Who is Barry Keoghan?
Barry is an Irish actor who has already been nominated for a Bafta. Many British viewers were introduced to his work in the wonderful World War 2 film Dunkirk. He is a rising star of British film and television, and if you aren’t aware of him now, you will be in the future as he becomes more commonly seen on screen.
Tough upbringing
Barry’s mother died when he was just 12, due to drug addiction. This would have destroyed many young boys, but he has managed to use it as inspiration for his acting career. His Mum would surely be proud of his exploits on TV so far. He spent 7 years in a foster home, then was brought up by his sister and aunt. Far from a normal childhood, his difficult early years haven’t deterred him, however.
The Squarespace connection
What has he got to do with Squarespace, you may ask? If you are an American reader or a keen American Football fan, it’s quite likely you watched the Super Bowl. Squarespace had a prime-time ad on television during the Super Bowl event. I saw the ad whilst I was in the process of designing our Cafe themed Squarespace template. Barry was the main protagonist in that short film. The ad went down very well and has even been touted by many critics as one of the best Super Bowl ads ever.
Dating Sabrina
Some younger viewers and maybe older viewers will be aware of Barry’s relationship with music superstar Sabrina Carpenter. Sabrina is now in the pop music stratosphere with hits such as Expresso and Please, Please Please. They were dating for a few years, but they broke up in December 2024 and apparently avoided each other at the recent Met Gala awards.
Deleting social media
After his break-up with Sabrina, Barry was the subject of intense criticism and abuse online. It led to him deleting his Instagram account. He said “The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine”. Social media can be a revolting place at times, with the perpetrators knowing that it’s unlikely they will get a knock on the door from the police or authorities. Many other famous people have called for tightening up of the law with social media. It’s an interesting conversation and one that you will hear more about as we mature into a culture with social media prominent. My own opinion is that there has to be a line drawn. How do we deal with paedophiles and murderers? Is it free speech to publish these images? Barry had comments and lies about his parenting and that he had cheated on Sabrina. That is crossing the line for me. Horrible trolls.
More Squarespace ads
It is unclear if he will do any more ads for Squarespace. The first one showing at the Super Bowl went down very well, though, and hopefully, in the future, he can star in many more. Watch this space.