Gladiator II director Ridley Scott just spilled the tea on what really went down with Barry Keoghan and his almost-but-not-quite role in the long-awaited sequel.
Now, before we dive in, let’s set the scene: this isn’t just any ol’ sequel. We’re talking Gladiator II, the follow-up to the 2000 hit that had everyone from ancient history buffs to people who just love seeing Russell Crowe in a skirt absolutely buzzing. And in the sequel lineup, you’ve got heavyweights like Paul Mescal (yes, that Normal People guy), Denzel “Can-Do-No-Wrong” Washington, and Joseph Quinn (a.k.a. Eddie from Stranger Things). But here’s the kicker: Joseph was actually a substitute for none other than Barry Keoghan.
So, what happened? Why isn’t Barry tossing on some leather armor and throwing down in the Colosseum? In a new interview with The New York Times, Ridley Scott went full proud dad mode on Barry, clearing up the mystery. Apparently, Barry had already been lured into another project, Saltburn. Yep, Ridley straight-up said, “Barry got locked into Saltburn,” which we assume means they just really wouldn’t let him out of their sight—or maybe they lost the keys, who knows?
But here’s where it gets really cute. Ridley, despite losing Barry to another flick, didn’t just brush him off. No, he was ready with the praise, saying, “That’s maybe the best film I’ve seen this year.” That’s right—this guy’s been around the Hollywood block a few times, and he’s over here gushing about a Barry Keoghan movie. Maybe Ridley’s just been feeling sentimental lately, or Barry’s acting is that good.
He went on, calling Barry “one of the good ones,” putting him on the same level as Joaquin Phoenix and Paul Mescal, which, honestly, is a bit like calling a cat “one of the good dogs,” but we get what he means. He was throwing compliments left and right: Barry’s got “complexity,” he’s got “control,” and yeah, he’s a “bit of a challenge,” but apparently that’s part of his charm. If Barry was a plant, he’d be the kind that grows all wonky and weird, but somehow looks perfect just the way it is. Ridley was practically saying, “Yeah, he’s hard to handle, but it’s worth it.”
