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On January 9, 2024, GQ UK did a profile on Barry Keoghan at a pivotal moment in his career. The Irish actor, then 31, was fresh off his lead role in Saltburn, a film directed by Emerald Fennell, that changed the trajectory of his filmography.
In the wide-ranging conversation, Keoghan reflected on how his image as an actor had shifted from being typecast as the unconventional “little freak man-child” to finally being seen as a man.
“My prettiness didn’t get me this far,” the actor stated.
He acknowledged that his on-screen transformation opened up new lanes in his career. Before Saltburn, Keoghan had built a reputation for playing immersive, unsettling roles. He had already made his mark in films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Dunkirk.
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Barry Keoghan’s performance as the eerie Martin in The Killing of a Sacred Deer caught critical attention, while his turn as Dominic in The Banshees of Inisherin earned him a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination. But in Saltburn, Keoghan played Oliver Quick with a physicality, a vulnerability, and a shocking boldness, a performance described as “decisive” and “defining.”
“It’s nice not just being looked at as the weird-looking guy” — Barry Keoghan on his looks
Barry Keoghan opened up about being recognized for more than just his offbeat presence. The actor said that he finally felt validated, being viewed as a leading man instead of being boxed into eccentric roles. In Saltburn, he not only portrayed a seductive outsider but also challenged conventional standards of male beauty and presence.
“It’s nice not just being looked at as the weird-looking guy, the unique feckin’ freaky little freak man-child, freak child-man, whatever you want to call it. It’s nice to see people kind of look at you in that way. I’ll be honest. It is nice,” he shared.
In the conversation, Keoghan also emphasized the importance of comfort with oneself and co-stars.
“I’m comfortable with Jacob. Messin’ about. Havin’ a laugh. We’re bein’ lads,” he said while discussing his working relationship with Saltburn co-actor Jacob Elordi.
Their off-screen chemistry became an internet fixation, but for Barry Keoghan, he said the ease between them came from mutual respect and professionalism built during filming.
The GQ interview also highlighted Keoghan’s reflections on his origins. Raised in Dublin’s inner city, he lost his mother at age 12 to addiction and grew up in foster care before living with his grandmother.
“Obviously, my mother. My mother, always. She’s many years passed now, but I always think about her anyway. It’s always just in and around achievements that it’s really prominent – ’cause you’d like to celebrate that wit’ ’er, y’know?” Keoghan answered when asked about dealing with isolation.
Keoghan’s entry into acting was unexpected. He recalled spotting a casting flyer, which landed him his first role in Between the Canals.
“They were looking for, like, non-actors, and they were looking to see if you had a dirt bike. And I had two of those – I was a non-actor, and I had a dirt bike,” he recollected.
Over the years, Barry Keoghan kept a list of directors he hoped to work with, many of whom, including Martin McDonagh, Chloé Zhao, and Emerald Fennell, he eventually collaborated with.
Though he turned down a role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 to film Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Barry Keoghan remains in demand. Some of his recent roles include Bring Them Down and Hurry Up Tomorrow. He is also supposed to play the lead in a biopic on Billy the Kid. He described the outlaw character as someone he personally related to, another boy who lost his parents early and wandered through the care system.
Where is Barry Keoghan now?
In 2025, Barry Keoghan continues to expand his filmography. He has starred in Bird, which premiered at Cannes, and appears in Hurry Up Tomorrow alongside The Weeknd and Jenna Ortega. He is also set to play Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ upcoming biopic series about The Beatles.
Now sober and outspoken about his past trauma and ADHD, Barry Keoghan continues to pursue roles that challenge him emotionally and physically.
