{"id":727203,"date":"2026-05-13T16:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/barry-keoghan-on-butterfly-jam-beatles-and-becoming-a-father\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:35:15","slug":"barry-keoghan-on-butterfly-jam-beatles-and-becoming-a-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/barry-keoghan-on-butterfly-jam-beatles-and-becoming-a-father\/","title":{"rendered":"Barry Keoghan on ‘Butterfly Jam,’ Beatles and Becoming a Father"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\n\tBarry Keoghan, now officially a Cannes regular, is weighing up the idea of one day taking to the Palais steps as a director.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019d love to,\u201d the 33-year-old tells The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>. \u201cMost of the time on set would be spent on me getting people to understand what I\u2019m saying, though.\u201d The dulcet tones of that thick Irish accent are perfectly intelligible over the phone, THR<\/em> puts to him. \u201cBelieve me,\u201d replies Keoghan, \u201cI\u2019m talking slow<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe superstar has given us 20 minutes of his time in between shooting Sam Mendes\u2019 much-anticipated Beatles biopics \u2014 a four-film cinematic event, coming in 2028 \u2014 to talk about his latest project, Kantemir Balagov\u2019s Beanpole <\/em>follow-up, Butterfly Jam<\/em>. It happ<\/a>ens to be the first movie Keoghan\u2019s Wolfcub Productions<\/a> has brought to the Croisette. The actor was last here (sans Wolfcub) with Andrea Arnold\u2019s Bird<\/em> in 2024, and made his Cannes debut next to Yorgos Lanthimos with 2017\u2019s The Killing of a Sacred Deer<\/em>. \u201cThere\u2019s an animal thing with Cannes, for me,\u201d he says about the intriguing pattern of titles trailing after him.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s no over-exaggeration to say Keoghan\u2019s ascension since Sacred Deer<\/em> has been astronomical. It\u2019s an apt descriptor given the vastness of the Irishman\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 (the MCU\u2019s Eternals<\/em>, HBO\u2019s Chernobyl<\/em>, and Martin McDonagh\u2019s tragically comical The Banshees of Inisherin<\/em>) and the A-list co-stars he\u2019s collected along the way (such as in Christopher Nolan\u2019s Dunkirk<\/em>, Emerald Fennell\u2019s Saltburn<\/em> and, recently, in Cillian Murphy\u2019s final Peaky Blinders<\/em> outing The Immortal Man<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\n\tBut 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. \u201cAlong with making commercial movies<\/a>, [I want] to make movies with directors who have one or two movies behind them,\u201d he tells THR<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019m always trying to find that balance and not stay in one lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA long time ago now, he reached out to Balagov off the back of the prize-winning Beanpole<\/em>, and mentioned he\u2019d love to work with the Russian filmmaker. The product of that conversation is set to premiere in the fest\u2019s Directors\u2019 Fortnight. It follows newbie Talha Akdogan, whom Keoghan admits he felt a little protective over \u2014 \u201cI felt like Colin Farrell did to me!\u201d \u2014 as Pyteh, a 16-year-old living in New Jersey\u2019s Circassian community (following the Russian Empire\u2019s 18th century invasion of Circassia, the entire ethnic group was either exiled or massacred). Here, Pyteh\u2019s 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\u202fwrestler.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe subject matter prompts Keoghan to talk candidly about tapping into his own tumultuous upbringing and journey to fatherhood \u2014 he spent many of his childhood years in foster care, and welcomed a son, Brando, in 2022 \u2014 while making Butterfly Jam<\/em>: \u201cIt\u2019s OK to be you as a dad, and I\u2019ve learned that by being me. This is how I do it, and this is how I show\u202flove.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHere, Keoghan catches us up on his Cannes plans, talks about the first-time writers, directors and projects he\u2019s willing to take a chance on at Wolfcub, and reveals what it\u2019s been like living life as the eccentric Sir Ringo Starr: \u201cI can\u2019t wait for people to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWere you familiar with Kantemir\u2019s work before Butterfly\u202fJam<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, so I\u2019d seen Beanpole<\/em> and absolutely loved it. I just love European cinema, and I think [Balagov] is incredibly talented. I\u2019m 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\u2019m always trying to find that balance and not stay in one lane.<\/p>\n

