S3 EP7: Barry Keoghan on his childhood, avoiding online hate and dancing in 'Saltburn'

28:44Did you come off? I came off it because I forgot my password, thank God. Right. But I did get the password the other day. Someone sent it to me and that and my TikTok. And I was furious when I signed back in. I'm like, this is so... It's such a nasty place. It's become a very weird... You know, they show a lot of stuff. It's like going... Speaking to, you know, someone who's been in a DC film, it's like going into Arkham Asylum. It really is. I mean, a bit like visiting maybe a forensic mental hospital for violent criminals, it's kind of interesting. You go around there and it gives you a thrill of taboo.

29:25Everyone has, you know, a platform to say what they want, which is fine and which everyone has the right to, but it's just a nasty place. And the negative comment is the popular comment. And the world is just, I don't know. People just want to see people fall and fail. I feel like you've been touched by that in some way. Is that right? Yeah, a lot. A lot. Why? I need to go to the toilet before I get into this. Go. Use the toilet. Yeah, I'll come here and I'll just keep listeners amused with another story about my medical history. So then the other testicle swelled up. But this time it was ten times the size.

30:02It was as big as an ostrich egg. Just pull the door. Use your muscles. Oh, oh. That was racist.

30:21MUSIC PLAYS

30:40Oh, what's that? It's like... Diamonds. Diamonds, I wish. Do you like diamonds? I mean, I can take them or leave them. Guess what I have. No, I have a wolf. Oh, that's cool. It's like a moonstone, you know, it gives good energy. He only has three legs now, God bless. I always play out on interviews. Barry's showing me a tiny little carved... Wolf. Wolf. Do you believe in sort of that kind of thing? Yeah. Do you? Yeah. Yeah, I do. And you know what? It gets me, boy. Does it? You know, I'm religious as well. Are you? Are you an observant Catholic? Yeah. You know, not in a way that's, like, forced, but, you know, again, my granny, we'll get to that, but she took me in and, you know, there was just growing up as that kind of, you know, and, again, I had my own connection with God.

31:35I don't necessarily believe in the golden heavenly gates, but I definitely believe that there's some sort of higher power and I think some people find that it's a weak thing to believe in faith or believe in a higher power. But, yeah, for me it works. Well, can we talk about where you came from a little bit? Is that all right? Yeah. Because it reads as... It came from my mum. It came from your mum, like many of us. something you've talked about a bit before that you went through a lot growing up how would you how would you like to talk about it um yeah like I mean yeah it's been talked about and you know publicized and again I was younger so you know I didn't really go into it into it and yeah I feel it's been publicized and sort of in a a pity story where you know oh god bless him he's you know his mom you know passed away heroin and 13 foster homes I actually seen that on an article you know and I know he's came to this and you know and I'm not giving out about any of that but it's just that's not what I'm looking for either you know if anything I speak about it to to let younger kids know that no matter where you come from you know you can always achieve what you put your mind to it and you know not to give up and you know stay persistent on it um and and it's for that reason i do it solely for that reason um it's not to make anyone pity me or because i don't need that you know for what it's worth like i think in terms of how i've read it in the things that i read it didn't come across in any way as woe is me or a victim narrative yeah and i think it was quite striking how you spoke.

33:25No, some people were like, yeah, they were, you know, again, some people put across really nice in that. But how I spoke about it before, it's, I've sort of kind of reined it in because it's like, when I've seen it kind of getting, you know, put in articles and retweeted, it's like, well, this is just sort of coming across as if I'm saying it for that reason. And that's just my kind of take on it. But I'm not, I don't ever want to speak of my mum or my dads, you know, they're not here to defend themselves. But it's, you know, I've really only ever touched on it on the surface, you know. Yeah. Well, I mean, we can talk about it as little or as much as you like.

