Barry Keoghan says he’s done letting online criticism about his appearance weigh on him, and is focusing on turning the page into a ‘new chapter’.
Across the past few years, the Irish actor has repeatedly been targeted with harsh social media commentary. He’s faced claims ranging from being an “absent father” after his son was born in 2022 to allegations about his relationship with ex-girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter, making it a difficult stretch for the Crime 101 star.
Professionally, though, Keoghan’s trajectory has continued to climb. He won a BAFTA for The Banshees of Inisherin, earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, and picked up another BAFTA nomination for Saltburn.
He’s also currently shooting Sir Sam Mendes’ set of Beatles biopics, taking on the role of Ringo Starr. Production is believed to have begun in Liverpool in March.
With the drummer role in mind, Keoghan has swapped his usual close-cropped cut for a more 1960s-inspired style, echoing Starr’s iconic look from the era.
That change has prompted some new sniping online, but Keoghan has made it clear that the negativity didn’t start with his Beatles transformation.
“There’s a lot of abuse of how I look, and it’s kind of past the point of – you know, everyone goes through that… but it’s made me shy away,” Keoghan recently said on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up.
“It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside. I say this being absolute pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem,” the 33-year-old added.
Now, he says he’s ready to leave that period behind.
Speaking to Variety in a new interview, Keoghan explained that he wants to ‘step into a new chapter of my life where I let my work speak for me’.
He continued: “I want to close the book on it, put my head up, have a smile and enjoy the moment.
“I feel like I just read that line off something. I didn’t, but I did look out the window as I said it and smiled.”
Good for you, Barry!
In other parts of the conversation, Keoghan also shared how much thought goes into choosing his next roles.
Keoghan said of the movies he’s starred in (and will star in in the future): “I carefully, cautiously pick because I just want to enjoy, and I want to heal, I want to tell, I want to find, I want to explore.
“I want to discover all of those things while I’m making a movie with people who are like-minded.”