Barry Keoghan goes deep on Banshees Of Inisherin—and that Batman audition tape

Barry Keoghan is ready and willing to discuss the ins and outs of acting, his passion for it, and what influences and inspires his quest for the ultimate truth in storytelling. But he’s also a prime example of that old maxim: the work speaks for itself. Since his breakouts in Mammal and The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, filmmakers and audiences have sensed Keoghan’s all-in approach, the kind of raw honesty that keeps our eyes glued to him. And he’s translated that vulnerability to fit both epic proportions (as the superheroic Druig in Marvel’s Eternals) and intimate ones (as in Martin McDonagh’s new film The Banshees Of Inisherin).

Keoghan fits so naturally into McDonagh’s recurring troupe of actors, including fellow Irishmen Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, it’s surprising this is his first collaboration with the writer-director. As Dominic Kearney, the fictional island’s resident doe-eyed simpleton, Keoghan clearly understands comedy and tragedy are two sides of the same coin. (His delivery of an offhand line, “There goes that dream, then,” will positively break your heart.) As Banshees throws its hat into the awards season ring this weekend, Keoghan joined The A.V. Club to discuss living in the moment, crafting characters using animals, and his recently resurfaced audition self-tape for the Riddler in The Batman, which caused Matt Reeves to book him instead as the, ahem, Unseen Arkham Prisoner.

Barry Keoghan: I mean, you’re kind of nervous going in, it is Martin McDonagh. You’re becoming part of the club, almost. But you know you’re in safe hands. I was totally onboard—even before I read the script. [And when I read the script] I couldn’t stop laughing, I was heartbroken, I felt sad, I felt a bit of everything. And that to me is, you know, just a yes. But yeah, I knew going in about that caliber that I was acting alongside with everyone involved. I knew we were in for a good one.

AVC: Did you learn anything about yourself or about your craft making this?

BK: I’m always learning! Always, always learning. In terms of how Brendan works and Kerry [Condon] works and just watching all of that and absorbing all of that. And absorbing how Martin works, just getting a degree of everything, really. I was blessed to be there.

AVC: It seems that more than for a typical role, nailing the dialogue here is most important. How did you and Martin and these co-stars approach the dialogue, particularly the accents and cadences? Is it safe to say there’s a theatrical element to his words?

BK: Definitely. I find sometimes I struggle with dialogue; sometimes it’s my memory, and I’m slightly dyslexic. I do have ADHD as well, so it’s hard to fully focus on something always and to be consistent. So it was quite tricky, it was. And Martin was very good with me in the sense of being there alongside me. If I had a question, if I had a problem, [he made] it really simple and easy for me. The dialogue is just beautiful. You do find it rolling off your tongue. There’s no need to be adding stuff in or taking stuff away, everything feels right in the right place. And that’s the beauty of a really, really talented writer.

AVC: I’d love to ask about how you draw inspiration from animals.

BK: Yeah, I kind of based [Dominic] on a fox. I was looking at a lot of foxes then, how they’re just feral, you know, in and out. And an open mind and intelligence, they’re very, very intelligent. Dominic is a bit of a feral fox, really, if that makes sense. [The process involves] observing the body language. I was always fascinated with animals, how they get things across, especially dogs or pets, without saying anything—with a look, how they slump beside you, or when they’re just moping about. I’m always interested in that side of things. But yeah, with the fox, it was a physicality and a mental side of it, being intelligent.

AVC: Come to think of it, there’s so many animals in The Banshees Of Inisherin that they’re basically characters.

BK: Right, they are. [Laughs] There’s Jenny the donkey. So many animals, and that was great.

AVC: How do you go about picking an animal to inspire a character? You haven’t done that process for every role, have you?

BK: Yeah, almost! In this new film I’ve done, Saltburn, I based it on—I don’t want to give anything way but—there’s this statue that we were studying. Physicality is everything for me, really. I love Darren Aronofsky, in The Wrestler, how Mickey Rourke as the main character, a lot of it is shot on the shoulders, you know? And it’s all his physicality that says everything. Without dialogue. I’m always interested in that concept. And James Dean, of course, and [Marlon] Brando. I’ve studied a lot as well, their behavior.

