Barry Keoghan, now officially a Cannes regular, is weighing up the idea of one day taking to the Palais steps as a director.
“I’d love to,” the 33-year-old tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Most of the time on set would be spent on me getting people to understand what I’m saying, though.” The dulcet tones of that thick Irish accent are perfectly intelligible over the phone, THR puts to him. “Believe me,” replies Keoghan, “I’m talking slow.”
The superstar has given us 20 minutes of his time in between shooting Sam Mendes’ much-anticipated Beatles biopics — a four-film cinematic event, coming in 2028 — to talk about his latest project, Kantemir Balagov’s Beanpole follow-up, Butterfly Jam. It happens to be the first movie Keoghan’s Wolfcub Productions has brought to the Croisette. The actor was last here (sans Wolfcub) with Andrea Arnold’s Bird in 2024, and made his Cannes debut next to Yorgos Lanthimos with 2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer. “There’s an animal thing with Cannes, for me,” he says about the intriguing pattern of titles trailing after him.
It’s no over-exaggeration to say Keoghan’s ascension since Sacred Deer has been astronomical. It’s an apt descriptor given the vastness of the Irishman’s résumé (the MCU’s Eternals, HBO’s Chernobyl, and Martin McDonagh’s tragically comical The Banshees of Inisherin) and the A-list co-stars he’s collected along the way (such as in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn and, recently, in Cillian Murphy’s final Peaky Blinders outing The Immortal Man).
But Keoghan is keen to keep his slate eclectic, and with that comes an urge to work with the arthouse up-and-comers and the best that European cinema has to offer. “Along with making commercial movies, [I want] to make movies with directors who have one or two movies behind them,” he tells THR. “I’m always trying to find that balance and not stay in one lane.”
A long time ago now, he reached out to Balagov off the back of the prize-winning Beanpole, and mentioned he’d love to work with the Russian filmmaker. The product of that conversation is set to premiere in the fest’s Directors’ Fortnight. It follows newbie Talha Akdogan, whom Keoghan admits he felt a little protective over — “I felt like Colin Farrell did to me!” — as Pyteh, a 16-year-old living in New Jersey’s Circassian community (following the Russian Empire’s 18th century invasion of Circassia, the entire ethnic group was either exiled or massacred). Here, Pyteh’s father (Keoghan) and aunt (Riley Keough) run a diner specializing in Circassian cuisine, but the teen finds himself balancing the struggling business with his aspirations of becoming a wrestler.
The subject matter prompts Keoghan to talk candidly about tapping into his own tumultuous upbringing and journey to fatherhood — he spent many of his childhood years in foster care, and welcomed a son, Brando, in 2022 — while making Butterfly Jam: “It’s OK to be you as a dad, and I’ve learned that by being me. This is how I do it, and this is how I show love.”
Here, Keoghan catches us up on his Cannes plans, talks about the first-time writers, directors and projects he’s willing to take a chance on at Wolfcub, and reveals what it’s been like living life as the eccentric Sir Ringo Starr: “I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Were you familiar with Kantemir’s work before Butterfly Jam?
Yeah, so I’d seen Beanpole and absolutely loved it. I just love European cinema, and I think [Balagov] is incredibly talented. I’m always looking for someone that, if anything, can bring me outside my comfort zone, and along with making commercial movies, I want to make movies with directors who have one or two movies behind them. So I’m always trying to find that balance and not stay in one lane.
I think with Kantemir, I reached out to [him] ages ago. It could have been on Twitter or something like that. And I said, “I’m a massive fan, and I’d love to meet and chat and see what you’re interested in, and if we could bring something together.” He got back to me, and he was a massive fan as well. [He said], “Barry, that’s amazing. I’ve got nothing right now at the minute, but I will keep you in mind. And hopefully we’ll work together on something.” It was the same with [Crime 101 director] Bart Layton. I made that exchange with Bart. That’s how it happens.
How would you describe what Butterfly Jam is about and who your character is?
It’s a story about a family in America, but we filmed it in France, so [we] kind of kept that European touch to it. I play a father and it follows my son, who is basically becoming a wrestler, and is in adolescence — that world of high school and the dramas that come with it, the fitting in. You know, thinking you know the world and you’re of an age now that you can do things you want. It follows my son and brings us into a community, a Circassian family, and it’s a tight community. I think they’re based on a community in New Jersey, and it brings us there. We run a business, a restaurant. We sell Circassian [cuisine], it’s this pancake-y potato. Sort of like an Irish stew. It’s just proper traditional. We’re famous for making them and I’m trying to get my business off the ground. And at the same time be respected as a father and battling that whole selfishness thing that you have trying to run a business — but also trying to raise a son. My sister, [played by] Riley, she’s just been there constantly, like a mom to my son, and I don’t want to give it away too much, but basically, it’s a community movie. If you’ve seen Beanpole, you’ll be expecting the Kantemir touch to it.
Was it quite an education for you, learning about the Circassian community?
Yeah, because it’s very, very specific, and you don’t want to rock in and half-attempt it. But at the same time, if the director trusts what you’re doing and you know the spirit of what you’re doing is there … I think you go certain ways that sometimes might [not be rooted in] factual things. So once Kantemir and everyone on set — because there were a few people from the Circassian community — once they were all good, I felt in safe hands, totally.
And you play father to Talha’s character?
Yeah. He’s a newcomer and he’s absolutely brilliant. He’s such a lovely lad. We shot sort of in chronological order, and seeing him grow and hit his marks and become a professional was beautiful to see. I felt like Colin Farrell did to me, you know, that sort of thing, that Cillian [Murphy] felt [toward] me as well. You take pride in that you want to set standards … You want to lead by example. And he’s just incredible and very observant and wanting to learn and wanting to be part of [it]. We’ve a lovely, lovely crew and cast, to be honest.
I read that, for your recent Peaky Blinders role, you could relate to Duke through your own complicated relationship with your father and fatherhood more generally. Did any of that come up again in this project?
Yeah, definitely. Of course. This time, I just have a kid who can probably beat the shit out of me and wrestle me to the ground. (Laughs.) That’s the difference, but Brando [Keoghan’s 3 ½-year-old] could probably do that as well. Actually, to be honest, he’s been boxing me already with boxing gloves! But no, you touch on a lot of your own stuff and chords and strings, and I think that’s where I bring a new angle to it. I’m a father. There are new feelings, new emotions, there are new experiences and new chapters I’m approaching. It’s sort of nice to play not the traditional dad and [challenge] the dads that people tend to have a version of, which doesn’t always exist — dads and moms. But it’s OK to be you as a dad, and I’ve learned that by being me. This is how I do it, and this is how I show love. And it mightn’t be the way that we’ve all seen, or we’re all used to, but this is how I show emotion, and I’m telling the truth. So I wanted to lean toward that.
It’s also the first movie that my production company, Wolfcub Productions, has brought to Cannes.
Congratulations.
Ah, thank you. It’s also another movie with another animal theme, because I went with The Killing of a Sacred Deer, I went with Bird and now I’ve gone with Butterfly Jam as part of Wolfcub Productions. There’s an animal thing with Cannes, for me.
You’re no stranger to Cannes, that’s for sure. Does it ever feel any less surreal?
You just feel it as soon as you land. All the people that have been there before you, the historic moments it’s had, and it’s just classy. I went with Yorgos [Lanthimos] for the first time, and I loved it. I brought my film camera, my Canon, and I took pictures. And it’s just beautiful. It’s a celebration. I want to be there for Talha and everyone else and to celebrate with them.
And Riley — had you two worked together before?
Technically, yes, Hurry Up Tomorrow, because she was the voice of the phone call. I was like, “Oh, we worked together!” And she was like, “Did we?” and I was like, “Yeah!” and she [said,] “Oh yeah, we did!” So this is our second movie together. (Laughs.) And we’re cousins, it’s crazy! But we’re not. Nah, I’d watch Riley all day, honest to God. She is just incredible. I’ve been a fan of hers and to be doing scenes with her … You don’t know what’s coming. You really don’t know what’s coming. And it’s the physicality in that unknown that’s unpredictable. There are actresses out there who I’ve always wanted to work with — Patricia Arquette would be one — but Riley is one and she has that rawness. She’s absolutely incredible. And I said to her, “I’ve had great fun on this.” There’s a scene in it, we’re in the kitchen, and on paper, it goes a certain way. But it was such a breath of fresh air to not know where it’s going and just try and match that.
