Barry Keoghan has said he feels his nudity scene in Saltburn was “true vulnerability” as he paid homage to the viral moment in Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue.
In Emerald Fennell’s black comedy, the Irish actor plays a student at Oxford University who becomes enthralled by a wealthier classmate and pays a visit to his sprawling estate.
READ MORE: Just how cosy is Oxford's Cosy Club restaurant?
At the end of the film, he can be seen dancing around the manor house in the nude to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit Murder On The Dance Floor, propelling the song back into the charts.
At first, the actor has his back turned to the camera before he turns around to smile while clasping his hands in front of his crotch.
Discussing how he feels about the public’s reaction to the film’s scene, Keoghan, 31, told the US outlet: “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.
“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.
READ MORE: Calls for help as flooding hits hamlet
“You look at European cinema and they tend to have a lot of scenes that involve nudity, and it’s not a massive thing, really.
“But I think it’s true art. It really is. And it’s true vulnerability as well. You’re really kind of putting yourself out there in the most vulnerable state.
“It’s beautiful to look at. I’m not saying it’s because of my body but it’s freeing to see that body move around in the way it does. It’s like a moving painting, almost.”
The actor admitted he had been more concerned about the dancing than the nudity but said he was “pretty impressed” at how his moves came across.
“I was afraid to move my hips and move my body in a certain way but the set was made quite comfortable for me,” he added.
READ MORE: More paths closed by city council as flooding continues
“Once the camera goes up I always feel a bit safe, and I have the licence to kind of waltz in that environment.”
Keoghan also praised his co-star Jacob Elordi, who plays his wealthy classmate Felix Catton in the film, saying: “He’s my baby boy. I love Jacob. He’s one of my best friends.”
He added that the Euphoria star has “always got his back” as they both navigate their stratospheric rise to fame.
Keoghan’s role in Saltburn earned him critical praise along with Bafta and Golden Globe nominations for best actor.
Last year, he won the best supporting actor Bafta and was nominated for an Oscar in the same category for his role in tragi-comedy The Banshees Of Inisherin.
Speaking about adjusting to his swift rise to fame, he said: “It’s new for me, man. It’s quite a scary one as well, because I’m not used to this much attention.
“It’s overwhelming, if I’m quite honest. It’s almost a different kind of life that you’ve got to be living now.
Keoghan also appears alongside Hollywood stars including Jodie Comer, Bradley Cooper, Pedro Pascal, Natalie Portman, Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega, Colman Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee and Charles Melton in Vanity Fair’s latest Hollywood Issue.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
About the author
Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here