AVC: How does that “outside-in” approach work, where maybe figuring out how a character walks dictates how they talk, or even unlocks who they are? It sounds like a puzzle that you’re trying to put together.

BK: Exactly, always. I’m always looking for the new. How can I elevate? I don’t think we’ll ever, with this craft—you know, I don’t think if you put 15,000 hours in, you’ll be a master at your craft. I think the whole beauty of this is trying to figure out what it is. I mean, it’s written on paper what we do. But there’s different elements, there’s, “How far can we take this? What is the next thing of making people relate or making someone feel?” I’m always fascinated with that. Transformation, being totally present, the kind of euphoric state you get into when you get to a place. Even if it’s for 10 seconds—not even, that’s long—for three seconds, that numbness, that dizziness, that total presence, that “be in the moment” thing. How do we get to that euphoric place, what is it that we have to do?

One example was when we were doing Banshees, on the right was the set and on the left was the coast. And when you looked up to the left, you totally forgot where you were. But you felt right in that time period. You look to the right and then you’re back on set. Those two seconds when you’re there, it was that euphoric, kind of numbness. I want to know how we get there. That’s the elevated place I’m trying to take it … It’s trying to forget that the light crew is set up there and there’s a camera in your face. It’s really hard to be in the moment. A lot of people go to the extremes of whatever method they do to get there. But I’m looking for a way to be totally present—not only in that, but in everyday life. Because it is a great feeling. A feeling of not having a guard up, just letting go. And then you’re back to just being guarded. I’ve been told meditation is a way to do it and stuff like that. But it’s hard to meditate!

AVC: And how does your co-star factor into everything you just said? Can your scene partner ever help you get in that present moment?

BK: They do. It’s also called a flow state, which is another great thing. When you’re in the flow, when you’ve got great actors and actresses around you, it feels right. And you almost forget the technicalities and everything else added to it. And that’s in the moment as well. [Looking around him] I’m in the moment now. I’m in the moment talking about being in the moment.

AVC: I wanted to ask about getting ahead in Hollywood and particularly with auditions, especially now that we’ve all seen your Batman audition tape. What is your approach to the craft, if we can call it that, of auditioning? Because it seems that’s not the same as the flow state in the moment—that’s often a self-tape with you and just a camera.

BK: Yeah. And that’s obviously a rehearsed thing and a thought-out thing. To me, if I want a part, I’ll go and try to show my version. And if they don’t like it, they don’t like it, and that’s fair. But I want to give you something that you’ve not seen before, which is my version. It’s not me trying to be another actor doing it, it’s me being me doing it. And I can guarantee you one thing, which is it’s going to be a force you’ll see, because you’ve not seen me doing it. So I’m always on that side of things; if you’re not ready for the part, you’re not ready for the part. But here, have a look at my version.

AVC: Did you audition for Banshees?

BK: I didn’t. [Laughs] Thank God. I wouldn’t have got it. If I had auditioned for that, I wouldn’t have got that.

AVC: Interesting. It feels like you and McDonagh are a match made in heaven. But maybe there’s something about the audition process that is inherently less authentic?

BK: Yeah, you know, I’ve been offered parts and gone, “Oh, let me go in and do the reading anyways!” And I went in and [then they say,] “Actually, we’re rethinking it.” Like, I should have just held off. There’s been a few times this has happened! I’m like, shit. They’d given me the part.

AVC: But to your point, you want the best possible match for the role.

BK: Yeah, you know, one door opens. And the other door … doesn’t open. It stays shut. [Laughs]

AVC: That’s Hollywood. Do you have a dream collaborator, a filmmaker you’d love to work with?

BK: There’s a lot of people. Andrea Arnold is definitely someone I want to work with. Lynne Ramsay. Barry Jenkins.

AVC: And do you have an all-time favorite film?

BK: Cool Hand Luke. I love Cool Hand Luke, I love it.

AVC: What do you watch that tends to inspire you?

BK: I love watching documentaries. Again, I’m trying to find out that most pure, honest form and truth and translate that into a performance. And I find it hard to watch new movies sometimes. Because I don’t get time to watch movies, so I’m always watching a bit behind. But there’s no place like watching in the cinema. I find it hard to watch films at home, you’re not immersed the way you are in cinema. Go see Banshees in the cinema!