Barry Keoghan gets candid about being an addict and reflects on losing his mother to heroin, revealing his own drug use scars and journey to healing.
Barry Keoghan is laying bare the painful truths of his past as he opens up about addiction, loss, and healing in a new, emotional interview. Speaking with Hollywood Authentic, the Saltburn star, 32, reflected on the deep impact of his childhood trauma and the ongoing fight for sobriety, revealing, “I’m not in denial anymore. I understand that I do have an addiction, and I am an addict.”
Barry Keoghan, who tragically lost his mother to heroin addiction when he was just 12 years old, admitted that despite the trauma, “curiosity” eventually led him down the same dark path. “I’ve got scars here to literally prove it,” he said, pointing to physical reminders of his struggles with drug use.
The Irish actor, who recently attended the world premiere of Hurry Up Tomorrow in New York, also shared how deeply addiction runs in his family. “My father passed away as a result of similar and I lost my mum to it. I’ve lost two uncles and a cousin to drugs,” he revealed. “That should be enough to go, ‘OK, if I dabble here, I’m f—ed.’ But your curiosity is a powerful thing.”
Barry Keoghan‘s raw recollections extended to painful childhood memories of being shielded from his mother while she was battling her addiction. “I remember being kids here and hearing my mum scream through the letterbox, asking for us, while she’s battling addiction, while she’s looking for money to score,” he recalled. “And we were just told to stay in bed. We weren’t to go down and hug her.”
Despite the trauma, Barry Keoghan said he has found some peace. “I’m at peace now, and responsible for everything that I do. I’m accepting. I’m present. I’m content. I’m a father. I’m getting to just see that haze that was once there – it’s just a bit sharper now, and colorful.”
Fatherhood has brought new perspective to Barry Keoghan, who shares a 2-year-old son, Brando. Back in January, he spoke in a video for the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office about how becoming a parent helped him understand the difficulties his mother faced. “As I’ve got older and I’ve had my own son, I realized that it was such hard work for her and, you know, her and my father,” he said. “And luckily there was a good care system there, which is massively important.”
In a previous GQ interview, Barry Keoghan admitted he often thinks about his mother, especially during career highs. “My mother, always. She’s many years passed now, but I always think about her anyway. It’s always just in and around achievements that it’s really prominent—’cause you’d like to celebrate that wit’ ’er, y’know?”
While his rise in Hollywood has come with what he describes as “an enormous amount of pressure,” Barry Keoghan appears focused on growth, healing, and being present for his son. His journey, marked by tragedy and triumph, continues to inspire fans and shed light on the complex nature of addiction.