34:02The part of it that I find interesting, I suppose, is the fact that you've kind of, as you say, come from that and done extraordinary things like achieved global stardom and, you know, extremely high level of success. Yeah. Again, it's more for the kids. you know and not only that just the area I come from as well to achieve something from the area where I'm from is to finish school it's massive you know it's Dublin's in a city it's you type it in online you'll see you know it's history and it's an area called Summerhill Summerhill it's right in the centre it's the heart of Dublin yeah and full of gorgeous people you know with massive hearts and at the same time very dangerous tell me about it because I've never been there I've been to Dublin but not Summerhill it ain't Banshees of an assurance, you know.

34:50But again, it's just... What's it like, the physical fabric of it? Is it old buildings? Is it housing estates? Council blocks. Is it? Yeah, it's like a London. It's like London. It's very, very, very that way in comparison. And it's, as I said, there's gorgeous people there and that, but there's such a, you know, you're lucky to get out. To say you want to be an actor back then as well or like in an area like that, it can shut your confidence down. Because things like that don't happen to people from there. It doesn't happen. We have, you know, Kelly Harrington, who won gold twice now in the Olympics for boxing.

35:28We have people like that that just inspires young kids. You've got a lot of good people as well that have made it out, but there's not a big opportunity there. And I want to go back and set up some sort of a youth club, and employ people from around the area and set up some classes, and not only for acting, but me and Kelly have discussed about maybe doing boxing and acting and other stuff that kind of give kids a chance to go to this place after school and have some food. And if they want to work on being a stylist or just kind of nurture that and kind of let them see that there's a chance for that as well.

36:08I mean, to what extent do you feel your mum was a victim of the area being flooded with heroin? I think my mum just, you know, she just got caught like a lot of other people and, you know, no one knew the repercussions of heroin. You know, Basketball Dogs is a great movie that kind of puts it into perspective. You know, Jim Carroll. No one knew the repercussions and it was a cool thing to do on a Tuesday night or on a Wednesday night and then people are hooked then. And, you know, my mum, she was lovely. She was gorgeous, like, you know, almost like six foot, you know, dark hair, just beautiful.

36:47Like every lad was chasing her and, you know, this thing caught her, like many families. And it's sad to see the deterioration of people around the area and see people kind of struggle with it and the recovery they're in now. But it caught my mum, it caught my uncle who died of it. Yeah, caught my father as well. But yeah, and she was just unable to look after us. I mean, she did... She did try and there was a whole, you know, process of her being kind of... What's the word? Like when someone is there beside her. Evaluated? Evaluated and that. And they were trying to support her, I presume. Yeah, like on weekends she'd get visits to us, like, you know.

37:40Because they saw what, the social services saw she was struggling. Yeah. And they're like, we need to see what we can do here. Yeah, seeing that. And then my father wasn't there. And then she just couldn't look after. So we got taken to care. And no one knew about this. I think she was too embarrassed to tell my granny, you know. And so no one kind of knew. That's when we went through all the different homes. It was you and your brother, Eric? Just the two of you? Yeah, just the two of us, yeah. Is he older or younger? He's younger. A couple of years younger? No, just one year younger. But yeah, she'd be allowed to visit us on Saturdays and sometimes she wouldn't be there.

38:19She wouldn't make it. And it's just those things that kind of haunts me still. You don't forget those things. You don't forget waiting on the social worker steps and waiting for the new family to come and play with you in the little kind of playground they have in the office and, you know, see if it's going to work and then go with them, you know, to a whole new area and a whole new home. Like, you don't forget those things and, you know, the car journeys there and they're the things that haunt. And I don't blame her, you know, I don't. She was, it's a sickness, you know. But you ask these questions of why, you know what I mean?

39:01Where were you, why? and I remember even like, you get me into it, aren't I? I don't want, listen, I don't... No, it's, again, it's, I feel like in a safe space, you know, and it's, yeah. It's a lot for a Monday morning. It's Monday, isn't it? But no, you do, you don't forget those things, you don't forget the smells, like when I, you know, she'd be taking it, like, you know, she'd be using heroin and be in the house and you don't forget all those things. You know what I mean? So I'm quite proud of myself to be sitting here, because, again, it's something that I don't think a lot of people will ever understand.

