From 13 foster homes to Oscar nominee, the inspiring story of Barry Keoghan: 'Every family was good to us'

Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 25, 2023. It has since been updated.

Barry Keoghan did not have an easy start in life. The actor, who hailed from Dublin, had to live in 13 different foster homes after his mother died due to a heroin overdose at the age of 30. Keoghan, who has starred in films like "The Eternals" and "The Batman," received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the movie - "The Banshees of Inisherin." While talking at The Late Late Show in 2018, Keoghan spoke about his mother and growing up. He said, "She was the one who got caught, so we went into foster care, and all the families we went to...went to a few of them."

Later on, the host asked him about his positive experiences at those homes, to which Keoghan said, "Every family was good to us. As a kid, you don't know what's happening. You get attached and boom...you have to move away. I don't have a hometown. I'm just saying. It's a weird one." However, he said that he and his brother Eric were kept together. To further explain why he called it weird, Keoghan said, "As a kid, you don't know what's happening. It's only when you get older you can look back and get some perspective on it."

When asked if he has any fun memories of his mother, he said, "I have great memories of her. Very proud of her." Keoghan's grandmother, who was in the audience, said about him, "I love him. I love him. I am. Very proud." He was just 12 when he was sent to foster care. Later, his older sister Gemma gave up work to look after his brother and Keoghan. He said that his aunt and sister had to fight hard to take him and Eric out of foster care. He also added that he was very well looked after by his granny, aunt, and sister, as reported by DublinLive.

Keoghan's Hollywood journey began in 2017. He acted as George Mills in "Dunkirk" and Martin Lang in "The Killing of a Sacred Deer." In 2018, he was cast in "Black' 47" as an English soldier working in Ireland. Keoghan also worked in American Animals the same year and worked in a mini-series called "Chernobyl" in 2019. 

He also appeared in the movie, "Eternals" and "The Green Knight." He also went on to portray Stanley Merkel in the DC Comic film, "The Batman" in 2022. However, his biggest achievement to date has been his Oscar nomination for the film, "The Banshees of Inisherin." He paid tribute to his young son Brando for the nomination. Keoghan and his girlfriend, Alyson Sandro, welcomed their son in August last year. He wrote, "That's one for you, Brando. Daddy loves you," according to The Irish Sun.

Keoghan told DublinLive in 2021 that he hopes his story will inspire many young people to follow their dreams, agreeing that if you saw "13 foster homes" on paper, you would not expect him to do well in life.

The film, "The Banshees of Inisherin," has secured nine nominations in the Oscar. The movie's writer and director, Martin McDonagh, has been nominated for Best Director. Also, the movie is nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Film Editing. Moreover, Kerry Condon is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Colin Farrell for Best Actor, and Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan for Best Supporting Actor.