outbursts at Juliette and others (“This needs to happen,” “You NEED to get help!” “I’m taking our daughter and leaving!”). When he considers getting a divorce, Avery wants to lay out harsh terms, for him to have full custody, because he sees Juliette as an unfit mother who doesn’t care about their child. Avery becomes anxious any time lawyers, contracts, schedules, or money are involved, because that is not his strong suit. He also has controlling moments, where he tries to force structure on his marriage, becomes inflexible in his standards, or doesn’t want anyone else to watch his kid.
The Enneagram 6
Avery likes to “think” before he acts, even if his thinking often leads him to actions; he is wary and suspicious when Juliette gets involved with the cult leader, because he doesn’t like the guy and senses something is amiss with him. He tells her not to go to Bolivia, and gets upset when she cannot reach her there. He tells Gunnar not to sleep with the new girl in their band, because “that always causes problems.” Initially, he is suspicious of Gunnar, and wary of his intentions. He mistrusts his talent and motives when they collaborate, and is upset when Gunnar moves in on Scarlett. He both loves Juliette and expects her to hurt him. He is skeptical of promises and waits for the “catch.” But once Juliette is about to have his child, Avery changes his mind about her. He decides to live in her house, then to marry her, then to be a good husband, because he is responsible. He is loyal to Juliette even after her terrible behavior (cheating on him, abandoning him and their daughter, depression, etc), despite being angry and disappointed in her. He is vigilant over their daughter and concerned for her health and welfare. Avery struggles with self-doubt about whether he can provide for her, overthinks what to do about Juliette, and sometimes consults others about what to do when he’s stuck. He lashes out when he feels scared or upset, and returns to what feels safe (his parents, his friends) when he has a setback.
The 5 Wing
Avery is rather withdrawn and private, and tends to give up on people, because he can spiral into negativity and assuming the worst about them (Juliette has abandoned me, she doesn’t care about our daughter, she didn’t even call me to ask about Candice!). He is slow to trust once his loyalty has been tested, and she has to prove herself to him. Avery takes time to make decisions, but once he breaks down his loyalty ties, he shifts away from those who hurt him, not into hedonism but into being withdrawn, his music, or retreating from a public life. When Will and Gunnar fight about their music and its meaning, Avery doubles down on being competent and objective, pointing out that both of them have problems. Will is too obsessed with his image and catchy tunes, and Gunnar is a sad sack of misery. He prides himself on wanting to find something unique about the artists he produces for, and is quite confident that his suggestions are right for the situation; in one episode, he pushes a musician to adjust their track in a way she does not like and resists, but Avery still sticks to his opinion that it will make her sound more mature and unusual, rather than like a pop star. This shows that he trusts his own thinking over external opinions, and doesn’t want to produce subpar music, because it’s his passion. (5s can be esoteric, and want to find the kernel of insight or truth in what they care about; an undiscovered gem.)
The Quiet Hero
Avery is interesting. He starts out a bit temperamental and judgy, but over the course of the six seasons, became the silent moral backbone of the entire cast. He is likable and sweet, appealing because he always wants to do the right thing, but without seeming like a hard-ass about it. I also related to him a little bit, because he kept moving back and forth between having fierce personal ideals and feeling compelled to look after Juliette, even though he could have given up on her. 6ish loyalties are not easily won, but once they’re in place, they stay with others through thick and thin, to the bitter end.