39:45It must have helped having Eric, your brother, there, right? Yeah, it did. I mean, at least you got someone, some consistency. Yeah, and sometimes they can separate the children or the siblings. But me and Eric, you know, we stayed together and we, you know, I remember when, you know, we'd be sitting on the steps and we made this song up about my mum and, you know, called Dear Debbie. And he often tells me about this, you know, he remembers certain things that I don't remember. And he'll often say, remember that song, you know what I mean? And just stuff like that. She must have been in a lot of pain and struggle.

40:27Well, I think with heroin, as with opiates in general, you take it first as a way of escaping and then it becomes an addiction, something that's got its hooks in you. And people say, oh, I wouldn't get addicted. But you only have to look at the statistics in America for the opioid crisis to see almost no one, maybe no one at all, is immune. But actually, once it's got you in its clutches. Yeah. Oh, you become a different person. like you know even there's a scene in basketball I always say this movie but there's a scene because it hits hard there's a scene in that basketball diaries you know and he carried a notebook around with him as well and my mum carried a notebook I should say it's a Leonardo DiCaprio film who is it directed by?

41:08oh jeez I don't know I remember meeting Leonardo DiCaprio and saying it to him like what that movie meant to me but he carried a notebook around and my mother which I then found out he's addicted to heroin in the film right based on a real life memoir at 14 you know and the audio book is great if you listen to it Jim Carroll he's dead now The author yeah he narrates it and you can hear it like it's but anyways there was a scene in that movie where he comes to the front door and that actual scene happened at my granny's house you know my mum you know I remember laying in bed and her screaming through the letterbox like just wanting money you know and we had to lay in bed and my aunt and granny was like just don't go downstairs like you know what I mean and that haunts me you know that was one of the last times I heard her like her voice and that stuff haunts me of course and she was just looking for you know she needed money to score yeah it's that kind of stuff and then people kind of have a judgement on me as a parent I'm like well until you've walked a day in my shoes growing up as a kid then you can comment who judges you as a parent there's a lot there's a lot online if I didn't have tough skin or the strength I have, I wouldn't be sitting here.

42:25Of course it's going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from. And people just read that laziness and go, oh, that's no excuse to be an absent father. I'm not an absent father. You know what I mean? But it's just, again, people love to use my son as kind of, you know, it's like ammunition or whatever. and it kind of leads me to stop you know the more attention I've got lately and the more in the public I've become the less I've posted about my child because I don't think it's fair to put my child online there's sick people out there and because I reined that in people draw a narrative and go absent father, shit, deadbeat dad you know and more disgusting things I wouldn't even repeat just the audacity of some people man it sickens me more than makes me furious.

43:19Are you talking about comments? Comments? Comments underneath posts that you make? There was a comment the other day. They asked me in an interview, what's it like to play a father? Because this is relevant to the new film, Bird, Henry Arnold film, and you play a dad. Not the best father, but I think we can say his heart seems to be in the right place. Yeah, exactly, exactly. And again, I answered that going, well, I don't have that comparison because she's 13 in the movie, whereas my son is a two-year-old. And I don't have that traditional father relationship with him. You know what I mean? And what I meant by that was I don't have that blueprint.

43:58Not many people do either. I'm not trying to, like, this ain't, it's not a comparison to go, I've had it worse than you, but I don't have that blueprint. Yeah. You know, I don't have these kind of things that are in us to go, don't, like, don't do that, or my father taught me this, song and I don't have it from my mother either. You know, my granny was my father and my mother in one. Like she was more of a man than any fecking father. And I don't have that. And I got twisted online to go, oh, what an excuse to be a deadbeat dad. You know what I mean? I'm like, if you read on, but again, these people have no indication.

44:38I ain't going to feed them. I ain't going to give them, you know, more material to go, no, no, no, look, I'm with my child or I'm not. You don't deserve that. No. I don't mean to state the obvious, but I'd advise you to not look at comments. I've been off it, you know, because when I'm going through a role and I'm getting into character, I stay away from the internet. Yeah. You know, it affects me. I stay off. Less of my phone is best. You know, I'm in the zone. And that's a therapeutic kind of process for me. and a relief and an excuse not to be near it. But again, when I've got a bit of time, I am a curious being, you know, like all of us.

