Saltburn Director Admits Barry Keoghan Film is Semi-Autobiographical Despite Its Shock Factor: “It’s all personal, isn’t it?”
Irish actor Barry Keoghan embarked on his journey to become an established actor when he starred in a small role in the crime film Between the Canals. He was merely 18 years old when he appeared in the Irish soap opera Fair City, and it did not take him long to gain recognition in Ireland as his role as Wayne in Love/Hate gained him a significant amount of attention.
Barry Keoghan starred as Druig in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Eternals, which has an ensemble cast featuring Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, and many others. His most recent project is Saltburn in which he appears alongside Priscilla actor Jacob Elordi. Saltburn‘s director has recently made a revelation about the movie which implies that it is inspired by her personal experiences.
Barry Keoghan Starrer Saltburn is Inspired by the Director’s Personal Experiences
Saltburn is a psychological thriller set in the 2000s. Written, directed, and produced by Emerald Fennell, the movie is a black comedy that follows a young Oxford University student who develops an attraction towards his rich classmate and is then invited by him to spend the summer at his family’s estate, Saltburn.
While Jacob Elordi stars as Felix Catton, Barry Keoghan takes over the role of the very clever student Oliver Quick who longs for the life and luxuries his friend has. The film also sees Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike in the role of Catton’s mother Lady Elspeth Catton.
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Recently, Oscar-nominated director Emerald Fennell revealed what inspired the story for Saltburn to Letterboxd, saying:
“It’s all personal, isn’t it? No matter how much you want to get away from yourself, you never really can. Whether or not [Saltburn is] about my time at Oxford, it’s more about my obsession and all of our obsessions with looking at things we want. The constant watching and endless voyeurism, the bottomless pit of voracious need and desire for people and their houses and their families.”
The movie premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. Following the initial positive response, its release date was moved up a bit to elevate its chances of winning during the awards season.
Barry Keoghan Gave His All to Saltburn
Given Saltburn comes from the Oscar-winning writer Emerald Green, who was praised for her work on Promising Young Woman, and features Academy Award-nominated actor Barry Keoghan, it would not come as any surprise if it were to sweep a couple of awards or at least leave an indelible mark on the minds of the viewers.
Keoghan has already shown his range with his work on his previous projects, but Saltburn still tested his limits, and he did not back off. In a phone interview with GQ, he revealed which part was the hardest for him to shoot in the ending sequence, saying:
“I was trying to put it off and put it off and put it off because I was shying away from the idea of dancing. Not being in the nude—dancing. Dancing and singing is very uncomfy for me.”
Everyone has their own insecurities and strengths. Keoghan, however, proved that he is truly willing to put himself out there even if it needs him to do things that he is uncomfortable with.