\n\tI think with Kantemir, I reached out to [him] ages ago. It could have been on Twitter<\/a> or something like that. And I said, \u201cI\u2019m a massive fan, and I\u2019d love to meet and chat and see what you\u2019re interested in, and if we could bring something together.\u201d He got back to me, and he was a massive fan as well. [He said], \u201cBarry, that\u2019s amazing. I\u2019ve got nothing right now at the minute, but I will keep you in mind. And hopefully we\u2019ll work together on something.\u201d It was the same with [Crime 101 <\/em>director] Bart Layton. I made that exchange with Bart. That\u2019s how it happens.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow would you describe what Butterfly Jam <\/em>is about and who your character is?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s 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 \u2014 that world of high school and the dramas that come with it, the fitting in. You know, thinking you know the world and you\u2019re 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\u2019s a tight community. I think they\u2019re based on a community in New Jersey, and it brings us there. We run a business, a restaurant. We sell Circassian [cuisine], it\u2019s this pancake-y potato. Sort of like an Irish stew. It\u2019s just proper traditional. We\u2019re famous for making them and I\u2019m 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 \u2014 but also trying to raise a son. My sister, [played by] Riley, she\u2019s just been there constantly, like a mom to my son, and I don\u2019t want to give it away too much, but basically, it\u2019s a community movie. If you\u2019ve seen Beanpole<\/em>, you\u2019ll be expecting the Kantemir touch to it.<\/p>\n

\n\tWas it quite an education for you, learning about the Circassian community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, because it\u2019s very, very specific, and you don\u2019t want to rock in and half-attempt it. But at the same time, if the director trusts what you\u2019re doing and you know the spirit of what you\u2019re doing is there \u2026 I think you go certain ways that sometimes might [not be rooted in] factual things. So once Kantemir and everyone on set \u2014 because there were a few people from the Circassian community \u2014 once they were all good, I felt in safe hands, totally.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd you play father to Talha\u2019s character?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tYeah. He\u2019s a newcomer and he\u2019s absolutely brilliant. He\u2019s 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 \u2026 You want to lead by example. And he\u2019s just incredible and very observant and wanting to learn and wanting to be part of [it]. We\u2019ve a lovely, lovely crew and cast, to be honest.<\/p>\n

\n\tI read that, for your recent Peaky Blinders<\/em> role, you could relate to Duke through your own complicated relationship with your father and fatherhood more general<\/a>ly. Did any of that come up again in this project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, 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<\/em>.) That\u2019s the difference, but Brando [Keoghan\u2019s 3\u202f\u00bd-year-old] could probably do that as well. Actually, to be honest, he\u2019s 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\u2019s where I bring a new angle to it. I\u2019m a father. There are new feelings, new emotions, there are new experiences and new chapters I\u2019m approaching. It\u2019s sort of nice to play not the traditional dad and [challenge] the dads that people tend to have a version of, which doesn\u2019t always exist \u2014 dads and moms. But it\u2019s OK to be you as a dad, and I\u2019ve learned that by being me. This is how I do it, and this is how I show love. And it mightn\u2019t be the way that we\u2019ve all seen, or we\u2019re all used to, but this is how I show emotion, and I\u2019m telling the truth. So I wanted to lean toward that.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s also the first movie that my production company, Wolfcub Productions, has brought to Cannes.<\/p>\n