45:19And you want to kind of sometimes know what, especially when it's slander and when it's bad comments. Yeah. Attacking my parents or attacking me as a father. I've even blocked out certain words because I don't want to read that. Like what? Like just like stuff like my son. and people don't deserve to put that in a sentence, anything. Yeah. You know, I'm just trying to make a living, trying to get some, like, you know, good body of work and create a safety for my child. You've said that. OK, here we go. This is the quote, abandonment. It's embedded in me so deeply I've got to work through it because I've got other responsibilities now.

46:00But you know what? We talked about that. I don't want to languish. It's more abandonment. It's more trust, you know. I have certain trust issues. and again, it's poster boy coming from where I come from. It's like when you see and you go through that experience, it's like how can you trust anything? When you get attached to a family and then, oh, you've got to go here now. You were with 13 families, right? 13 foster homes, yeah. And they were all incredible, let me just say. I was going to ask, how was that? They were all great. How long would you be with each one? I can't even put a time, I don't know.

46:33Between the ages of what? ages of five to seven, I think, or nine. My granny took me in at nine. But again, it's just all these different families. I can't trust anything. I'm only getting around to it now. I never trusted when someone said they love me. I never trusted the process, like ever. I'd always think, nah, this isn't real. And I'm very aware of it, you know, walking through therapy and that, but I'm just getting around to it. Trust is it. a massive thing and like yeah the Louis Theroux podcast welcome everyone happy Monday when is this going to be played happy Monday what it comes out on a Tuesday someone's like listening to this going to the gym they're like ah fuck this it comes out on Tuesdays if that makes any difference I've watched three Bill I've watched yeah go on no Batman like just back to that it's a Batman slash trust and you know all these things that I'm massively aware of but it's when you have to put these things into play and you know do certain things that your therapist tells you to do to work on it and you know it's a I can see I can feel growth what I was going to ask was how's Eric like how's your brother does he act as well no he doesn't act acts the maggot is that an expression yeah is that it's an Irish thing what does it mean just acts acts up acts up wherever but you've got a good relationship he's a good lad Eric you know is he back in Dublin he's back in what does he do he actually works on movie sets.

48:04What about your dad? Do you have a relationship with him? My dad's passed away. Has he? Yeah. He passed away when I was 15. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. I'm sorry. I knew he hadn't been present in your life. I didn't realise he'd actually died. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, he passed away when I was 15. I was in care with my granny. So How did you, you know, at what point did acting come into the picture? Was that a lurching segue? So your dad's died. When did acting come in? No, come on. Jesus. Yeah, stop it. No, I'm trying to listen. No, I'm playing. People are listening to this in the gym and they're trying to get this.

48:46I know. They're like halfway through. They're on the treadmill. Everyone left the gym by this stage. If you're still listening and you're in the gym, you need to talk to someone. At some point you got, you had this dream of being an actor, right? I didn't. You know, again, it's not encouraged where I come from. You know, it's not encouraged. It's, you know, I remember I used to wear denim. I was getting into character for like a short film. I was doing, I wore a denim coat because the character wore denim and a shark tooth. And the lads would be like, what the fuck are you wearing, man? You know, when I'm standing out in the corner with them.

49:19And then they started encouraging it. I mean, like, you know what? If anyone's going to make it from the area, it's you. You know, I remember, it sounds silly, but I remember even looking into a pub, we were looking into a pub and we were standing there and the X Factor was on. And they were like, you know, you're going to make it, like they're going to make it. You know what I mean? And even coming home from Dunkirk on weekends and they were like, what are you coming back here for? Like, you know what I mean? You should be, like, if we see you back here, like I'm going to give you the slaps, you know?

49:51Always kind of encouraging me to do better. but again when I started it wasn't it wasn't the thing I seen it in I was coming out of a boxing club and I seen it a thing in the local shop and I was like actors with no experience and I was like oh I want to be an actor. How old were you I was like 15, 16 So you'd done a little bit of stuff at school which you'd enjoyed. Which I loved I loved because I got time off and free class. Were you aware of being good at it? When the teachers that didn't like me came up to me and went you're good I went, maybe I am good. But you didn't then think maybe this is...

