Barry Keoghan is aware of the attention surrounding his body and viral nude dance scene in Saltburn.
In an interview with Vanity Fair for its 2024 Hollywood Issue, the actor said that though the public’s reaction is “crazy” and prone to being “detrimental to the mind and your mental state,” he was prepared ahead of time.
“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,” he 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. I think it shows an act of maturity in your craft, and if it justifies the story and moves it forward, why not?”
Keoghan noted how nudity is common in European cinema and normally “not a massive thing” to audiences. “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,” he explained.
Amid the response, the actor has addressed some questions regarding the scene, confirming that he did not wear a prosthetic and had fun while filming the dance sequence. For the Vanity Fair cover shoot, Keoghan gave a cheeky nod to the scene (literally) by appearing briefly nude in a video shared on the publication’s social media channels.
Due to the Saltburn scene becoming the talk of the film’s audience, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” — the song that Keoghan’s Oliver dances to in the scene — has since climbed the music charts.
“She’s great. I met her as well and she couldn’t have been more nice,” the actor said of Ellis-Bextor. “I remember that song coming out years ago when I was a kid, and it being a massive hit as it was. Never did I think I’d be fecking dancing around with no clothes on, moving to the beats of it.”
Keoghan also admits that he has watched the scene and he’s “pretty impressed” with how he moved.
“I was like, ‘Wow.’ In the final moment of the dance, I twirl twice, and if you look at my footwork, it’s linked to boxing. It’s all about footwork and moving the hips and stuff like that. That definitely came into factor, subconsciously. I was afraid to move my hips and move my body in a certain way, but the set was made quite comfortable for me. Once the camera goes up, I always feel a bit safe, and I have the license to kind of waltz in that environment.”
Keoghan also quipped that he, too, dances around naked in his house. “Everyone does, man. We all sing in the shower. We all act silly when we’re alone and we feel this freedom. It’s one thing that I did relate to. Not dancing around a manor of that sort with that fecking drip hanging about — but I sing out loud, I dance silly and move my body silly,” he said.
When asked about the increased attention and fame he has experienced following the film’s release, Keoghan admits that it’s not only “new” but “quite scary,” as well.
“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,” he said. “It’s almost a different kind of life that you’ve got to be living now. I just want to make movies and fecking play parts and work with filmmakers, and not focus on this noise too much.”
Despite garnering attention and conversations, Saltburn did not receive any Oscar nominations. In 2022, Keoghan received a supporting actor nomination for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin.