Vampire Barry is Keoghan for shock value..
Irish actor’s magazine shoot love at first bite
BARRY Keoghan has posed for his most daring shoot to date as he embraces a vampire-theme for his cover spread with W Magazine.
The Irish actor, 31, was instructed by his Saltburn director Emerald Fennell, who took inspiration from the famous line in their film, “Lucky for you, I’m a vampire”.
For one striking snap, Barry went shirtless and bathed in a pool of blood.
The father-of-one donned a pair of latex gloves complete with fake nails, adding to the look with a chunky pearl necklace and slick of red lipstick.
He took things a step further in the next photo, pretending to devour a heart from a plate covered in fake blood.
The kooky spread also saw Barry read the novel Twilight and pose with a Buffy The Vampire Slayer mug before modelling a suit of armour – that would allow a vampire to go outside in the daylight.
In Saltburn, the Dubliner’s character Oliver insists he’s OK with performing sex acts when a girl is on her period because he’s a “vampire”.
Keoghan said he was more than happy to get back into the tub at Fennell’s behest, adding: “I did it, without hesitation.
“Emerald getting in the bath with me is metaphorical for the way she directs – she gets into it with you. She isn’t in her trailer or having an assistant come over to give you notes; she’s right beside you. That’s where bold choices come from.”
Speaking about the inspiration for the shoot, Emerald explained: “Because Barry’s so theatrical and such an amazing physical performer, I wanted to make that literal and have him as a vampire living his everyday life in London.
That’s why Barry is remarkable, he wants to be at the sharp end
EMERALD FENNELL ON BARRY’S ACTING STYLE
HORROR
“Which means reading Twilight, watching old Hammer horror films, and going to the supermarket in armour and a balaclava so that he doesn’t get burned to a crisp.” Another shocking scene in the movie sees Barry strip naked and dance around to Sophie Ellis-bextor’s Murder on the Dance Floor.
Speaking about the reaction to the nudity, he said: “I didn’t know I could do something like that, and to see it play back on-screen gave me a massive amount of confidence.
“So maybe there’s something down that route I can take.” Emerald was keen not to push him into doing anything he felt uncomfortable with, explaining: “The thing for me is, if you want to make stuff that’s close to the bone, that’s outrageous and fun and camp and silly, you need to create a space where people feel like they’re safe, that they’re not being shoved off a cliff and that we’re all doing it together.
“If Barry had changed his mind and said, ‘I don’t want the dance scene at the end to be in the movie,’ I would have got rid of it, because consent is ongoing and everyone has a say.
“But that’s why Barry’s remarkable. He wants to be at the sharp end, always.”