Bare-faced cheek! Barry poses naked for Vanity Fair cover
WE’RE getting to see a lot more of Barry Keoghan than any of us might have expected recently – and his latest magazine shoot is continuing in that vein.
A day after we showed you photos from a vampiric feature in W magazine, in which he is seen lounging in a bath full of blood among other gory situations, Keoghan has reprised one of the most notorious scenes from Saltburn for Vanity Fair’s star-studded Hollywood issue.
The film’s release last year inspired a slew of memes, video trends and a resurgence of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s pop hit Murder On The Dancefloor. And Barry,
‘Once the camera goes up, I feel a bit safe’
31, made a cheeky reference to the scene as he joined a slew of Hollywood stars for the magazine’s cover spread.
In a video posted online, the camera panned across the stars – Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Jodie Comer, Lily Gladstone, Greta Lee, Charles Melton, Da’vine Joy Randolph and Jenna Ortega – who came together in glamorous ensembles to shoot the spread.
After a short pause, Barry then appears completely naked as he spins around and saunters off camera, protecting his modesty with his hands.
It was no surprise that the Dublin actor wasn’t afraid to strip off, as he told the publication that he felt ‘beautiful’ baring his naked body in Saltburn.
Barry explained that he was more concerned by his dancing skills than appearing naked on screen.
He said: ‘I was afraid to move my hips and move my body in a certain way, but the set was made quite comfortable for me. Once the camera goes up, I always feel a bit safe, and I have the license to kind of waltz in that environment.’
Discussing the public’s reaction to the scene, Barry added: ‘It’s crazy. It can be detrimental to the mind and your mental state if you read into it too much or you look at too much stuff being said.’
This year’s spread assembles 11 stars seizing their moment in 2024, as the entertainment industry emerges from the most profound work stoppage in its history.
Explaining how she settled on the stars, editor-in-chief Radhika Jones revealed: ‘The 11 stars on this cover represent a vibrant selection of our on-screen faves.
‘A group of actors – also moonlighting as directors, producers, writers – who are joyfully seizing the moment, changing their paths and charting new ones.’
Barry previously revealed that his role in the thriller helped people stop looking at him as just a ‘freak child-man.’
Speaking to GQ about audiences seeing him in a different light, he said: ‘It’s nice, man. It’s nice not just being looked at as the weird-looking guy, the unique f ****** freaky little freak man-child, freak childman, whatever you want to call it.’