50:28I liked the attention it gave me and the sense of, I don't know, like I could be silly. You know, there's a license to be silly. Yeah. And I liked that. And I remember them saying, well, there's this college. I'm like, and then I started going, you can't really go to college for acting, I don't think. You know what I mean? I didn't want to do that. I didn't think you could be taught this stuff. You know, so I did my kind of own study. and watch a lot of documentaries and the Paul Newman movies and Marlon Brando and my granny be giving out, like, going, why are you watching these movies? Like, they're so fucking old.

51:04And I'd be watching how they behaved back then, especially men. How come it was those? Because some people, you're going back to the 60s now. They had a different way of talking. And Marlon Brando as well, he's one of my favorites. Any particular Brando? Underwaterfront, you know. It was you, Charlie. Do you know what I mean? I could have been a contender. instead of being a bum. Which is what, let's face it, That's a very good impression. Which, let's face it, is what I am. You've even done the job. It's not your night. But I named my son Brando. It's one of my favourite scenes in all of cinema.

51:36It's not your night because it's about betrayal. He's being betrayed by his older brother. You should have looked out for me a little bit. Right? You should have looked out for me a little bit. But you said one of your favourite scenes so it's not the dance scene in Soborn. No. Well, that's top five. Top five? But listen, I named my boy Brando. But, you know, that's how I'm in love with Feckin' Marilyn Brando and I am. But, again, that is, you know, one I do resonate with. And watching, you know, again, as I said, I don't know why watching how men behave, maybe, again, the lack of that male figure in my life and I wanted some sort of, you know, education on it.

52:14I was just fascinated with that and animals, you know, documentaries on animals and how animals could get, certain things across and movement for me, just body posture and stuff like that always fascinates me. But with animals, like you can, even the dog, you can always tell what your dog is feeling. That's powerful. And I'm always in that lane of trying to perform through the body. You know, when people carry a movie on their shoulders and the camera, like the wrestler, Darren Aronofsky, and you've got Mickey Rourke and he's walking and the shoulders say everything. You know, just how he's holding himself.

52:53You know what I mean? Like, performances like that, really, that's what I started to look at and do my own kind of study on. So how did, so you looked at those, the ad in the window turned out to be for, I think it was an Irish one. Between the Canals, yeah. Between the Canals. How much did you get paid for that? 120 euro. 120 euros. Yeah. Are you probably glad of the money? I mean, I went straight to my auntie, I think, as well. I remember saying, I'm going to leave school now and become an actor. they're like, yeah, no, you're not. Like, you're going to finish school. Did you audition for Between the Canals?

53:27Yeah, I showed up on a dork bike. I remember it saying, you need to have a dork bike. You know, I was like, yeah, I got one. And I showed up, and it was just basically being yourself, which is always the hardest. And I just loved it. I loved something with the camera. Do you know, someone always said to me, you know, treat the camera like a, like, you know, someone you fancy. Like, play hard to get, like, turn away. and, you know, don't show everything and let them chase you, you know. And I've always kept that in mind, you know, even mumbling. I'm like, let them come in and hear me. I'm not going to project and give you, like, come into my space.

54:05Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I do, yeah. You have the sense of, there's a sense of permission. Permission. And a feeling that what you can, well, first of all, someone's actually listening to you, right? Exactly. Which in life doesn't happen as often as maybe it should. No. And you've got, in fact, not just one person, there's a room full that are paying attention to everything that you're doing. Yeah, like I hate, not hate rehearsal, but I hate, you know, when they say, all right, like rehearsal for the crew, because then you have to project, because the people at the back, and I'm not here to do that.

