Barry Keoghan spent 7 years in foster care in 13 different homes before achieving Oscar nomination
As actor Barry Keoghan is nominated for his first Oscar, it has emerged that the Irish star had an extremely difficult childhood - moving between 13 foster homes in just seven years.
The 30-year-old was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award earlier this week for his role as Dominic Kearney in the The Banshees of Inisherin, and the news breaking lead fans to discuss his humble begins.
Keoghan first entered the care system at the age of 12 shortly after his mother, who had been battling with heroin addiction, died.
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Along with his brother Eric, the Dunkirk actor was moved between 13 different homes before eventually being raised by his grandmother and older sister Gemma.
Commenting on his troubled childhood, he told The Irish Times: “I have been through… it wasn’t really nice. And that does make you a solid man. It makes you deal with things a lot better.”
In a bid to escape his troubled childhood, Keoghan spent much of his childhood sneaking into the local cinema with friends.
It was here when the actor gained his love of film.
However, the Oscar nominee hadn’t considered acting until he saw casting notice in a shop window as a 19-year-old.
He replied and incredibly, landed his first role in the independent crime film Between the Canals, despite only having ever acted in school plays.
Keen to pursue his passion for film, Keoghan went on to study at The Factory, a Dublin based drama school, but struggled to survive during his education.
He told The Irish Independent that he vividly remembered not 'not even having €2.20 to get the bus to The Factory'.
Despite his rapid rise to fame, with roles in critically acclaimed dramas such as Dunkirk, The Batman and Chernobyl, the actor has remained humble about his success.
“Fame is not my version of success. For me it’s being happy and making sure everyone around me is too,” he added.
In addition to his recent Oscar nod, Keoghan has previously won a slew of awards, including Bafta’s EE Rising Star back in 2019.
While it is unclear whether Keoghan will win the Academy Award for The Banshees of Inisherin, the actor undoubtedly has a bright career ahead of him.
The star is also keen to reprise his small role as the Joker in a sequel to The Batman, alongside actor Robert Pattinson.
Fans have also been rallying for the actor to appear in future DC films, after director Matt Reeves shared a deleted clip of the Joker featuring Keoghan at Arkham Asylum.
Speaking about the DC universe to The New York Times, Keoghan said: “I already have a backstory that I’ve created in case it [The Batman 2] does happen — a totally fresh way of playing him.”
Topics: Celebrity, Oscars, TV and Film, Barry Keoghan
Katherine Sidnell