\n\tCongratulations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAh, thank you. It\u2019s also another movie with another animal theme, because I went with The Killing of a Sacred Deer<\/em>, I went with Bird<\/em> and now I\u2019ve gone with Butterfly Jam<\/em> as part of Wolfcub Productions. There\u2019s an animal thing with Cannes, for me.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019re no stranger to Cannes, that\u2019s for sure. Does it ever feel any less surreal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tYou just feel it as soon as you land. All the people that have been there before you, the historic moments it\u2019s had, and it\u2019s 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\u2019s just beautiful. It\u2019s a celebration. I want to be there for Talha and everyone else and to celebrate with them.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd Riley \u2014 had you two worked together before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tTechnically, yes, Hurry Up Tomorrow<\/em>, because she was the voice of the phone call. I was like, \u201cOh, we worked together!\u201d And she was like, \u201cDid we?\u201d and I was like, \u201cYeah!\u201d and she [said,] \u201cOh yeah, we did!\u201d So this is our second movie together. (Laughs<\/em>.) And we\u2019re cousins, it\u2019s crazy! But we\u2019re not. Nah, I\u2019d watch Riley all day, honest to God. She is just incredible. I\u2019ve been a fan of hers and to be doing scenes with her \u2026 You don\u2019t know what\u2019s coming. You really don\u2019t know what\u2019s coming. And it\u2019s the physicality in that unknown that\u2019s unpredictable. There are actresses out there who I\u2019ve always wanted to work with \u2014 Patricia Arquette would be one \u2014 but Riley is one and she has that rawness. She\u2019s absolutely incredible. And I said to her, \u201cI\u2019ve had great fun on this.\u201d There\u2019s a scene in it, we\u2019re 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\u2019s going and just try and match that.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow would you describe Kantemir\u2019s process?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tHe\u2019s a legend. He\u2019s an absolute legend. Again, such a talented man. He\u2019ll get to what he wants to get to by not making you feel [like] you\u2019ve done it wrong. And that\u2019s not necessarily to say that [other] people do that. But he won\u2019t come right up and go, \u201cGreat, but do it this way.\u201d He\u2019ll go, \u201cOK, so where do you think that we can [go now]? Do you think it\u2019s at this point we can turn that on?\u201d I think it\u2019s a nice approach. I really admire it because, again, I\u2019ve asked to be in his movie and I want to be part of his process. So whatever he\u2019s doing, I\u2019m intrigued. I\u2019m wanting to learn and watch him. I\u2019d come in on days I wasn\u2019t in and look at how he\u2019s 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\u2019d still come in and he\u2019d [say], \u201cI don\u2019t need you!\u201d (Laughs<\/em>.) But I wanted to be part of it and observe Kantemir. Jomo [Fray], our DOP, was incredible as well. But he\u2019s brilliant. I\u2019d love to work with him again.<\/p>\n

\n\tCould you be tempted into directing yourself one day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI could, I could. Yeah, I\u2019d love to. I don\u2019t think people would understand what I\u2019m saying, though. \u201cCould you do it this way? That way? This way? Yeah, whatever.\u201d You get me. Most of the time on set would be spent on that, me getting people to understand what I\u2019m saying.<\/p>\n

\n\tHey, I understand you perfectly right now!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tBelieve me, I\u2019m talking slow. (Laughs<\/em>.) But I\u2019d love to [direct]. I\u2019ve always been interested in directing. I remember directing a short film for Gucci\/Dazed<\/a> 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], \u201cCome on! Let\u2019s go!\u201d (Laughs<\/em>.) Understanding why people have an attitude sometimes because you\u2019re trying to get the shot in.<\/p>\n

\n\tMaybe next time we talk, it\u2019ll be for a film in Cannes that you\u2019ve directed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThere we go. That\u2019s going to happen. I\u2019m going to make a movie, an animal one.<\/p>\n

\n\tWe have to ask: What\u2019s it like carrying a little bit of Ringo Starr around with you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tIs that what you see?!<\/p>\n

\n\tI mean spiritually!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t(Laughs<\/em>.) No, that\u2019s good if you do see it. It\u2019s great. It\u2019s a joy to be playing Ringo Starr, and it\u2019s another chapter in my life I\u2019ll be incredibly proud of. We\u2019re 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\u2019ve just been absolutely such a family to me and to the lads [Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn] as well. And we\u2019ve all become like brothers. It\u2019s been an incredible process. I\u2019m grateful for it. I can\u2019t wait for people to see it.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s the fun part, isn\u2019t it? With Wolfcub Productions, we have a Netflix [project] in development, something I can\u2019t announce just yet. We have Butterfly Jam<\/em> and another thing that\u2019s really so close to being announced as well. There are a few things. We have a project called Lemonade<\/em>, it\u2019s a story about foster care at home in Ireland. It\u2019s very personal to me. So I\u2019m looking for projects. I\u2019m looking for writers. I\u2019m 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\u2019m trying to create.
Places like [Saltburn<\/em> producers] LuckyChap and [Sacred Deer<\/em> producers] Element Pictures have been massive for me. Working with the lads, getting to see how they operate when they\u2019re on set, it\u2019s things like that where I\u2019m using my experience now. But in terms of what I want to do next? It\u2019s 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\u2019t want to step into parts that I\u2019ve played already.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n