54:38Or I hate stage for that reason, because you're doing it for them, and I don't like that. You know, I just like this kind of thing, because I'm quite shy as well. I can't. Someone goes, do an accent. I'm like, I need four weeks. Do you know what I mean? Come back to me in four weeks, I'll do it. I can't really turn it on like that. It's a process for me. I'm not an entertainer. You know what I mean? I'm not going to do an accent play. I'm not going to put on it. Did it feel like a big moment when you did the audition and then you got notified? They said, you've got the role. Yeah, it felt great.

55:13It must have been huge. Yeah, I remember ringing up my granny's phone. I didn't have a phone. I didn't have a phone for many years actually maybe that's the trick do it that's what I think I didn't have a phone and I remember ringing out my granny's phone she's got a lovely little Nokia phone I'm ringing the director and him being like yeah yeah we just have to get funding and I was like what's that I had no idea I was totally new to this I was so persistent in a nice way you know so persistent being like yeah but when and he's like promise you we'll get back to you and I remember being like, the first thing I looked at when I went on the set was like the craft table being like, I can take this?

55:50They're like, yeah, yeah. I'm like, it's all free? Like, yeah. I was like, in that case, in your pockets, I can chocolate and all. What would you have been like at that time, 14, 15? Yeah, like, you know, something like that. And I was, you know, just loving the idea of getting time off school. But there was some part of you that believed that this could happen. There was definitely a part. You know, the fact that you went up for the audition, you saw the notice and thought, that could be me. Why not? And that's the thing. I never got that imposter syndrome or I don't belong here. I'm like, again, I'm such a fanboy.

56:22You know, when I meet people, I'm not afraid to show I'm a massive fan. Like, you know what I mean? Or people I work with or like I'll just be a fanboy. But I never feel like I don't belong there. And when I kind of came to terms with that, you know, and this whole thing of unique or weird, I think it's just embodying and being yourself truly and comfy with yourself and owning your imperfections. Like, OK, I've got I'm not the most prettiest, but I don't want to be. You know what I mean? I want to be me. And I think when you do that, they go, what is it he's doing? It's not doing anything but entirely being yourself, which is actually really hard.

57:00But like you're bringing something that, you know, because there's not another you, you're bringing you and they've not seen it. rather than going on and, like, I love Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, Daniel Day-Lewis, but I'm not going on trying to impersonate them or how would they do it? I'm doing it as me. I think when I started to do that, you know, it just, again, I didn't feel out of place or I felt I had something to bring. I think you did a TV show called Love Hate. Love Hate, yeah. That was huge, right? Particularly in Ireland. When you map it out, there seemed to have been a series of steps that took you to where you are, right?

57:41Each one lifting you up a little further, exposing you to more people. Was that an important one? Yeah, of course. I mean, every single one is an important one. It's a part of your journey. You played a cat killer. A cat killer. That's what they called me because I killed a cat. You kill one cat and they call you a cat killer. You know. What do they say? Don't they have nine lives or something? You fix one pipe, they don't call you a plumber. that's an old gag but you suck one dick they call you a cocksucker that's an old gag we can take that out or leave it um have you heard that one? no but did it feel I remember the best moment was when I got cast in Sacred Era they went killer cast alongside Nicole Kidman I was like wow was the headline?

58:28yeah that's classic was there a moment that felt like there's no going back my ship has left port this is it, we're on the way. Oh yeah, when I left the womb, I mean... Oh, come on. No, literally, Sacred Deer at Cannes Film Festival, I remember, that was the moment. I was like, I just, the movie got a lot of attention and so did I and I remember it just being like, this is it, you know what I mean? And again, it was a celebration, it was lovely, I had Nicole and Colin there, I was just, I remember going, okay now I'm kind of a serious actor does that make sense yeah 100 % or serious artist Nicole Kidman kissed your feet in a key scene I haven't washed them since that's the smell but yeah no she did and again you're sitting in front of you know such an incredible actress who has a body of work she's always good you know what I mean and she's lovely she's kissing your feet and it's just like even eating spaghetti like I'm sitting there in my boxers like in front of her and yeah it's a key scene because you're basically it's where you turn full evil in the movie and I think you're explaining to her about my dad eats spaghetti different or something yeah but then your dad and then you realised actually everyone eats the spaghetti the same way and it was the worst moment of your life and that's why I'm going to destroy you and your family such a weird character Martin how are you doing how's your energy good Are you okay?