How would you describe Kantemir’s process?
He’s a legend. He’s an absolute legend. Again, such a talented man. He’ll get to what he wants to get to by not making you feel [like] you’ve done it wrong. And that’s not necessarily to say that [other] people do that. But he won’t come right up and go, “Great, but do it this way.” He’ll go, “OK, so where do you think that we can [go now]? Do you think it’s at this point we can turn that on?” I think it’s a nice approach. I really admire it because, again, I’ve asked to be in his movie and I want to be part of his process. So whatever he’s doing, I’m intrigued. I’m wanting to learn and watch him. I’d come in on days I wasn’t in and look at how he’s doing it. And I also want to come in and just help Talha as well, and be there for him. It got to the stage where he was there, doing it all, but I’d still come in and he’d [say], “I don’t need you!” (Laughs.) But I wanted to be part of it and observe Kantemir. Jomo [Fray], our DOP, was incredible as well. But he’s brilliant. I’d love to work with him again.
Could you be tempted into directing yourself one day?
I could, I could. Yeah, I’d love to. I don’t think people would understand what I’m saying, though. “Could you do it this way? That way? This way? Yeah, whatever.” You get me. Most of the time on set would be spent on that, me getting people to understand what I’m saying.
Hey, I understand you perfectly right now!
Believe me, I’m talking slow. (Laughs.) But I’d love to [direct]. I’ve always been interested in directing. I remember directing a short film for Gucci/Dazed as part of a young filmmakers, young artists celebration. There were 15 of us that got to make these little adverts to show off the new Gucci bag and I made a short film. I picked a non-actor and called it Animal, funnily enough, and shot it on 16mm and had a great, great time just working with every department and appreciating it. And realizing and seeing on set that every single minute counts, and understanding why [people are like], “Come on! Let’s go!” (Laughs.) Understanding why people have an attitude sometimes because you’re trying to get the shot in.
Maybe next time we talk, it’ll be for a film in Cannes that you’ve directed.
There we go. That’s going to happen. I’m going to make a movie, an animal one.
We have to ask: What’s it like carrying a little bit of Ringo Starr around with you?
Is that what you see?!
I mean spiritually!
(Laughs.) No, that’s good if you do see it. It’s great. It’s a joy to be playing Ringo Starr, and it’s another chapter in my life I’ll be incredibly proud of. We’re in the middle of it now. Sam Mendes and the whole team here, Greig [Fraser] the cinematographer and [producer] Julie [Pastor], all of them, they’ve just been absolutely such a family to me and to the lads [Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn] as well. And we’ve all become like brothers. It’s been an incredible process. I’m grateful for it. I can’t wait for people to see it.
As someone who has already done so much, how would you describe what gets Barry Keoghan excited nowadays, with acting roles but also as a producer?
That’s the fun part, isn’t it? With Wolfcub Productions, we have a Netflix [project] in development, something I can’t announce just yet. We have Butterfly Jam and another thing that’s really so close to being announced as well. There are a few things. We have a project called Lemonade, it’s a story about foster care at home in Ireland. It’s very personal to me. So I’m looking for projects. I’m looking for writers. I’m looking for first-time directors and people like that. [I want to be] a safe place that people can bring projects and talk about [them], and we can get into it and see if it fits the slate that I’m trying to create.
Places like [Saltburn producers] LuckyChap and [Sacred Deer producers] Element Pictures have been massive for me. Working with the lads, getting to see how they operate when they’re on set, it’s things like that where I’m using my experience now. But in terms of what I want to do next? It’s up in the air. As un-fun as it sounds, you have to always be in love with it, want to work with the filmmaker, and [you] want it to be a new kind of challenge, you know? I don’t want to step into parts that I’ve played already.
