Barry Keoghan Has Admitted That The Attention He Is Receiving Post-“Saltburn” Is “Scary” And “Overwhelming” As Fans Call To “Free” Him From Nudity Discourse

Three months after Saltburn’s release, people have had enough of Barry’s talent being reduced to “shock nudity” — and he has now had his say on being “objectified” by the public.

By this point, Barry Keoghan is most likely on your radar, since the 31-year-old Irish actor has become renowned for his attention-grabbing performance in Saltburn.

Barry Keoghan in military-style outfit at an event with award logos in background

As you are probably aware, toward the end of last year, this movie went viral for multiple shocking scenes — all of which featured Barry.

Barry Keoghan in a bathtub in Saltburn

On Sunday, a BBC journalist sparked fierce backlash when he asked Barry’s friend, fellow Irish actor Andrew Scott, about the dance scene, leaving Andrew visibly uncomfortable.

This is frankly disgusting. Andrew Scott is there to support his multiple nominated film and THIS is what you ask? Then when he looks visibly uncomfortable the guy carried on. Truly horrid. #BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/42VEoBXRQi

— Alex Gilston 🔜 GFF 2024 (@PresenterAlex) February 18, 2024
BBC / Via Twitter: @PresenterAlex

And Andrew ended up walking away from the interview entirely when the journalist further pressed him on whether “prosthetics” had been used on Barry.

Then, on Tuesday, W Magazine published its feature and accompanying photo shoot with Barry and Saltburn’s director, Emerald Fennell.

Barry Keoghan and Emerald Fennell on the red carpet

But things really came to a head on Wednesday, when Vanity Fair dropped its 30th annual Hollywood Issue with a promotional video of the 11 featured stars.

Barry Keoghan in a beige turtleneck and matching jacket with zipper and buckle detail

The clip, which was posted on the outlet’s social media accounts, sees everybody from Bradley Cooper to Natalie Portman move across the screen as though they're standing on a conveyor belt — and each of them is fully clothed.

At the end of the video, Barry enters the shot completely naked, with his bare butt facing the camera. He then places his hands in front of his crotch to preserve his modesty as he turns around with a smile on his face. 

And when the video was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, many users expressed their concern that the Saltburn gags have officially been going on for too long as they called to “free Barry Keoghan.”

Barry Keoghan in a teal sweater and navy trousers posing with hands clasped

Barry opened up about how difficult it has been to adjust to his increased celebrity profile in his accompanying interview with Vanity Fair, where he admitted that the amount of attention he has been getting recently is “overwhelming.”

Barry Keoghan in a black sleeveless top with a gold necklace, posing in front of a promotional backdrop

“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,” Barry began. “But I wouldn’t go there if I wasn’t prepared for that, or if I wasn’t open to receiving what people want to say.”

Barry Keoghan in formal black attire with a high-neck top at the Critics' Choice Awards

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