Barry Keoghan is an Irish actor who has starred alongside some of Hollywood’s best known faces.
At only 29, his appearances in Dunkirk, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Calm with Horses have bagged him an IFTA award and a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
He has also graced the small screen as the “heartless cat killer” in the RTE drama Love/Hate.
Keoghan is currently filming in Galway for Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin where he’ll be acting alongside Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
But Keoghan’s life wasn’t always full of Hollywood A-listers.
The Irish actor grew up in Summerhill Co Dublin alongside his brother Eric. They had a difficult upbringing and spent seven years switching between 13 foster homes.
Keoghan’s mother struggled with addiction issues and sadly passed away from a heroin overdose when Barry was just 12-years-old.
After the brothers were taken into care, they were then raised by their grandmother and aunt.
Speaking about his difficult childhood, Keoghan hopes that his story will inspire others to follow their dreams. He admitted that if you saw “13 foster homes” on paper, you wouldn’t expect him to be where he is in life.
Barry started his acting career in 2011. After answering an advertisement for Between the Canals which he spotted in a local shop, he successfully got a small role in a film that was later released.
He then went on to study acting at The Factory in Dublin and in the same year appeared in Fair City at the age of 18.
In 2013, Keoghan took on the role of Wayne, the “infamous cat killer” in RTE drama Love/Hate which earned the Irish actor both headlines and recognition around Ireland.
In 2017, Keoghan landed two big roles in America. He played George Mills in Dunkirk and Martin Lang in The Killing of a Sacred Deer which also featured Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.
The following year, he played an English soldier in Black ‘47 and two years later featured in the 2019 mini-series Chernobyl.
Although he’s starred in multiple films and television shows, Keoghan still has time for his friends back in Dublin.
Speaking to Dublin Live, Keoghan said that his local is the “Bridge Tavern”.
Keeping him humble while he goes for a pint, he is only referred to as “Hollywood”.
