‘People Can Get Really Tired’: Barry Keoghan Responds To ‘Deadbeat Dad’ Claims And Talks About Avoiding Weird Roles
Irish actor Barry Keoghan recently opened up about personal struggles and professional choices on The Louis Theroux Podcast. The star of films like The Banshees of Inisherin and The Batman addressed the hurtful accusations of being a deadbeat dad, talked about his approach to acting, and reflected on his challenging past. The podcast episode, featuring Keoghan, is available on Spotify from November 5.
During his conversation with Louis Theroux, Keoghan spoke about the impact of public scrutiny on his role as a father. “I’m not an absent father,” he stated, stating how people often weaponize his relationship with his son. “People love to use my son as ammunition.”
He shares a son with his former partner, Alyson Kierans, and was reportedly dating American singer Sabrina Carpenter. Keoghan talked about the toll that online accusations can take, saying, “Of course, [his childhood is] going to affect me being a father when I had no blueprint to take from.”
He expressed his frustration with critics who label him as lazy or negligent. Keoghan also noted that his decision to limit sharing details about his child online has led to negative assumptions. “I don’t think it’s fair to put my child online,” he said.
“And because I reigned that in, people draw a narrative and go, ‘Absent father, shit, deadbeat dad,’ and more disgusting things I wouldn’t even repeat. Just the audacity of some people, man. It sickens me, makes me furious.”
Keoghan reflected on the harsh realities of being in the public eye. He mentioned the distressing comments about his appearance on social media. He said that it’s sad to kind of pick someone’s appearance apart, especially on TikTok as well, acknowledging the impact of social media on mental health.
He added that people can sit there and make videos and be like, I don’t like his face, he looks weird, or he looks evil and just picks you apart. Fortunately, Keoghan feels he has developed tough skin to deal with such criticism.
Keoghan also discussed his approach to acting, stating he does not seek out roles that depict evil characters. “I don’t search or seek out roles that have a demeanor of being evil,” he stated. “I just want to show range and get to play different parts with the directors I love.”
He mentioned wanting to distance himself from unconventional roles. “But yeah, I do want to get away from the weird parts,” he said. He admires actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Christian Bale, who are selective about their roles.
“People can get really tired of seeing your face,” he said. He added that when you look at the actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Christian Bale, they don’t show up for everything, and they pick up parts quite cautiously.
Keoghan also shared insights about his challenging upbringing, which included living in foster care and coping with his mother’s struggles with addiction. He recounted the experience of moving between 13 different families.
“You don’t forget waiting on the social worker steps and waiting for the new family to come,” he recalled. He said he remembers being excited to see if it’s going to work and then go with them to a whole new area and a whole new home.
