"The Killing of a Sacred Deer" co-star and fellow Dubliner Colin Farrell has been gushing about "Dunkirk" star Barry Keoghan.
Irish actor Barry Keoghan has a pretty powerful guardian angel on his side – fellow Dubliner Colin Farrell.
Keoghan has been christened as a rising star by bibles such as The Hollywood Reporter thanks to his stellar work in Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer in which he co-starred with Nicole Kidman and Farrell.
The 25-year-old can look to veteran Farrell for guidance as his career progresses. In a weekend profile of Keoghan in the U.K. Guardian, Colin gushed about his young co-star.
Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in "Killing of a Sacred Deer".
“My first impression of him was that he was a pure burst of Irish energy,” Farrell says. “He seemed young – but that was a miscalculation on my part. Before too long I got to know a little more about him and rather than younger than his years, he’s older, wiser, more experienced than them. He’s stepped between the pillars of tragic loss way more often than most twice his age and he’s done so with his head unbowed.”
That’s for sure. Barry’s mother died of a heroin OD when he was only 12; he and his brother Eric were shuttled between various foster homes before moving in with their grandmother. Eric encouraged his brother to pursue acting even though it wasn’t the cool thing to do in the rough and tumble inner city neighborhood of their youth.
“Where I’m from, to do acting is not heard of. Being one of the lads and all, you don’t just go, ‘Oh, I want to be an actor.’ They’d laugh and joke about it. Not in a mean way, but like taking the piss. But once you get the seal of approval from your brother, you just know,” Keoghan said. Farrell’s stamp will surely mean a lot too in the years ahead. He’s been there and done that in Hollywood and lived to tell the tale.
“I love Barry. I think all the experiences he’s had in life would bury most of us. Certainly, I believe such struggle would place me in anger and destructiveness that is counter to what I’ve seen in him,” Colin said.
“He’s about creating. Just look up his CV and see who he’s worked with already, and the depth and mystery he’s brought to each role. He’s focused, driven and grateful, all alongside the natural talent he has.”
Keoghan says he’s hugely grateful for their friendship.
“He’s had his battles and that’s why I really look up to him. He gave me a lot of advice. When you’re chatting with him, he’s genuine. I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about how much Colin is a good friend,” Barry said.
Fame has other A list perks too. Last week he went to see Drake at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and got back stage for a pic too.
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