In a new interview, the 'Banshees of Inisherin' actor talks about his approach to his first leading role in the Emerald Fennell-directed psychological thriller.
- December 19, 2023
AceShowbiz - Barry Keoghan envisioned five different versions of his character in "Saltburn". The 31-year-old star portrays Oxford University student Oliver Quick in Emerald Fennell's movie and explained how he adopted five separate personas to use as his alter ego in the picture.
"That was more for me. I looked at good leading performances with a strong arc to prepare because this was my first leading part. Writing and directing are obviously huge, but it's also up to you to keep the audience engaged," Barry said in an interview with Variety.
"I created Oliver 1 for the start, then Oliver 2 for the next part, on through Oliver 5 at the end. I wanted to hit each of them with a physicality, a tone of voice, a different motive, a different pace. You see the costume and the hair changes, but you also sense his mental change and track that journey."
Barry's character is depicted as wicked in the picture - which sees Oliver befriend wealthy student Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) - but "[mThe Banshees of Inisherin]" star feels that his alter ego does possess some "compassion" in the flick.
The Irish actor said, "He definitely has compassion. He's an addict - he's slightly addicted, slightly obsessed. He's an observer. He's fascinated by human behaviour and morals and why people act certain ways.
"He's curious why people are so attracted to Felix. What is it that's drawn all these people to him? We all have that person in our life. I remember being in school - there were one or two figures I'd watch in the schoolyard and people would gravitate to them. I'd wonder, What is it? Is it their smell? Is it that they're not even saying anything? But then you try to replicate it and you just look weird and stupid."
