Barry Keoghan is set to fly out to the glitzy Oscars' ceremony in Hollywood later this week after being nominated for an award for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, but despite his success the actor has championed charity work in Ireland.
In March 2022, Barry was announced as an ambassador for Kildare camp Barretstown, which is for children and their families that are living with serious illness. He helped the charity to launch its new state-of-the-art Aladina Studios, which encourages children availing of its services to try acting while at camp.
Speaking about the studio launch last year, Barry said “Acting has always been an outlet for me, and I love it – which is why I’m so proud to come on board as an ambassador for Barretstown and to be a part of this incredible new studio launch. The studio will allow Barretstown children the same opportunity to express themselves creatively and have some really great fun doing it.
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He added: "And I hope to be back to give a few acting lessons, so we continue to bring Irish talent to the global stage!”
Over the years, Barry has also supported other charities like homeless charity Focus Ireland. In 2018, the actor and four friends helped raise money for Focus Ireland by sleeping rough on the streets to raise awareness.
When the Dublin actor got his Oscar nod for his role in Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin, Focus Ireland congratulated the Eternals star and thanked him for his support. The charity wrote on Facebook: "Huge congrats to Barry Keoghan who received a Best Supporting Actor Nomination for his role in #TheBansheesOfInisherin.
"Barry has been a supporter of Focus Ireland in the past, sleeping out for our 2018 Shine A Light Night. The Dubliner has faced many challenges in life growing up in a foster care background when he was a child and teenager.
"Best of luck Barry, you are an incredible role model," they added. Barry Keoghan has openly talked about his own tough childhood and teenage years, and growing up Summerhill in Dublin city centre alongside his brother Eric.
Barry was in a total of 13 different foster homes as his mum struggled with addiction. He was just 12-years-old when his mum sadly passed away, and the two brothers were raised by their grandmother and aunt. In 2011, Barry began his acting career and he studied at The Factory in Dublin, and in the same year appeared in Fair City when he was 18.
In 2013, he picked up his break-through role in the RTE drama Love/Hate where he played the "infamous cat killer" Wayne. In the years that have followed Barry has gone from strength to strength with roles in Marvels' The Eternals (2021), The Batman (2022) as a cameo as the Joker, and his most acclaimed role yet as Dominic Kearney in The Banshees of Inisherin opposite fellow Dublin stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
Barry is now also a dad to baby son Brando with his partner Alyson, and the little family of three have set up home in Scotland in recent months. The Dublin star is now hotly tipped to pick up an award at the Oscars, which will take place on March 13 in Hollywood.
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