NEED TO KNOW
- Barry Keoghan was a child when his mother died due to a heroin addiction
- The Saltburn star, 32, revealed “curiosity” led him to also become an addict
- “I’ve got scars here to literally prove it,” Keoghan said in a new interview, per Hollywood Authentic
Barry Keoghan is opening up about his struggles with sobriety.
While speaking with Hollywood Authentic about his upbringing for an article published on May 1, the Saltburn star, 32, recalled that when he was 12 years old, his mother died due to heroin addiction. He said that despite this, and the birth of his son Brando, 2, he was drawn to drugs.
“I’m not in denial anymore. I understand that I do have an addiction, and I am an addict,” Keoghan said, per the outlet. “You know, when you accept that, you finally can move on, and learn to work with it.”
He added, “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. That should be enough to go, ‘OK, if I dabble here, I’m f—ed.’ But your curiosity is a powerful thing.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Keoghan told Hollywood Authentic that he’s felt an “enormous amount of pressure” since being on the scene in Hollywood.
“I’ve got scars here to literally prove it,” he said, per the outlet. “They’re a result of using. 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.”
The Hurry Up Tomorrow actor recalled having to be kept away from his mother amid her struggles with heroin.
“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 told Hollywood Authentic. “And we were just told to stay in bed. We weren’t to go down and hug her.’ “
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
The reflection comes after Keoghan previously told GQ that when he’s feeling isolated, he thinks back to his mother.
“My mother, always. She’s many years passed now, but I always think about her anyway,” he said. “It’s always just in and around achievements that it’s really prominent—’cause you’d like to celebrate that wit’ ’er, y’know?”
He recalled that his mother wasn’t as present in his life before she died, adding “she was battlin’ a lot of stuff.”
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Back in January, Keoghan revealed in a video for the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office that becoming a father helped him to understand the challenges his mother faced.
Speaking about children’s social care, Keoghan, who spent some time in foster care as a child, said, “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. And luckily there was a good care system there, which is massively important.”
Read the full article here
