Barry Keoghan explains why he doesn’t have a ‘normal’ relationship with his son

Barry Keoghan has opened up about his experiences with fatherhood.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 31-year-old actor spoke about his upcoming role in director Andrea Arnold’s Bird, in which he portrays single father Bug. Speaking to the outlet on September 13, Keoghan explained that he was inspired by his own real-life experiences, both growing up and as a father now, during the film.

“I’ll just say this – I didn’t have a father figure growing up, so even my relationship with my son isn’t quite of the normal father-son relationship because I don’t have that figure to draw experience from and to base it on,” the Saltburn star said at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

“Love, you don’t need anything to draw from. Love is pure, and so I’m not on about that, but I’m on about little stuff like teaching your son this or teaching your daughter that,” Keoghan said.

The Batman actor went on to explain how his character’s relationship with his 12-year-old daughter Bailey, played by Nykiya Adams, felt more like siblings rather than father and daughter.

“Going into this, I didn’t have that [normal experience], so it’s a very brother-sister kind of chemistry going on [for Bug and Bailey], which I felt was right for it,” he said. “And you see that these days – there’s a lot of young fathers out there and young mothers and they’re almost like sibling-like, you know what I mean? Which is beautiful.”

Keoghan admitted that, because his on-screen daughter and his real-life son are 10 years apart, there were moments where he was at a loss while tapping into the role. “For me, the experience of playing a father was – obviously I’m a father, but at that age, she’s 12 in the movie, and it’s like, what do I base it on?” he added.

The Irish actor shares two-year-old son Brando with ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro. The former couple welcomed their son while Keoghan was shooting Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn in 2022. In an interview with GQ, he revealed that he was allowed one day off when Brando was born. “They gave me a day off,” he laughed. “Good on them! Day off, and straight on to night shoots and night feedings – boom!”

“It was probably the best time of my life, to be quite fair. Havin’ a baby boy, and leadin’ a movie. It was the best time of my life, I must say – yeah,” Keoghan said, before describing Sandro as “an incredible mother.”

While he maintained that becoming a father has not changed him, Keoghan explained that it has affected the choices he now makes in his career. “I feel a responsibility. I feel an enormous amount of pressure, which is good,” he said. “And I can’t get the little boy off my mind. It’s beautiful. Y’know, it’s crazy, but when he looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world. That’s the effect he has on me. He smiles at you and you’re like, ‘Wow. You’re smiling at me like that? I don’t deserve that, but anyways, thanks.’”

Last month, Keoghan shared a rare selfie with his toddler on Instagram, in which the father-son duo were seen playing with toys on a table. Brando looked up at the camera, his blue eyes and rosy cheeks on full display, as Keoghan snapped the selfie.

He also shared insight into his son’s budding personality, writing in the caption: “He’s more of a charmer than I am. Our wee Brando.”