Barry Keoghan has set his sights on a new crop of collaborators.
After starring in films by Christopher Nolan (“Dunkirk“), Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Killing of a Sacred Deer”), Chloé Zhao (“The Eternals”), and most recently, Emerald Fennell (“Saltburn”), Keoghan quipped that he needs to make a “new list” of aspirational acting gigs.
Keoghan explained while in conversation with his “The Batman” co-star Robert Pattinson for Wonderland magazine that he hopes to work with the Safdie Brothers, Lynne Ramsay, and Barry Jenkins in the future.
“I have a list of directors that tend to knock around on these interviews and by saying their names I try to use the law of attraction [to make that happen]. But I really have [now] ticked off a lot of directors on that. You know, like Christopher Nolan, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Chloé Zhao. So, I’ve got to make a feckin’ new list, man. I really do,” Keoghan said.
He added to Pattinson, “I’ve got to work with amazing directors. I know you worked with the Safdies. I’d love to work with the Safdie Brothers and Barry Jenkins. There’s quite a few. Lynne Ramsay, I really love her as well. But I’d love to work with the Safdies, man. I feckin’ loved ‘Good Time.’ That was unreal, man. Just electrifying from you as well.”
Keoghan continued, “Chris Nolan, I don’t mind working with directors again if you get me because the first time…I know I did appreciate it but this time I think I’d be even more appreciative.”
The actor admitted that he “was young, man” when filming 2017’s “Dunkirk” and would approach working with Nolan differently now.
“You work for Chris as well. How was that for you? Like what was the pull there? Just Chris Nolan?” Keoghan said to “Tenet” star Pattinson. Nolan’s approach to filmmaking, in Keoghan’s opinion, is also “a testament to him knowing what he wants.”
Keoghan said, “That was sort of the pull for me, for Yorgos, and Chris Nolan as well. You know, they just create these universes, man, that you just want to be part of. […] It was sort of that Wes Anderson thing. Like Yorgos, these people create these worlds and universes that you’re sort of like, ‘I’d love to be just in that for a day.’”
The “Masters of the Air” actor, who stars in the upcoming Steven Spielberg-produced Apple TV+ series alongside Austin Butler, revealed that aside from working with certain directors, his only goal is to “become a leading man.”
“I got the chance there recently to lead a movie and challenge myself,” Keoghan said of “Saltburn.”
He continued to Pattinson, “You’re perfect at that, Rob. I admire you for that. You can do that. I wanted to see, can I do it? Because I’ve come into movies supporting and doing scenes and I love it. It’s whatever the role requires. But I wanted to see, could I lead a movie? Could I keep the audience engaged? So, that was my plan. Now it’s like, can I continue to do that? Can I continue to lead? But it’s to work with good filmmakers, man, and good projects.”
