Barry Keoghan: “I had to give up on Gladiator 2 because I was committed to Bird”

“Because I was committed to Bird”, explains the actor of the new Andrea Arnold film. “I’m a fan of Ridley Scott, but sometimes you have to make choices.”

Barry Keoghanexcellent in Killing of the sacred deeré ou The Banshees of Inisherinis the star of Birdthe new film by Andrea Arnold (American Honey, Cow) which takes place in a working-class neighborhood in the South East of England. We met him during his presentation in Cannes last May.

Bird: Intriguing and vibrant, Andrea Arnold at her best (review)

What does it feel like to return to Cannes, 7 years later Killing of the sacred deerthe film that revealed you?

Yes, you could say that I was born in Cannes as an actor. The sacred deer holds a big place in my heart. Yorgos (Lanthimos) is the boss. I’m going to go see his new film, Kinds of Kindnessjust now. I would love to tour with him again. With Christopher Nolan or Andrea Arnold, he’s one of the directors for whom I would say yes with my eyes closed. I have so much confidence in them that it allows me to explore new facets of myself while feeling protected. You have to be able to become vulnerable to touch the truth in a performance.

Was it a dream for you to work with Andrea Arnold?

Of course ! I had said it in interviews. I didn’t even read the script when the opportunity presented itself. I love the documentary aspect that we find in her cinema, she puts so much truth into her way of talking about the working classes. I recognize myself a lot in what she does. I had to give up Gladiator 2 because I was committed to Birdschedules overlapped. I’m a fan of Ridley Scott, but when you’re an actor you sometimes have to make choices.

Your character, Bug, seems like a bad father. He has two teenage children even though he’s not yet 30, he’s covered in tattoos, lives in a squat… But it’s more complicated than that.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. It’s not because you live in a certain environment or have a certain appearance that you’re a bad father. The greatest fighters, the best mothers come from these places where we have nothing.

As in all Andrea Arnold films, music is omnipresent in Bird. And there’s even a joke about “Murder on the Dancefloor”, which was at the heart of a cult scene of Saltburnwhere you share the bill with Jacob Elordi.

There was always a huge speaker on set, she loves it. It’s great, music makes time pass faster. The reference to “Murder on the Dance Floor” was Andrea’s idea, she added that afterwards Saltburn. Universes intersect and I find that very funny.

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