1:00:00Yeah. What are you on? What page? Well, you've only got like another 10, 15 pages. Do I die in it? You don't have that part. At the end, you do. No way. But it's not for another 60 years. How would that make you 91, 92 in 60 years? A little longer than that. No, 80. You're 31, 32. 31. Are we talking about Sabrina or not? Are you in a relationship with Sabrina Carpenter? Oh, I knew you'd do this. You don't have to. That's why I asked permission first. Listen, I'm like a vampire. I have to be asked in. Can I come in? All I'm going to say is, yeah, I'm incredibly blessed. Such a strong, independent lady who's massively talented and, yeah, very special.

1:00:50Louis, you got me. You're not a vampire. I didn't. I mean, because you're... I wasn't... Please, please, please. To my shame, I only knew her as a name, like, embarrassingly, recently, like a couple of months ago, my kids were like... Great video, great music, great... But I'd heard the songs without knowing who they were by. She's from Pennsylvania. Uh-huh. Did you know her aunt is Nancy Cartwright? Uh-huh, I do. I did know that. Who's the voice of Bart Simpson. Bart Simpson, yeah. Have you met her? Please, please, please. Was that one of your favourites as well, in the top five? Because I was in it.

1:01:25Please, please, please is a brilliant video. You play the boyfriend. He's in prison. He's a bad boy. She's trying to leave him, but she can't resist his evident physical charms. You saying I'm charming? You're flirting with me. Your physical charms. You look pretty jacked. Is it? In the video. No, I think it's like the stuff I was wearing. I think you work out, though, don't you? I do. We boxed earlier, you know, in boxing. Do you have a regimen? Like, what's your routine in the gym? I mean, always, always work out. Always start the day, you know. I mean, I ran this morning. Did you? Yeah. You're really healthy.

1:02:00Huh? You're healthy. You're leading a healthy lifestyle. We've done a test on me, actually. You know, the doctors and the sports nutritionists, and, you know, we've done, like, a blood test, and they said I have the body of an athlete. Yeah. Just saying. If I said you had the body of an athlete, would you hold it against me? No, you've got a great judge on people, so... That's a joke, because would you hold it against me? You're full of... That's a tad joke. I'm taking these dad jokes down, man. You mentioned boxing. Have you actually fought? I imagine, yeah. I was doing a... Leading up to a competition in England, the Harg...

1:02:41The Harg... Cup or something like that it's called. I remember I had a GQ shoot the next day. And again, I had to get pulled out of that because I was in a GQ shoot. So you did show up to a shoot before with a bit of a black eye. So you fought at quite a high level. I wouldn't say a high, high level, but yeah, amateurs. And the amateurs? Amateurs, yeah. So you wear... I spar in and... I still spar. Do you wear headguards? Headguard, yeah. For the amateurs? For the amateurs, yeah. But like what you do in Dublin is you go to different clubs and, you know, or wherever I was situated. Even Cincinnati, actually.

1:03:11I remember fighting for their club. I remember filming Sacred Deer there and I joined the local boxing club. And Sacred Deer didn't know about it, but I was like prepping for a fight in Cincinnati nearly. I remember like sparring and like going back to set And no one knew about it You know what I mean Why did you want to do that? What did you get out of it? Because it must be kind of Well, how do you find it? I find it Presence, you know, you get I'm not trying to make it sound all dreamy But it's so present Like you're not thinking about You know, when you're brushing your teeth I've even started brushing my teeth with my left hand To kind of make me more present and focus on it Because when you're brushing your teeth You're thinking about getting in the car and in the car you're thinking about getting to wherever and with boxing and when you're acting you're just there it's present, you are just in the moment you know what I mean there's something very relieving about that that I don't have to worry and I'm just solely here that's what I get with boxing people go oh yeah it must be a lot of anger it's actually not it's so fucking, you watch it it's like art, you know how people move and you're learning and you've got a lot of respect for the person obviously after it.

1:04:25But it's definitely not like for anger or anything. How do you feel before a fight? Well, it's barren and I don't fight anymore. Well, before you, but back in the day. Oh, yeah, you're nervous. You're nervous. Like, you know what I mean? I remember I got to a stage where like people starting to recognise me and they're like, oh, this is the kid from Love Hate. So to be sort of like filming it, I'm like, oh, this is going to me getting punched now. but before that, before a scene, before a fight before a scene, you have those nerves and it's anticipation because you can't predict what's going to happen Listen, I think we've taken a lot of your time how are we going to, I think you're in a good place now and at the risk of embarrassing you I think you're a terrific actor and I think everything you do, and I can see a bit of Brando in you, I know that probably sounds trite That's very nice to say.

1:05:21There's a physicality and a kind of naturalism and a thrown away quality. The point you made about being away from the camera a little bit. And I feel as though if I could act... You're a great actor. That's the kind of acting I would do. I'd be so naturalistic. Don't look at the camera. They'd be like, it's either the worst acting we've ever seen or it's the best acting we've ever seen. What's he doing? Because I would be like... What's he doing because we don't want that. Yeah, whatever he's doing, please make him stop and no one ever do it again. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? No. I do. I get you.

1:05:56I'd be, my acting would be so fucking, it'd be like. I'd be almost like not acting. That's the key. Not acting. Thank you. Of course. Thank you. You're a legend. You're a ledge. Come here. Here we go. Hugs. Oh, thank you, man. Appreciate it. Good to meet you, Louis. I'm a master fan. I mean. Likewise. Honestly, I was really nervous. What a man. Probably the best interview I've ever... Podcast I've ever had. I appreciate it. I'll be getting all that in common. It was definitely in my top... It was in my top 50. Get out of here!

1:06:42Hello, me again, on my own. Yes, what an extraordinary and brilliant man. Nice talking to him. And it is Keoghan. I think I might have said that, but just for all you doubters, I checked. Even my kids were giving me a hard time. Dad, it isn't Keoghan. What's wrong with you? I said, he literally told me how you say it. So you can take it up with him. Other people who spell their name the same may have a different pronunciation. The mysteries of the Irish language. You know, you've seen how the Irish people spell Siobhan. T-Shock, right? These are words that it bears no relation to the orthography, look it up, that I'm familiar with growing up in London.

1:07:26Barry referred a few times to the Basketball Diaries. If I was a professional podcast host, I would say I've since seen it and it's brilliant, check it out. I haven't, I intend to. It's directed by Scott Calvert. It came out in 1995. It had Leonardo DiCaprio in it. It was one of his early roles. I remember that part. I was 25 living in New York. Anyway, we'll put that in the show notes. Oh, my testicle. It didn't really have anything to do with anything. Millie said that I need to talk about it a bit more. I'm not sure why. It speaks for itself. Not literally, but just to clear up, I've had no further problems downstairs.

1:08:14and they've resumed normal proportions where they remain, dangling or reposing happily in my trousers or shorts, as applicable. Bird, the film that Barry's in, is directed by Andrea Arnold. It's out on the 8th of November and is a rather beautiful film. It's elegiac and kind of weirdly picturesque, with a kind of bittersweet aesthetic of housing estates and horses and flowers and butterflies, but also asperity and deprivation, all of it mixed up in an Andrea Arnold cocktail. And Barry's, as you would expect, brilliant in it, inked up, his body covered in tattoos, his impressive physique steady on Louis.

1:09:09And just to say this is the final episode, of this run, but we'll be back in the new year with some more episodes, some more great interviews, if you want to go and listen to some old ones. And watch them, too. They're all visualised. Hello? I'm waving at the camera. If you've been affected by the topics discussed in this episode, Spotify do have a website for information and resources. Visit spotify.com slash resources. Credits. The producer was Millie Chu. The assistant producer was Amelia Gill, the production manager was Francesca Bassett, and the executive producer was Aaron Fellows. The music in this series was by Miguel de Oliveira.

1:09:48This is a Mindhouse production for Spotify.