Barry Keoghan Talks About the Impact of Online Abuse on His Acting Career: “You Start to Avoid Being on Screen”
Barry Keoghan, the Oscar-nominated actor, has opened up about the significant impact of online abuse on his career following his decision to leave social media in 2024. In a recent interview, Keoghan revealed how public criticism of his appearance has affected his willingness to pursue roles, prompting him to withdraw from the public eye.
Currently filming his role as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ cinematic event on The Beatles, Keoghan expressed that social media negativity has become increasingly problematic in his professional life. He noted how it makes him “shy away” from acting opportunities.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Hits 1, Keoghan said, “I’ve been blessed that I’ve got an incredible fan base, and people are so lovely out there. It’s really nice when you do Q&As and you talk to people and you can be there with them and answer their questions and give them all of you. And that is the good side of it.”
However, he also acknowledged the darker aspects of online interactions. “But there’s also a nasty side of it. And I’ve removed myself from online, but I’m still a curious human being that wants to go on. And if I attend an event or if I go somewhere, you want to see how it was received. And it’s not nice, you know?”
Keoghan elaborated on his experiences, stating, “There’s a lot of hate online. There’s a lot of abuse of how I look, and it’s kind of past the point of — you know, ‘Everyone goes through that.’ And everyone does, but it’s made me shy away. It’s made me really go inside myself, not want to attend places, not want to go outside. And I say this being absolute pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem.”
The Saltburn star admitted that the abuse has led him to “hide away,” impacting his public appearances. “I actually don’t go to places because of these things,” he noted.
He also conveyed concern about the effects of online criticism on his creativity, stating, “But when that starts leaking into your art, it becomes a problem, because then you don’t want to even be on screen anymore. It is disappointing for the fans, but it’s also disappointing that my little boy has to read all of this stuff when he gets older.”
Keoghan’s latest project, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, debuts this weekend on Netflix. He has recently been filming The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, alongside co-stars Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, and Joseph Quinn. Following this, he is set to star in Kantemir Balagov’s Butterfly Jam with Riley Keough and Harry Melling.
