Barry Keoghan Draws the Line—Time to End Online Abuse

Barry Keoghan is the kind of actor who steals scenes and racks up awards buzz — which also means, inevitably, he gets way more than his share of online nonsense. If you follow his career at all (or, honestly, if you have eyes and an internet connection), you know exactly the kind of bitter, nameless hate that floats around Twitter anytime someone gets famous. But in a new interview with Variety, Keoghan says he’s finally ready to be done with all that static.

Barry Keoghan is Done With the Comment Section

Let’s lay it out: Keoghan has been everywhere the last few years — Dunkirk, The Banshees of Inisherin, Saltburn (that one definitely got people talking), and next up, he’s playing Ringo Starr for director Sam Mendes in that ambitious four-part Beatles biopic event. He should be riding high, but, like so many in his position, he’s also been dogged by relentless online criticism.

Specifically, some of the worst stuff has centered not on his work but on his personal life. After having a son in 2022 with a former partner, he started getting hit with ugly accusations — people online labeling him an 'absent father' and generally tossing around armchair judgments about his parenting from the comfort of a Twitter account with seven followers. (I mean, the internet is what it is, but this stuff gets pretty toxic.)

It’s not the first time he’s spoken about it, either — Keoghan previously told Louis Theroux that the onslaught of criticism about his appearance and personal life made him want to withdraw completely, to the point where he didn’t even feel like showing up in public spaces.

'I want to step into a new chapter of my life where I let my work speak for me... I want to close the book on it, put my head up, have a smile and enjoy the moment.'

That’s what Keoghan told Variety this time around when asked directly about all the online drama. And then, in classic Keoghan style, he joked that he probably sounded like he was reading a line from a script — he wasn’t — and admitted he cracked a smile to himself while glancing out the window. Seems like he’s actually making the effort to move on.

So What’s Next for Keoghan?

• Upcoming Role: He’s set to play Ringo Starr in one of Sam Mendes’ Beatles movies — not exactly low-profile, and, for better or worse, bound to keep him in the spotlight.
• Focused on Craft: Keoghan says he’s looking for roles that help him 'heal,' 'find,' and 'explore' — aiming to work only with people who get what he’s about and want to push themselves, not just crank out another blockbuster.

Look, none of this is a huge revelation — celebrities getting hate online is unfortunately baked into the job description at this point. But it is striking to hear someone this young and this good at what he does lay it all out so directly, and then basically say: Enough. I’m done arguing with people I’ll never meet, I’ll let the films and the performances do the talking.

And frankly, considering what he’s done so far, that doesn’t sound like a terrible idea.