Barry Keoghan has never seen a script for ‘Bird’.
The 32-year-old actor stars in Andrea Arnold’s exploration of a flawed family but admitted he had no idea what the film was about until he saw the finished project for the first time.
He recently told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “There wasn’t a script. Still never seen a script.
“I didn’t know what this movie was about until I saw it at Cannes.
“I was like, ‘It’s about a bird though – right?’ And I hadn’t seen any birds in it. I was like, ‘Where the f*** does this bird come in?’
“It contradicts that thing of, ‘I’ve got to read [the script] first and see if it relates.’
“I sign on because I know it’s going to affect me on a human level, but also elevate me as an actor.”
Barry became a viral sensation thanks to his naked dance in psychological thriller ‘Saltburn’ and he had a lot of trust in director Emerald Fennell.
He said: “I’ve got massive trust issues, but I remember meeting Emerald and being so excited.
“It took a lot for me to think about, because on paper you’re like, ‘This is the role of a lifetime’. You go from that to, ‘I’m going to show so much of myself – literally.’
“There was a lot going on – and I’d never had a leading role.”
And Barry doesn’t think the viral moment will ever “leave” him.
He said: “It’s crazy, that went everywhere. It will never leave me. It plays in my head 24/7.”
The 'Banshees of Inisherin' actor recently recalled an "insane" moment earlier in his career when he auditioned for Steven Spielberg’s 2018 sci-fi film ‘Ready Player One’.
He told GQ magazine: “I remember doing the screen test, and he had a little camcorder in his hand, and I was like, ‘This is insane. Steven Spielberg is filming me doing a scene, on a camcorder.’”
Barry also said he has “always wanted to play a pilot”, which would have made him perfect for a Spielberg adventure movie.
He has now realised the dream by landing the part of character Lieutenant Curtis Biddick in the new Apple TV+ drama ‘Masters of the Air’.
Barry said one of the keys to his acting is showing his emotions through his eyes, adding: “If you can convey your emotions, what you’re feeling, with just your eyes, it’s powerful.”
